Payments Lead

Summary

Join Sardine, a leader in fraud prevention and AML compliance, as their Payments Lead (Product & GTM). This hands-on leadership role involves building and scaling a payments business from the ground up, encompassing strategy, product development, engineering, and go-to-market execution. You will own the end-to-end payments strategy, working closely with the leadership team and cross-functional teams. This high-impact role is perfect for future entrepreneurs seeking to develop innovative payment solutions in a hyper-growth environment. Sardine offers a remote-first work culture and a comprehensive benefits package.

Requirements

• 4+ years building successful payment products or businesses in payments or fintech
• Deep knowledge of card networks, acquiring/issuing processes, alternative payment methods, and emerging payment technologies
• Proven ability to manage P&L and deliver product and business results
• Strong ability to drive product vision, user experience, and lifecycle management, with technical fluency to collaborate effectively with engineering teams
• Proven negotiation and partnership management skills within the payments ecosystem
• A knack for breaking complex problems into smaller, manageable pieces
• Data-driven decision-making skills with a strong grasp of KPIs and financial modeling
• Natural curiosity, a passion for innovation, and a desire to make an impact
• Excellent leadership presence, communication, and collaboration skills to unite cross-functional teams

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the strategy to build and scale our payments vertical from the ground up
• Lead the end-to-end product lifecycle, from ideation and market research to launch and continuous iteration
• Research industry trends, emerging payment technologies, and best practices
• Drive the commercial strategy for new payment products to maximize growth and profitability
• Build and optimize scalable processes to ensure efficient and compliant operations
• Manage P&L, setting financial targets, and forecasting revenue to ensure sustainable growth
• Identify, evaluate, and negotiate partnerships with banks, PSPs, card networks, and fintech partners
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (engineering, design, compliance) to deliver high-quality payment solutions
• Scale payment products to new markets and geographies
• Leverage data-driven insights to optimize product performance, pricing, and user experience
• Work day to day with compliance and fraud teams
• Work with engineering and design teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in the crypto industry or with blockchain-based payment solutions
• Prior experience in high-growth environments such as startups, investment banking, or consulting
• Technical skills in SQL or Python for data analysis

Benefits

• Generous compensation in cash and equity
• Early exercise for all options, including pre-vested
• Work from anywhere: Remote-first Culture
• Flexible paid time off, Year-end break, Self care days off
• Health insurance, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents - US and Canada specific
• 4% matching in 401k / RRSP - US and Canada specific
• MacBook Pro delivered to your door
• One-time stipend to set up a home office — desk, chair, screen, etc
• Monthly meal stipend
• Monthly social meet-up stipend
• Annual health and wellness stipend
• Annual Learning stipend
• Unlimited access to an expert financial advisory