Senior Principal, Relationship Management (Payments Acquirer Relations)

Role Description

Responsible for cultivating and expanding multiple strategic and complex external relationships by serving as lead representative for Discover to identify and drive opportunities to expand business targets within portfolio. Actively manages and escalates risk and customer-impacting issues within the day-to-day role to management.

• Manage and build relationships with existing strategic network participants.
• Maintain knowledge of partners, industry trends and competitive environment by performing market analysis and maintaining opportunity pipeline to recommend actions in improving Discover's position.
• Partner internally and externally to identify new or additional business opportunities within accounts; maintain and grow relationships to attain new business value and improve network participant experience.
• Advise network participant of new product, marketing or operational initiatives and act as primarily liaison into Discover to ensure improved market position for DFS.
• Serve as the strategic liaison between Discover external accounts, by maintaining relationships with decision-makers across company divisions of each participant.
• Create strategic account plans with key participants within portfolio to proactively identify opportunities for business value growth by following best practices and processes.
• Ensure all internal functions effectively support the delivery of the account objectives including data integrity, training and education.
• Documents, monitors, and reports on the performance and status of opportunities.
• Address network participant inquiries and problem solve to resolve opportunities or issues.
• Negotiate contracts, pricing agreements or incentives while ensuring compliance with new processes and business practices.
• Provide voice of industry into internal products, marketing and operations by analyzing trends that may impact clients engagement and work with internal stakeholders to develop tactics to improve Discover's position.

Qualifications

• Bachelors in Business Administration and Management, Finance, Marketing or related field
• 8+ years Payment Industry sales/relationship management, business development, strategy, operations, marketing, project management, finance, consultative skills and proven experience building deep and influential relationships with key stakeholders, executive level clients and internal business partners.
• In lieu of education, 10+ years Payment Industry sales/relationship management, business development, strategy, operations, marketing, project management, finance, consultative skills and proven experience building deep and influential relationships with key stakeholders, executive level clients and internal business partners.

Requirements

• Primarily remain in a stationary position.
• Occasionally move about the work environment to complete the major responsibilities of the job.
• Primarily performed indoors in an office setting.
• Ability to operate office equipment such as but not limited to computer, telephone, printer, and calculator.
• Ability to communicate verbally.
• Ability to communicate in written form.
• Travel up to 10% of the time.

Bonus Points If You Have

• Previous experience working with merchant acquirers, processors or payment networks in a relationship or account management role.
• Established industry relationships within the acquiring ecosystem (processors, ISO's, PSP's, etc).
• Strong knowledge of acquiring business models.
• Track record of negotiating and managing acquirer contracts.
• Familiarity with compliance and risk management (specific to acquiring).
• Experience presenting to and advising executive level stakeholders.
• Success in influencing across complex matrixed organizations.
• Ability to identify and execute growth opportunities within an acquirer portfolio.

Compensation

The base pay for this position generally ranges between $106,000.00 to $178,800.00. Additional incentives may be provided as part of a market competitive total compensation package. Factors, such as but not limited to, geographical location, relevant experience, education, and skill level may impact the pay for this position.

Benefits

• Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Time Off
• 401(k) Plan
• Medical, Dental, Vision, & Health Savings Account
• Short and Long Term Disability, Life, and Accidental Death & Dismemberment insurances
• Recognition Program
• Education Assistance
• Commuter Benefits
• Family Support Programs
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan