Director, Enterprise Payments Strategy & Partnerships

Fanatics Inc.•New York, NY

About The Position

Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform. We ignite the passions of global sports fans and maximize the presence and reach for our hundreds of sports partners globally by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet. Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with approximately 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners, 2,500 athletes and celebrities, and 200 exclusive athletes; and over 2,000 retail locations, including its Lids retail stores. Our more than 22,000 employees are committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience and delighting sports fans globally. The Role Fanatics is seeking a Director, Enterprise Payments Strategy & Partnerships to serve as a critical connective layer across our Commerce, Collectibles, and Betting & Gaming businesses. This role sits at the enterprise level and is responsible for two core functions: coordinating a coherent, high-performing payments ecosystem across Fanatics' operating companies, and leading commercial negotiations and strategic partnerships with payment processors, networks, wallets, and fintech partners. You will work directly with the VP of Enterprise Business Development and alongside senior stakeholders across Finance, Product, Legal, Risk, and each operating company to translate enterprise payments strategy into executed deals and launched programs. This is a high-visibility role for a commercially sharp, operationally grounded payments leader who thrives at the intersection of strategy and execution.

Requirements

10–14 years of progressive experience in payments, fintech, business development, or e-commerce, with at least 3 years in a leadership role
Demonstrated experience negotiating and closing strategic deals with payment processors, card networks, digital wallets, or fintech partners — both issuing and acquiring
Strong understanding of the payments ecosystem including transaction flows, processor economics, fraud and risk tooling, orchestration, and alternative payment methods
Proven ability to operate across a complex, multi-business-unit organization and drive alignment among diverse stakeholders
Strong analytical and financial modeling skills; ability to build compelling, ROI-driven business cases
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence both internal executives and senior external partners

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with loyalty ecosystems, financial services partnerships, or digital wallet integrations is a strong plus

Responsibilities

Serve as the enterprise-level point of coordination for payments across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, ensuring strategic alignment and eliminating duplicative or conflicting vendor relationships
Monitor pricing and economics across all processing, gateway, fraud, and wallet/checkout solutions, identifying opportunities for consolidation and cost optimization
Define and track enterprise payments KPIs including authorization rates, cost of acceptance, fraud rates, and customer experience metrics
Partner with operating company payments leads to align on shared infrastructure, routing logic, and vendor strategy
Translate enterprise payments strategy into clear internal requirements and execution plans that operating teams can act on
Lead identification, evaluation, and negotiation of strategic partnerships with payment processors, acquiring banks, card networks, digital wallets, orchestration platforms, and fintech companies
Own end-to-end deal processes including RFPs, commercial term negotiations, contract execution, and post-launch performance management
Develop and present business cases for new partnerships, including financial modeling, customer value analysis, and operational feasibility assessments
Build and maintain senior-level relationships with key payments partners to ensure Fanatics captures favorable economics and access to emerging capabilities
Stay current on industry trends, network rule changes, emerging payment methods, and the competitive landscape to keep Fanatics positioned as a payments innovator
Manage pipeline tracking, deal support, pitch development, and launch coordination
Oversee the enterprise payments partnerships pipeline across loyalty integrations, financial services, and alternative payment methods — including opportunity tracking, stage gating, and prioritization
Ensure effective project management for new partnership launches, coordinating across Product, Legal, Finance, Risk, Loyalty, Marketing, and operating companies
Support ongoing partner management post-launch, including executive cadence, performance reviews, and issue escalation