Head of Payment Partnerships, Payment Operations

EML; Leawood (KS); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

20 days' paid time off per year

Birthday leave

12 weeks parental leave (primary)

Medical and prescription coverage (Mer

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Dental and vision coverage

Short-term disability (60%)

Long-term disability (60%)

Life and AD&D insurance

Professional membership support

Job summary

EML Payments seeks a senior leader to head North American card operations and partnerships. You will own card scheme relationships (Visa, Mastercard, BIN sponsorship), oversee local delivery and align with the global team to optimize costs and performance.

The role requires deep expertise in card issuance, risk management, and multi‑jurisdictional environments, delivering client solutions and driving operational readiness across schemes and partners.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in card issuing operations, including Visa and Mastercard schemes.
• Proven experience with BIN sponsorship models and card scheme relationships.
• Hands-on experience with scheme projects, BIN range mapping and configuration.
• Experience operating in regulated, multi-jurisdictional environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead local delivery - Manage dedicated local resources, setting direction and priorities, providing oversight, and holding accountability for outcomes.
• Work as part of the global team - Align with the global payment operations team on ways of working and own local implementation where North American products or partners differ.
• Act as the senior SME and point of contact - Act as EML’s senior subject‑matter expert and operational contact for card schemes, BIN sponsors/issuers in North America.
• Govern partners and costs - Implement a structured management approach of service review and performance management to manage card & other payment partners.
• Own scheme configuration and controls - Make sure scheme controls and tooling are used appropriately.
• Run day‑to‑day scheme operations - Lead hands‑on activity across Mastercard Connect, Visa Access and BIN sponsor/Issuer portals.
• Enable client delivery and change - Support Commercial and Client Delivery with current and prospective clients.
• Inform future direction - Where required, provide subject‑matter input to RFPs, and contribute to supplier and operating model decisions.
• Support resilience, risk and assurance - Senior escalation point for major incidents, to coordinate partner response and remediation.

Skills

Senior SME

Leadership

Stakeholder mgmt

Card operations

Tools

Visa/Mastercard platforms

BIN sponsorship platforms

Job description

EML Payments is a global payments company, headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. We build secure, instant payment solutions that connect our clients to their customers, wherever money is in motion. Our products include banking, credit and disbursement services, earned wage access, gifts, incentives and rewards, and FX solutions. We operate in more than 25 countries, we combine the energy of a start-up with deep leadership experience.

About The Role

The Head of Card Operations & Partnerships manages EML’s North American card payment operations and the partner relationships that underpin them. It’s a deeply specialized role: you’ll be EML’s senior subject‑matter expert for Visa, Mastercard, Private Label programs, BIN sponsorship, issuing banks and related suppliers. As part of the global payment operations team, you’ll align with other regions on global ways of working. Where North American products or partners need a different approach, you’ll own the local implementation.

What You Will Do

• Lead local delivery - Manage dedicated local resources, setting direction and priorities, providing oversight, and holding accountability for outcomes.
• Work as part of the global team - Align with the global payment operations team on ways of working and own local implementation where North American products or partners differ. Draw on global support for centralized BAU and projects and contribute subject‑matter expertise and support to global initiatives and challenges as part of EML’s shared SME model.
• Act as the senior SME and point of contact - Act as EML’s senior subject‑matter expert and operational contact for card schemes, BIN sponsors/issuers in North America, with in‑depth knowledge of card transaction flows, authorizations, 3DS and tokenization. Manage regular engagement with them, make informed recommendations, and elevate decisions to senior leadership where required.
• Govern partners and costs - Implement a structured management approach of service review and performance management to manage card & other payment partners. Oversee scheme fees and BIN sponsor/issuer costs, ensuring expenses are accurate and finding opportunities to optimize them.
• Own scheme configuration and controls - Make sure scheme controls and tooling are used appropriately. Hold operational accountability for BIN range mapping, scheme configuration and audit readiness.
• Run day‑to‑day scheme operations - Lead hands‑on activity across Mastercard Connect, Visa Access and BIN sponsor/Issuer portals. Includes program and client registrations, onboarding and maintenance, investigations, bulletin management, periodic reporting and compliance checks.
• Enable client delivery and change - Support Commercial and Client Delivery with current and prospective clients. Design payment solutions with Product and Technology. Deliver scheme, BIN sponsor approval & implementation and ensure operational readiness.
• Inform future direction - Where required, provide subject‑matter input to RFPs, and contribute to supplier and operating model decisions.
• Support resilience, risk and assurance - Senior escalation point for major incidents, to coordinate partner response and remediation. Support audits and assurance activity, and identify and manage scheme, partner and operational risks before they become issues.

What You Will Bring

Knowledge & Experience

• Strong experience in card issuing operations, including Visa and Mastercard schemes, from having worked at a card issuer/sponsor bank or program manager.
• Proven experience working in a BIN sponsorship model and managing card scheme relationships.
• Hands‑on experience with card scheme projects, BIN range mapping and card program configuration.
• Experience operating in regulated, multi‑jurisdictional environments.

Skills & Capabilities

• Confident senior SME with sound judgement and a collaborative leadership style.
• Strong partner and stakeholder management skills across commercial and technical audiences.

What We Offer

• 20 days' paid time off a year, plus 5 additional flex‑time days once qualifying PTO has been used
• Paid birthday leave and 2 paid volunteering days a year
• Enhanced paid parental leave: 12 weeks for primary carers and 4 weeks for secondary carers
• Medical and prescription cover through Meritain, with EML paying 90% of the premium, including $0 preventive care and telemedicine
• Access to a Health Savings Account (HSA) through UMB
• Dental and vision cover through Guardian, with EML paying around 75% of the premium
• Employer‑paid short‑term disability (60% of salary) and long‑term disability (60% of salary), with the long‑term disability premium reimbursed by EML
• Employer‑paid basic life and AD&D insurance ($30,000), with voluntary cover available for you and your family
• Support with one relevant professional membership a year

About EML

EML Payments is a global leader in the fintech space. Our mission is to create awesome, instant, and secure payment solutions that connect our customers to their customers, anytime, anywhere, wherever money is in motion. As an issuer and processor, we provide our clients and partners with innovative alternatives to traditional banking solutions for reloadable and non‑reloadable programs.

Our commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity

Integrated into our Core Values is EML's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. EML is committed to being a globally inclusive company where all people are treated fairly, recognised for their individuality, promoted based on performance and empowered to reach their full potential. We are agile, we are innovative. We take a partnership approach; we tailor solutions and place a strong focus on operational excellence. Our place is one of collaboration, teamwork & innovation. But, above all, it’s one that embraces difference. And rather than have you blend in, we want to help you unleash your full potential.

Disclaimer

Offers are conditional on satisfactory pre‑employment background screening, which may include a criminal record check. Any disclosures are assessed fairly and in line with local law.