Finance Transformation Lead, Payment Modernization

Apple•Cupertino, CA

About The Position

We are looking for a transformational leader to help shape the financial future of one of the world's most dynamic and influential companies. We're looking for a Finance Transformation Lead to focus on Payment Modernization and architect the payment infrastructure that supports Apple’s various lines of business. You will drive the finance strategy and execution of large-scale initiatives that modernize how Apple routes, and disburses payments to partners across multiple legal entities, currencies, and storefronts globally. This is a rare opportunity to sit at the intersection of finance, technology, and payments innovation. A core element of this role is building the foundation a modern, in-house payment platform that enables real-time payments, real-time statements, multi-bank and multi-rail routing, and the flexibility to onboard new payment rails. This foundation will serve as a scalable platform capability that supports all Apples lines of business. You will champion the “why” building compelling, rigorous business cases that articulate the strategic rationale for investing in payment modernization, from eliminating risk to unlocking new revenue streams. You will deliver against those business cases with discipline and accountability, and communicate roadmaps and strategy with clarity and conviction at all levels including CFO staff presentations. The ideal candidate brings a strong foundation in technical program/product management for payments, treasury, and/or financial services, combined with a proven ability to deliver large-scale transformation programs. You will partner closely with product managers, delivery leads, EPMs, engineering leads, treasury operations, and business partners across the company to drive the adoption of next-generation payment technologies. If you thrive in complex, ambiguous environments and want your work to directly impact how one of the world’s most influential companies pays its global ecosystem, this is your role.

Requirements

10+ years of experience leading complex, large-scale payments, treasury, or finance transformation programs at an enterprise scale.
7+ years of technical product/program management experience within payments, financial services, FinTech, or enterprise finance organizations.
Proven track record delivering large-scale payment system implementations or financial infrastructure modernization across enterprise finance functions.
Experience in payments, treasury, and/or financial services, and the ability to apply that expertise to the design and execution of payment modernization programs.
BS/BA degree in Computer Science, Business, Finance, or a related field.
Deep knowledge of payment systems architecture, payment consolidation, multi-bank routing, and disbursement operations at scale, ideally in a global, multi-entity, multi-currency environment.
Understanding of payment rails and emerging payment technologies.
Knowledge of treasury operations (cash management, liquidity, FX, intercompany) and/or tax (withholding, VAT, transfer pricing) and how these intersect with payment system design.
Experience with payments regulation, including payment services directives, cross-border compliance, AML/KYC, payment licensing, and evolving digital asset frameworks.
Demonstrated experience leading large-scale, multi-year, cross-functional programs from discovery through deployment across complex, matrixed organizations.
Demonstrated ability to influence senior engineering, business, and finance leaders within a matrixed organization.
Proficiency with ERP systems (e.g., SAP), payment platforms, automation tools, and data visualization tools applied to financial operations and transformation programs.
Formal project or program management qualification such as PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent.
Background or coursework in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline, with an appreciation for how technology platforms, data architecture, and software development intersect with payment modernization.
Hands-on experience with program management tools and methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall, hybrid frameworks) applied to enterprise-scale payments or finance programs.
Exceptional communication and executive presentation skills, including experience presenting complex programs, business cases, and strategic roadmaps to CFO-level staff and senior leadership.
Comfort navigating ambiguity; a proactive problem-solver who drives issues to resolution with or without complete information.
Intellectual curiosity and a continuous improvement mindset, always seeking smarter, more scalable ways to operate.

Nice To Haves

An advanced degree (e.g., MBA, MSc Finance) or professional accounting qualification (e.g., CPA, ACA, ACCA, CIMA) is a plus.

Responsibilities

Lead the Payment Modernization Program. Own the end-to-end finance strategy and execution of Apple's payment modernization initiative.
Drive the design and delivery of the payment engine, the foundational architecture that controls payment routing, timing, and rail selection across all Apple lines of business.
Partner with internal payments teams, assessing different models, evaluating service providers, and navigating the regulatory landscape across multiple jurisdictions.
Define and own the payments transformation roadmap. Develop and articulate a clear, multi-year vision and roadmap for payment modernization covering architecture.
Translate strategy into executable programs with measurable outcomes.
Ensure portfolio-level prioritization aligns with business objectives and that the roadmap supports both near-term competitive parity and longer-term opportunities.
Own the full lifecycle of large-scale payment and finance transformation initiatives, from requirements gathering and architecture design through system implementation, UAT, deployment, and adoption.
Maintain rigorous program governance across scope, timeline, risk, and budget management.
Apply structured delivery frameworks (Agile, hybrid) and ensure consistent delivery standards across the program portfolio.
Champion the “why” and build a business case development plan for payment modernization.
Collaborate with business partners and coordinate the business case.
Partner with Apple's services teams to understand their payment requirements and ensure the modernized payment infrastructure supports their business models.
Design the engine as a platform capability, not a single-use solution, so that it can be extended to serve new lines of business, new geographies, and new payment modalities as Apple's ecosystem evolves.
Build strong partnerships across a broad network of collaborators, including product managers, delivery leads, EPMs, engineering leads, Treasury, and services teams, to ensure payment modernization initiatives are well-scoped, technically sound, and business-aligned.
Demonstrate exceptional executive communication skills, with the confidence and clarity to present complex payment programs, business cases, and strategic roadmaps to CFO staff.
Navigate payments regulation and compliance. Ensure payment modernization initiatives are designed with regulatory requirements embedded from the ground up, including evolving payment services directives, cross-border rules, digital currency readiness, and jurisdiction-specific requirements for complex markets.
Partner with Legal, Tax, and Compliance.
Apply treasury and tax expertise to payment design.
Leverage knowledge of treasury operations (cash management, liquidity, FX, intercompany) and tax (withholding, VAT, transfer pricing) to ensure payment modernization initiatives are designed with financial risk, cash flow impact, and compliance considerations embedded throughout.
Partner closely with treasury operations, the FX team, and corporate tax teams to align the engine design with downstream financial requirements.
Partner with the finance transformation leads. Ensure payment modernization delivery is tightly aligned to the strategic direction set by domain leads, and that cross-functional dependencies, priorities, and milestones are coordinated effectively across the broader transformation portfolio.