Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced Card Systems / TSYS Lead to provide technical and operational leadership for high-volume card payment processing environments. The role will serve as the primary technical authority for TSYS-based platforms, driving solution governance, production stability, incident resolution, vendor management, and proactive risk mitigation.
The ideal candidate brings 10+ years of experience in TSYS or comparable card processing platforms, with strong expertise across payment processing, production support, performance analysis, and technical stakeholder management. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring the ability to challenge vendor solutions, lead high-priority production issues, and translate complex technical findings into clear, data-driven recommendations.
Key Responsibilities
TSYS Solution Governance & Technical Leadership
- Act as the primary technical authority in reviewing, validating, and challenging solutions proposed by TSYS or other technology vendors.
- Assess solution designs against performance, scalability, resilience, failover, and operational readiness requirements.
- Identify gaps, inconsistencies, delays, and technical risks and drive timely resolution.
- Proactively identify and mitigate production risks, including performance bottlenecks and transaction-processing issues.
- Provide hands-on technical leadership during production and operational calls.
Production Support & Incident Management
- Lead L2/L3 production support activities for TSYS/card processing platforms.
- Perform incident triage, troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and resolution within defined SLAs.
- Investigate complex production issues using transaction data, logs, SQL queries, and monitoring tools.
- Drive resolution of recurring issues and reduce dependency on higher-level support through strong technical ownership.
- Support high-pressure and potentially 24x7 production environments.
Payment & Card Processing
- Provide deep technical expertise across card payment processing, including issuing, acquiring, authorization, clearing, and settlement.
- Troubleshoot high-volume transaction-processing environments and performance-related issues.
- Analyze ISO 8583 messages and transaction flows.
- Apply strong understanding of TSYS platforms such as TS2, Prime, or comparable card processing systems.
Vendor & Stakeholder Management
- Serve as the primary technical point of accountability for coordination with TSYS and other ecosystem stakeholders.
- Challenge vendor responses and proposed solutions using strong technical knowledge and data-backed insights.
- Work closely with internal banking, technology, and operational teams to align solutions with business and technical requirements.
- Drive escalations when required and communicate complex technical issues effectively to senior stakeholders and executives.
- Coordinate with external partners and global banking/payment ecosystem stakeholders.
Technical Analysis & Troubleshooting
- Use SQL for data analysis, transaction investigation, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis.
- Perform log analysis, job monitoring, and diagnostics using Unix/Linux environments.
- Utilize shell scripting where applicable for automation and operational diagnostics.
- Work with databases commonly used in card-processing environments, including Oracle and/or DB2.
- Leverage monitoring and observability tools such as Splunk, AppDynamics, or Dynatrace.
Required Qualifications & Experience
- 10+ years of experience working with TSYS or comparable card/payment processing platforms.
- Strong hands-on experience with TSYS Prime, TS2, or equivalent card processing systems.
- Deep understanding of the payments and card processing domain, including issuing, acquiring, authorization, clearing, and settlement.
- Proven experience in L2/L3 production support, incident management, and technical operations.
- Strong understanding of high-volume transaction-processing environments and performance tuning.
- Experience with ISO 8583 messaging and transaction flows.
- Strong SQL skills for investigation, data analysis, and troubleshooting.
- Working knowledge of Unix/Linux, including log analysis, job monitoring, and shell scripting.
- Basic technical knowledge of Oracle and/or DB2 databases.
- Familiarity with monitoring tools such as Splunk, AppDynamics, or Dynatrace.
- Proven experience in vendor governance and technical solution review.
- Strong stakeholder management and executive communication skills.
- Experience working with global banking clients, payment processors, or financial services ecosystems.
Leadership & Behavioral Competencies
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
- Able to independently lead complex production incidents and technical escalations.
- Confident in challenging vendors and stakeholders when technical risks or gaps are identified.
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate technical findings into clear business impact.
- Comfortable operating in high-pressure production environments.
- Strong sense of ownership and accountability for L2 support and technical operations.
- Able to work collaboratively across technology, business, vendor, and operational teams.
- Willingness to support 24x7 operations when required.