Payments Program Manager

Blend360
Summary
Join Blend as a Payments Program Manager to lead the US market expansion for a Fortune 500 financial services client. This 12-month consulting project (with possible extension) involves defining and implementing the US FinTech and Payments growth agenda, driving commercial initiatives, and fostering key partnerships. You will work closely with leadership and cross-functional teams to scale and refine payments offerings, focusing on revenue generation and cost optimization. The role requires strong strategic planning, execution, and communication skills, with a deep understanding of the payments lifecycle and the US FinTech landscape. Blend offers competitive benefits to full-time consultants, including health, vision, dental, 401K, life insurance, and more. The ideal candidate will have 8+ years of experience in strategy and execution, including 4+ years in payments.
Requirements
- 8+ years of experience in Strategy, Commercial Partnerships, and Business Development, ideally within FinTech or related tech sectors
- A minimum of 4 years in Payments , with a deep understanding of the end-to-end payment lifecycle (both pay-in and pay-out)
- Demonstrated ability to build and execute strategies tailored to specific markets, including a track record of identifying, prioritizing, and delivering revenue-driving and cost-saving opportunities in the US—ideally within FinTech
- Knowledge of how to extract value beyond payments through collaboration on initiatives involving Marketing, Distribution, Sponsorships, Personalization, and Data Insights
- Strong experience working with cross-functional stakeholders and the ability to collaborate across teams like Product, Legal, Treasury, Fraud, and Operations
- Deep expertise in the US FinTech environment, including industry movements, regulatory context, and consumer dynamics
- A highly analytical mindset with the skills to assess opportunity, develop business cases, and anticipate potential risks
- Exceptional communicator who can simplify complex subjects into strategic updates for executive audiences
- Adept at storytelling and presentation development, with a clear ability to articulate business impact and strategic vision
Responsibilities
- Strengthen the US FinTech Strategy: Work jointly to design and implement a comprehensive plan for the US market, targeting market opportunity analysis, cost efficiency, revenue potential, and GTM initiatives
- Lead Cost Optimization and P&L Results in the US: Drive efforts aimed at producing incremental revenue and achieving cost improvements (e.g., commercial agreements, acceptance strategies, fraud mitigation, and chargeback reduction)
- Realize Value Beyond Payments: Discover and structure opportunities to deliver impact across other departments—via marketing, sponsorships, distribution, and data-driven insights—particularly in collaboration with strategic partners
- Foster Stakeholder Alignment: Partner with cross-functional groups (Product, Legal, Operations, Treasury, Fraud, FP&A, etc.) to ensure well-coordinated execution and shared priorities
- Communicate Effectively with Executives: Prepare concise executive summaries, persuasive business cases, and performance insights for the US market. Translate complex payment topics into simple, visually engaging narratives to align leadership around strategic initiatives
Preferred Qualifications
MBA or equivalent advanced executive education, and/or prior experience in consulting or strategic roles, is highly valued
Benefits
Health, Vision, Dental, 401K plan, Life Insurance, Pretax Commuter Benefits