Director of Strategic Accounts

Optimized Payments • Atlanta, GA

9h • Hybrid

About The Position

Optimized Payments is seeking a commercially minded payments professional to lead the commercial strategy for a portfolio of key enterprise clients, focusing on retention, growth, and long-term client value. The Director works alongside lead consultants, who remain clients’ day-to-day partners, to develop executive relationships, lead renewal and expansion discussions, and ensure clients understand the value Optimized Payments delivers. The role also builds the company’s strategic account management program, including account plans, executive business reviews, customer health monitoring, and expansion strategies.

This is a hands-on, high-visibility position that works directly with executive leadership and may grow into broader leadership responsibilities. The position is based in Atlanta, follows a hybrid schedule with the opportunity to work remotely, and requires regular travel to client sites and the Atlanta office.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• At least 5 years of enterprise payments experience in sales, account management, or relationship leadership.
• Track record of owning and growing large enterprise relationships, with measurable results in retention, renewal, and expansion.
• Experience leading business reviews and commercial negotiations with C-level, finance, and payments executives at large enterprises.
• Deep fluency in payments economics, such as interchange, acquiring and processing pricing, authorization, routing, and chargebacks.
• Ability to translate data and analytics into a compelling business case for an executive audience.
• Composed and credible in escalations, pricing conversations, and competitive situations.
• Comfort leveraging AI, CRM, and analytics tools to research accounts, prepare executive business reviews, identify expansion opportunities, and work more efficiently.
• Willingness to travel regularly to client sites and the Atlanta office.

Nice To Haves

• Experience at a merchant acquirer, processor, card network, or payments advisory firm.
• Experience building account management programs and standards.
• Experience leading or mentoring a team.

Responsibilities

• Serve as executive sponsor and commercial owner for a defined portfolio of strategic enterprise accounts, accountable for gross and net revenue retention.
• Build C-suite relationships, including with CFOs, Treasurers, and VPs of Payments, so clients understand the company’s value and relationships remain strong through client leadership changes.
• Maintain an account plan for each strategic client, covering stakeholders, delivered value, risks, renewal timelines, and growth opportunities.
• Meet key clients in person regularly, including through on-site executive business reviews.
• Own the executive business review program and establish consistent preparation, format, and messaging across strategic accounts.
• Turn consulting and analytics work into clear executive narratives that explain the problem, recommendations, implementation, and measurable financial impact.
• Ensure each strategic client has a current, ready-to-use value case.
• Partner with lead consultants to capture results and coach them on communicating business impact.
• Lead renewal strategy and negotiation for strategic accounts well ahead of renewal dates.
• Lead pricing discussions, commercial negotiations, and responses to competitive threats and RFPs within the client base.
• Identify and develop expansion opportunities, including additional analytics, new payment areas, and new business units, in partnership with the sales team.
• Use structured discovery to surface client priorities before they become requests.
• Serve as the senior escalation point for strategic clients and coordinate resolution across consulting, analytics, and company leadership.
• Handle difficult commercial and relationship conversations with composure while protecting client relationships and company economics.
• Design and scale strategic account management practices, including account segmentation, engagement cadence, playbooks, and success metrics.
• Define account health and early-warning signals and shape an AI-enabled client intelligence program involving meeting intelligence, CRM, and monthly client summaries.
• Report retention, renewal pipeline, expansion, and account health to company leadership.
• Help shape the future structure of the function, with the opportunity to build a team as it grows.
• Represent Optimized Payments with client executives and at industry events.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Stock options.
• 401(k) plan.
• Generous paid time off and paid holidays.
• Hybrid work environment with flexibility to work from home 3 days a week.
• Free onsite covered parking.
• Access to a full gym with showers.
• Opportunity to be part of a dynamic, fast-growing company that expects to double in size in two years.
• Collaborative and inclusive company culture where ideas are valued.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director