Director of Strategic Accounts

Optimized Payments • Atlanta, GA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Optimized Payments is hiring a Director of Strategic Accounts to lead the commercial strategy for a portfolio of key enterprise clients, focusing on retention, growth, and long-term client value. Lead consultants remain clients’ day-to-day partners, while this role works alongside them to develop executive relationships, lead renewal and expansion discussions, and ensure clients understand the value delivered.

The Director will help build the company’s strategic account management program, including account plans, executive business reviews, customer health monitoring, and expansion strategies. This is a hands-on role with significant company visibility and the opportunity to grow into broader leadership responsibilities. Regular travel to client sites and the Atlanta office is expected. The position is based in Atlanta, with a hybrid schedule and the opportunity to work remotely.

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 experience in enterprise payments 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.
• Composure and credibility in escalations, pricing conversations, and competitive situations.
• Comfort using AI, CRM, and analytics tools to research accounts, prepare executive business reviews, identify expansion opportunities, and work 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, and ensure clients understand the company’s value through leadership changes.
• Maintain an account plan for every strategic client, covering stakeholder maps, 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.
• Translate consulting and analytics work into executive narratives covering the problem, recommendations, implementation, and measurable financial impact.
• Ensure every 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 in partnership with the sales team, including additional analytics, payment areas, and business units.
• Use structured discovery to surface client priorities before they become requests.
• Serve as the senior escalation point for strategic clients and coordinate resolutions across consulting, analytics, and company leadership.
• Handle difficult commercial and relationship conversations while protecting client relationships and company economics.
• Design and scale strategic relationship management, including account segmentation, engagement cadence, playbooks, and success metrics.
• Define account health and early-warning signals, and shape the AI-enabled client intelligence program.
• Report retention, renewal pipeline, expansion, and account health to company leadership.
• Shape the future structure of the function, with the opportunity to build a team as it grows.
• Represent Optimized Payments to 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.
• Collaborative and inclusive company culture where ideas are valued.
• Free onsite covered parking.
• Access to a full gym with showers.

What This Job Offers

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