Consumer Payment and Partnerships Manager

Regions Bank•Birmingham, AL

8d•$152,377 - $194,760•Onsite

About The Position

At Regions, the Consumer Payment and Partnerships Manager develops and executes strategic plans for the development of the consumer card product line and has responsibility for merchant contract negotiations, payment strategies and alternative payments. The Consumer Payments & Partnerships Manager is responsible for the strategic management, optimization, and governance of Regions’ consumer card network relationships and alternative payment rails. This role serves as the primary enterprise owner for card network partnerships, ensuring network economics, innovation, compliance, and customer experience objectives are achieved. The role combines network relationship management, payments strategy, contract negotiation, and cross‑functional leadership, acting as a bridge between product, technology, risk, compliance, operations, marketing, and external partners.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree
Ten (10) years of experience in product management and development
Ability to analyze data and derive facts
Ability to influence others to effectively execute on strategic plans
Ability to work with senior management
Excellent communication and presentation skills
Knowledge of the financial services industry, products, and services
Strong problem-solving skills
Serve as the primary enterprise relationship owner for card networks, including Visa (credit and debit), Maestro, NYCE and any additional or emerging payment rails
Lead network contract negotiations, including incentive agreements, pricing, rule changes, product amendments, and strategic initiatives
Optimize network economics, including interchange structures, incentives, assessments, and long‑term commercial value to the bank
Act as the internal authority on network rules, operating regulations, and compliance obligations, ensuring alignment with product design and operational execution
Partner with Consumer Card Product, Digital Banking, and Payments teams to support end‑to‑end card and payments strategy, including traditional cards, mobile wallets, and emerging payment experiences
Evaluate and influence adoption of network‑led innovations (e.g., tokenization, contactless, credentials‑on‑file, network analytics, risk tools, and digital provisioning)
Maintain a forward‑looking perspective on payments industry trends, competitor activity, and fintech innovation to inform strategic decision‑making
Serve as enterprise contact for digital wallet partnerships, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and other wallet or authentication platforms
Oversee wallet compliance, provisioning enablement, certification requirements, and operational readiness in partnership with technology and operations teams
Support evaluation and governance of alternative payment rails and network diversification strategies
Act as a subject matter expert for card transaction data, interchange analytics, and network reporting platforms (e.g., Visa Analytics Platform)
Translate network and transaction data into insights that inform pricing, product performance, customer experience, and risk decisions
Support executive reporting and business cases related to network economics, innovation investments, and regulatory changes
Own third‑party risk management (TPRM) and ongoing oversight for assigned payment partners and vendors, ensuring compliance with bank risk standards
Partner closely with Legal, Compliance, Risk, and Procurement to ensure contractual and operational adherence to regulatory and policy requirements
Monitor and assess legal and regulatory developments impacting payments, interchange, network rules, and data usage, coordinating internal readiness and response
Serve as a trusted payments advisor to senior leaders across Consumer Banking, Risk, Technology, Operations, Marketing, and Finance
Influence product positioning, customer experience decisions, and go‑to‑market strategies related to payments capabilities
Drive alignment across stakeholders to ensure payments initiatives are executed efficiently and at enterprise scale

Nice To Haves

Management experience
Financial services industry experience
Experience in payments, cards, or financial services, with direct exposure to card networks or payment rails
Deep working knowledge of credit and debit card ecosystems, interchange, network rules, and transaction flows
Experience negotiating complex merchant, network, or payments vendor contracts
Strong executive communication skills with demonstrated ability to influence across functions and with external partners
Familiarity with digital wallets, tokenization, contactless payments, and alternative networks
Experience navigating regulatory, compliance, and risk environments within a large financial institution

Responsibilities

Manages merchant contract negotiations, payment strategies and alternative payments
Develops in depth understanding of Consumer payment products and serves as a subject matter expert
Partners with cross functional teams and leaders across the bank to align growth, performance management, and risk management priorities and execution
Surveys payment industry efforts and peer competitors to identify areas of opportunity
Manages external vendors responsible for payments end-to-end operations, including processing services and technology providers, card networks, embossing and printing capabilities, and loyalty platforms
Influences marketing strategies and positioning of products and payment capabilities
Maintains visibility into industry trends, customer behaviors, new product offerings, new providers and regulatory trends, and areas of focus
Ensures adherence to all of Regions’ compliance and regulatory standards, including product risk controls and monitoring
Serve as the primary enterprise relationship owner for card networks, including Visa (credit and debit), Maestro, NYCE and any additional or emerging payment rails
Lead network contract negotiations, including incentive agreements, pricing, rule changes, product amendments, and strategic initiatives
Optimize network economics, including interchange structures, incentives, assessments, and long‑term commercial value to the bank
Act as the internal authority on network rules, operating regulations, and compliance obligations, ensuring alignment with product design and operational execution
Partner with Consumer Card Product, Digital Banking, and Payments teams to support end‑to‑end card and payments strategy, including traditional cards, mobile wallets, and emerging payment experiences
Evaluate and influence adoption of network‑led innovations (e.g., tokenization, contactless, credentials‑on‑file, network analytics, risk tools, and digital provisioning)
Maintain a forward‑looking perspective on payments industry trends, competitor activity, and fintech innovation to inform strategic decision‑making
Serve as enterprise contact for digital wallet partnerships, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and other wallet or authentication platforms
Oversee wallet compliance, provisioning enablement, certification requirements, and operational readiness in partnership with technology and operations teams
Support evaluation and governance of alternative payment rails and network diversification strategies
Act as a subject matter expert for card transaction data, interchange analytics, and network reporting platforms (e.g., Visa Analytics Platform)
Translate network and transaction data into insights that inform pricing, product performance, customer experience, and risk decisions
Support executive reporting and business cases related to network economics, innovation investments, and regulatory changes
Own third‑party risk management (TPRM) and ongoing oversight for assigned payment partners and vendors, ensuring compliance with bank risk standards
Partner closely with Legal, Compliance, Risk, and Procurement to ensure contractual and operational adherence to regulatory and policy requirements
Monitor and assess legal and regulatory developments impacting payments, interchange, network rules, and data usage, coordinating internal readiness and response
Serve as a trusted payments advisor to senior leaders across Consumer Banking, Risk, Technology, Operations, Marketing, and Finance
Influence product positioning, customer experience decisions, and go‑to‑market strategies related to payments capabilities
Drive alignment across stakeholders to ensure payments initiatives are executed efficiently and at enterprise scale