Associate Director, Payments

GOAT Group

About The Position

As the Associate Director, Payments, you will own and evolve GOAT Group's end-to-end payments infrastructure and strategy. This high-impact leadership role sits at the intersection of finance, product, and technology, and is responsible for ensuring our global payments ecosystem is seamless, cost-efficient, secure, and scalable. You will serve as the senior-most payments leader, accountable for business performance, innovation, and regulatory excellence.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, Economics, Computer Science, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred
12+ years of progressive experience in payments or 8+ years with an advanced degree, with at least 4 years in a senior strategic or leadership capacity
Deep expertise in payment processing systems, merchant acquiring, card networks, and alternative payment methods
Proven track record directing complex payment operations for high-volume e-commerce or marketplace platforms
Strong understanding of payment security standards (PCI-DSS, PSD2, SCA, SOX), fraud prevention methodologies, and risk management
Demonstrated ability to lead enterprise-wide initiatives and influence outcomes without direct authority
Experience negotiating and managing relationships with payment processors, acquirers, and financial institution partners
Solid grasp of international payment methods, cross-border transaction requirements, and regional compliance standards
Exceptional analytical skills with ability to translate complex payment data into actionable business insights
Technical fluency with payment APIs, webhooks, and integration architectures
Outstanding communication and stakeholder management capabilities across technical and non-technical audiences with the ability to influence at the C-suite level
Strategic thinking combined with hands-on execution mindset to drive initiatives from concept to completion
Technical Literacy: Familiarity with how AI/ML models are integrated into payment gateways and fraud engines to drive operational efficiency

Nice To Haves

Experience with multi-currency settlement and foreign exchange optimization
Knowledge of emerging payment technologies
Background in payments for luxury goods, authentication, or marketplace business models
Prior experience scaling payment operations through high-growth phases or international expansion
Direct experience overseeing the implementation of AI/ML solutions in a high-volume e-commerce or fintech environment

Responsibilities

Execute a comprehensive global payments strategy aligned with business objectives and growth targets across all markets
Manage end-to-end payment operations, including processor relationships and gateway integrations
Collaborate with the fraud team on fraud prevention strategies, and compliance frameworks to ensure alignment across payment and risk functions
Lead strategic initiatives to optimize payment acceptance rates, reduce transaction costs, and improve customer payment experiences
Serve as subject matter expert and primary stakeholder for all payment-related product development and platform enhancements
Own commercial strategy and negotiations with payment processors, acquirers, and fintech partners to secure optimal terms, including pricing, routing strategy, and contract optimization
Drive payment innovation by evaluating and implementing emerging payment methods, technologies, and regional payment solutions such as real-time payments, stablecoins, BNPL/installments, and tokenization
Establish and monitor key performance metrics for payment operations, including authorization rates, conversion, settlement times, and cost efficiency
Own and optimize payments unit economics, including transaction costs, authorization rates, chargebacks, and take rate impact, partnering closely with Finance to drive margin improvement
Partner with Risk and Compliance teams to ensure adherence to PCI DSS, PSD2, and other regulatory requirements across jurisdictions
Provide strategic counsel to executive leadership on payment trends, competitive landscape, and business impact
Partner cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Finance, and Business Development to align payments capabilities with platform strategy, optimize international fund flows, and advise leadership on industry trends and strategic partnerships
Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation of payment flows, vendor agreements, and operational procedures
Coordinate payment infrastructure planning to support scaling requirements and new market expansion
Drive AI-driven Innovation: Lead the evaluation and implementation of AI and machine learning technologies to automate payment operations, enhance predictive routing, and optimize liquidity management