Payment Terminal Certification Expert (L2)

Adyen; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Adyen in Amsterdam is seeking a Terminal (POS) Certification Expert to own Level 2 kernel certification end-to-end. You will coordinate with our external lab and engineering teams to ensure EMVCo and local method approvals are met.

Bring hands-on Level 2 experience, EMV kernel knowledge, and strong communication skills to drive certification timelines and resolve test findings with engineers and labs.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of hands-on Level 2 certifications for contact and contactless kernels.
• Strong EMV kernel knowledge: EMVCo specs, CVM processing, and cryptogram generation.
• Experience with EMV test tooling and card simulators, and reading APDU traces.
• Excellent communicator who can explain failures to engineers and external labs.
• Drive for results with strict, external certification dates.
• Take initiative and organize certification cycles.
• Hybrid role: connect engineering, lab, and payment schemes with structure.
• Detail-oriented and up-to-date with EMVCo specs and test plans.

Responsibilities

• Own the Level 2 kernel certification preparation and execution.
• Ensure EMVCo type approval and local product specifications are met.
• Coordinate between external lab and engineering teams; translate test results into actionable items.
• Own the certification calendar and manage timelines to avoid surprises.

Skills

Level 2 certification

EMV kernel knowledge

Lab coordination

APDU tracing

Stakeholder management

Certification planning

Communication

Project management

Detail-oriented

Tools

APDU analysis tools

Card simulators

Job description

This is Adyen

Adyen provides payments, data, and financial products in a single solution for customers like Meta, Uber, H&M, and Microsoft - making us the financial technology platform of choice. At Adyen, everything we do is engineered for ambition.

For our teams, we create an environment with opportunities for our people to succeed, backed by the culture and support to ensure they are enabled to truly own their careers. We are motivated individuals who tackle unique technical challenges at scale and solve them as a team. Together, we deliver innovative and ethical solutions that help businesses achieve their ambitions faster.

Terminal (POS) Certification Expert

The IPP Security & Certifications team owns the certification portfolio that keeps Adyen's in-person payments infrastructure compliant and approved to operate. That spans PCI certifications across our hardware and software, and EMV certification of the payment kernels and applications running on our terminals worldwide.

This role sits at the center of our Level 2 certification work. Adyen develops its own L2 kernels (contact & contactless), and you will own their certification end to end: coordinating type approval testing with our external certification lab, analyzing test results, and translating findings into clear, actionable reports for our kernel developers to work from. We are motivated individuals who tackle unique technical challenges at scale and solve them as a team. Together, we deliver innovative and ethical solutions that help businesses achieve their ambitions faster.

What you will do

Adyen develops its own L2 payment kernels, which sit at the core of every in-person transaction we process.

• You will own the technical preparation and execution of Level 2 kernel certification, ensuring our kernels meet EMVCo type approval requirements as well as the contact and contactless specifications of Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, JCB, UnionPay, existing local payment method & planned future payment method expansions as Adyen's In-Person Payment business expands.
• You will sit directly between our external certification lab and our engineering teams. That means owning the lab relationship end to end, and translating what comes back from testing into something engineers can act on.
• When a test fails, you investigate at the APDU and transaction-flow level, identify the root cause, and guide the kernel developers toward the fix rather than simply handing over a failure report.
• You will own the certification calendar: managing your own time and the wider timeline so submissions land when they need to, and so delta certifications triggered by kernel changes or expiring approvals never become a surprise.

Who you are

• You have at least 2 years of hands-on experience performing Level 2 certifications for contact and contactless kernels.
  • Experience with EMV Level 3 brand certification is a significant plus, as it gives you visibility into how kernel behavior surfaces in end-to-end scheme testing.
• You have strong EMV knowledge at the kernel level: EMVCo contact and contactless specifications, terminal application flow, CVM processing, and cryptogram generation.
• You are comfortable working with EMV test tooling and card simulators, and reading APDU traces to diagnose exactly where a transaction went wrong.
• You are an excellent communicator. You can explain a certification failure to an engineer in terms they can act on, and you can hold a productive technical conversation with an external lab and engage directly with payment schemes when needed, whether that's clarifying a test requirement or navigating a waiver request.
• You drive for results with a strong output mindset. Certifications have hard external dates, and you plan backward from them, keeping stakeholders aligned and the timeline visible without being chased.
• You take initiative. You spot problems before they elevate, own your own way of working, and don't wait to be told how to organize a certification cycle.
• You are as comfortable driving a project as you are analyzing a test result. This role is a genuine hybrid: you'll be the connective link between engineering, our certification lab, and the payment schemes, and keeping that moving takes structure and follow-through, not just technical understanding.
• Detail-oriented: you stay current with evolving EMVCo specifications, scheme bulletins, and test plan updates.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Adyen

We actively seek different perspectives to sharpen our ideas. Our unique culture is a product of our diverse backgrounds and experiences. No matter who you are or where you’re from, you’re welcome to be your true self at Adyen.

We encourage people from all backgrounds and abilities to apply.

What’s next?

Ensuring a smooth and enjoyable candidate experience is critical for us. We aim to get back to you regarding your application within 5 business days. Our interview process tends to take about 4 weeks to complete, but may fluctuate depending on the role. Learn more about our hiring process here. Don’t be afraid to let us know if you need more flexibility.

This role is based out of our Amsterdam office. We are an office-first company and value in-person collaboration; we do not offer remote-only roles. We offer visa and relocation support within the EU for this role.