Head of Payment Partnerships & Executive Director, UK

Block; Greater London; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services provider is seeking a Head of Payment Partnerships in London. This role involves managing payment partnerships and guiding the strategic direction for the UK operations. Ideal candidates will have over 15 years of experience in the payments industry, demonstrating strong leadership abilities, commercial acumen, and exceptional cross-functional collaboration skills. The position is full-time with expected travel of 20%. Join us in driving inclusive economic growth and supporting our vision for a better tomorrow.

Qualifications

• 15 years of experience in payments with expertise in product management.
• Solid understanding of the payments industry and key UK regulators.
• Corporate governance experience at Board level.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership as Executive Director of Square’s UK business.
• Build and manage strategic relationships with payment partners.
• Strengthen the influence and market position of Square’s business.

Skills

Crisis Management

Marketing

Public Relations

Fundraising

Media Relations

Strategic Planning

Social Media Management

Team Management

Public Speaking

Writing Skills

Job description

Since we opened our doors in 2009 the world of commerce has evolved immensely and so has Square. After enabling anyone to take payments and never miss a sale we saw sellers stymied by disparate outmoded products and tools that wouldn't work together.

So we expanded into software and started building integrated omnichannel solutions to help sellers sell online, manage inventory, offer buy now pay later functionality, book appointments, engage loyal buyers and hire and pay staff. Across it all we’ve embedded financial services tools at the point of sale so merchants can access a business loan and manage their cash flow in one place. Afterpay furthers our goal to provide omnichannel tools that unlock meaningful value and growth enabling sellers to capture the next generation shopper, increase order sizes and compete at a larger scale.

Today we are a partner to sellers of all sizes: large enterprise‐scale businesses with complex operations, sellers just starting, as well as merchants who began selling with Square and have grown larger over time. As our sellers grow so do our solutions. There is a massive opportunity in front of us. We’re building a significant, meaningful and lasting business and we are helping sellers worldwide do the same.

The Role

Payments drives awareness of the Square brand as Square’s first touch‑point with most of our sellers and fuels the economics of the broader Square ecosystem. To that objective Square must operate against a complex backdrop of industry partners to encourage flexibility, new standards and openness to Square’s innovation products and services. The Financial Operations team plays an integral role in crafting a diverse spectrum of solutions and capabilities for our customers, overseeing foundational industry & regulatory relationships and managing the spectrum of payment partnerships required to achieve our objectives.

As the Head of Payment Partnerships UK you will also be the Executive Director of SEL Ltd, you will report into the European Lead for FinOps, and will be central to the development and expansion of Square’s business in the UK. The role requires exceptional cross‑functional collaboration, leadership, knowledge of global and local markets and extensive payments experience. This position is full‑time and based in London with 20% travel expected.

You Will

• Provide leadership as Executive Director of Square’s UK business inclusive of all regulatory requirements as an e‑money institution including those applicable to other Block entities
• Build and manage strategic relationships with payment partners including networks, financial institutions and industry providers
• Strengthen the influence and market position of Square’s business including fostering joint marketing and promotion opportunities with industry stakeholders
• Understand Square’s competitive position and implement programs to further and improve payments products, services and strategic objectives
• Distinguish Square’s position as it relates to its payments products and Go To Market plans, shaping our approach and operating model in alignment with Square’s mission
• Be a spokesperson for Square to media, Industry bodies and government agencies

You Have

• 15 years of experience in payments with expertise in product management and market growth
• Prior experience and solid understanding of the payments industry working with key UK regulators and payment schemes
• Corporate governance experience reporting to or at Board level
• A demonstrated track record of understanding market entry and new growth opportunities
• Top‑notch cross‑functional skills to collaborate with your team internal and external partners to achieve strategic results
• Excellent commercial acumen by way of negotiating complex commercial agreements coupled with the ability to develop consensus
• Customer focus; empathy for customer struggles and the ability to translate their needs into outcomes
• The successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to deal with ambiguity, think strategically and analytically about business, product and technical challenges
• Drive to make an impact and entrepreneurial spirit are musts
• Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills with the ability to make strong arguments supporting Square’s position with internal and external executive stakeholders

This role will be registered as an EMD Individual with the Financial Conduct Authority. Any offer is subject to and conditional upon satisfactory completion of fitness and probity checks in accordance with the relevant requirements.

We’re working to build a more inclusive economy where our customers have equal access to opportunity and we strive to live by these same values in building our workplace. Block is a proud equal opportunity employer. We work hard to evaluate all employees and job applicants consistently based solely on the core competencies required of the role at hand and without regard to any legally protected class. We believe in being fair and are committed to an inclusive interview experience including providing reasonable accommodations to disabled applicants throughout the recruitment process. We encourage applicants to share any needed accommodations with their recruiter who will treat these requests confidentially. Want to learn more about what we’re doing to build an inclusive workplace? Check out our Inclusion & Diversity page.

Required Experience : Director

Key Skills Crisis Management, Marketing, Public Relations, Fundraising, Media Relations, Constant Contact, Strategic Planning, Social Media Management, Team Management, Public Speaking, Wordpress, Writing Skills

Employment Type: Full Time

Experience: years

Vacancy: 1