Merchant Services Strategy Advisor (100% Remote)

Our Customer is a consumer financial services company headquartered in Connecticut. The company offers consumer financing products, including credit, promotional financing and loyalty programs, installment lending to industries, and FDIC-insured consumer savings products through the consumer bank, its wholly owned online bank subsidiary.

We are seeking a Merchant Services Strategy Advisor on a contract basis to support our customer’s ongoing business needs. This role is 100% remote.

Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic guidance and execution support for establishing a new merchant services relationship with a commercial banking partner.
• Support the development of acquiring, sponsorship, settlement, and payment processing models for debit card acceptance.
• Assist with future expansion planning for credit card acceptance capabilities.
• Define and design target operating models for merchant services and payment processing operations.
• Lead and coordinate key workstreams involving internal stakeholders and external banking and payment partners.
• Ensure merchant services relationships and integrations preserve flexibility for future direct relationships with gateways and processors.
• Advise on merchant acquiring strategies, sponsorship models, and payment processing frameworks.
• Support gateway and processor integration planning and execution.
• Provide guidance on card network rules, settlement operations, reconciliation processes, disputes, PCI compliance, and risk management.
• Develop vendor, partnership, and contract strategies related to payment processing and merchant services.
• Support operating model design, implementation planning, and process optimization initiatives.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with operational, legal, compliance, finance, and technology teams.
• Identify operational risks, compliance considerations, and scalability opportunities within payment ecosystems.

Skills and Qualifications:

• 15-20 years of experience in merchant acquiring, payment processing, merchant services, or financial services operations
• Experience working with commercial banks and banking partnerships.Extensive experience in merchant acquiring, payment processing, or merchant services operations.
• Deep knowledge of bank sponsorship models, gateway integrations, and processor relationships.
• Strong understanding of debit and credit card acceptance frameworks.
• Experience designing payment operating models and merchant services strategies.
• Strong knowledge of card network rules, settlement processes, reconciliation workflows, and dispute management.
• Experience with PCI compliance, risk management, and payment-related regulatory requirements.
• Experience leading complex cross-functional workstreams involving internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong vendor management and contract negotiation strategy experience.
• Ability to balance immediate operational needs with long-term strategic flexibility.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and strategic planning skills.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Experience supporting large-scale payment infrastructure or financial services initiatives.

We offer a competitive salary range for this position. Most candidates who join our team are hired at the median of this range, ensuring fair and equitable compensation based on experience and qualifications.

Contractor benefits are available through our 3rd Party Employer of Record (Available upon completion of waiting period for eligible engagements) Benefits include: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k.

An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.