VP, Director of Payments Implementation

Our client is a leading sponsor bank providing banking infrastructure, compliance, and payment capabilities to financial technology companies. They are seeking a VP, Director of Payments Implementation to lead the implementation and ongoing support of card and payment programs for fintech partners.

The primary focus is card sponsorship and hands-on implementation across debit and credit card programs. The role will also support RTP and FedNow initiatives. This leader will work directly with fintech partners, card networks, issuing processors, program managers, internal teams, and technology providers to move programs from initial requirements through network approval, integration, testing, launch, and ongoing oversight.

What You Will Do

• Lead the end-to-end implementation and ongoing support of sponsored debit and credit card programs for fintech partners.
• Manage BIN sponsorship requirements, including BIN and ICA registrations, card-network forms, approvals, and partner entitlements.
• Coordinate issuing processor and program manager integrations, including requirements, configuration, testing, certification, production readiness, and launch.
• Lead payment implementation activities involving RTP and FedNow.
• Work directly with Visa, Mastercard, issuing processors, program managers, fintech partners, and technology providers throughout implementation.
• Ensure card programs meet applicable network requirements, bank policies, risk standards, compliance requirements, and operational controls.
• Oversee payment processors and program managers to ensure adherence to card-network rules and contractual requirements.
• Develop implementation plans, operating procedures, controls, readiness criteria, and escalation processes for new fintech payment programs.
• Coordinate implementation activities across product, technology, operations, risk, compliance, legal, finance, and other internal teams.
• Manage reconciliation, settlement, network billing, and subledger requirements across card networks, processors, and program managers.
• Establish operational processes for disputes, chargebacks, fraud monitoring, exception management, and transaction oversight.
• Oversee quality control for card-network drawdowns, card-program transactions, configurations, and related implementation activities.
• Identify implementation risks, resolve issues, and lead remediation efforts before and after program launch.
• Manage relationships with payment technology providers and support system purchases, integrations, upgrades, and new capabilities.
• Maintain policies, procedures, controls, reporting, and documentation supporting card sponsorship and payment implementation.
• Support audits and regulatory examinations related to card programs, sponsorship, processors, program managers, and payment operations.
• Lead and develop the payments implementation team while managing department operations, budgets, vendors, and business continuity planning.

What You Bring

• Direct experience implementing and supporting sponsored debit or credit card programs for fintech partners.
• Hands-on experience with BIN sponsorship, BIN or ICA registration, card-network forms, partner entitlements, and Visa or Mastercard approvals.
• Experience managing card programs from initial requirements through processor integration, testing, certification, launch, and ongoing oversight.
• Experience working with issuing processors, program managers, card networks, fintech companies, and technology providers.
• Experience implementing or supporting RTP and FedNow capabilities.
• Strong knowledge of card issuing, payment processing, settlement, reconciliation, network billing, disputes, chargebacks, fraud controls, and card-network requirements.
• Experience developing implementation plans, operating procedures, controls, testing strategies, launch-readiness standards, and remediation plans.
• Experience managing operational risk, regulatory compliance, audits, examinations, and third-party oversight within a regulated payments environment.
• Experience working across product, technology, operations, risk, compliance, legal, and finance teams.
• Experience leading and developing teams and managing budgets, vendors, and technology relationships.
• Authorized to work in the United States and residing in the Eastern or Central time zone.