Merchant Specialist II

WEX; Portland (ME); On-site; USD 56,000 - 67,000; Full time

Job summary

WEX is seeking a Merchant Risk professional in Portland, ME to set up newly contracted merchants, configure terms, and administer existing accounts across multiple applications. You’ll balance financial risk with positive merchant experience while driving operational excellence through automation and process improvements.

The role emphasizes audits, issue resolution, and strong stakeholder collaboration to sustain high service levels, accuracy, and timely processing within a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and/or minimum of 2-4 years of experience in a comparable operations role.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Results driven, action orientated and self-motivated.
• Flexible/Adaptable to change.
• Ability to collaborate cross-functionally; interpersonal and customer service skills with the ability to ascertain information and maintain dialogue with multiple teams.
• Strong accounting, analytical, and problem solving skills.
• Excellent time management, prioritization skills, goals setting, planning and work scheduling skills.
• Must successfully pass a background investigation.

Responsibilities

• Data entry and configuration of merchant financial terms.
• Responding to requests from stakeholders with appropriate urgency.
• Management of maintenance or other requests within deadlines and with minimal errors.
• Seeking and implementing opportunities for efficiency and process improvement.
• Issue investigation and resolution to improve merchant satisfaction and reduce risk.
• Manage relationships by building client satisfaction and coordinating communication between stakeholders and functional areas.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls, procedures and contracts.
• Produce and review audit/volume/performance reports and ensure accuracy.

Skills

Communication

Analytical

Attention to detail

Time management

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Excel

Job description

About the Team/Role

The Merchant Risk team plays a critical role in the setup and administration of merchants within our proprietary closed loop acceptance circle. This includes the configuration of financial contract terms such as interchange rate, payment terms, depository bank information, and fees which are directly related to approximately $60B in annual settlement payments to the merchants and collection of approximately $1B in processing fees or WEX revenue. There is moderate supervisory oversight in this role with more potential for financial impact on the $60B in settlement and $1B in revenue through audits and execution of financial controls within the department. This role is expected to drive operational excellence by identifying opportunities to streamline processes, leveraging automation and AI tools where appropriate, and fostering a team environment that is adaptable to change and embraces new ways of working. The primary function of this position is to set up newly contracted merchants and their corresponding locations and administer existing merchants, inclusive of market or contract term changes. The role operates within multiple technical applications. This role must balance management of financial risk associated with merchant settlement and interchange revenue recognition with a positive merchant experience.

The role has several key responsibilities including but not limited to:

• ensure operational timeliness and accuracy through robust audits
• lead issue investigation and resolution

How you'll make an impact

Proactively identify and embrace opportunities to integrate AI and automation technologies into operational processes. This includes initiatives to drive scale, reduce reliance on manual processes, and mitigate operational risks.

OPERATIONAL TIMELINESS AND ACCURACY

Data entry and configuration of merchant financial contract terms such as interchange rate, payment terms, depository bank information, and fees. Responding to requests from or on behalf of stakeholders with appropriate urgency. Management of maintenance or other requests including adjustments, setups, etc. within deadlines and with minimal errors or follow-up issues. Seeking and implementing opportunities for efficiency and process improvement in the course of executing stakeholder support tasks and requests. Ensuring best practices are followed for Bank/TIN changes while meeting service level objectives.

ISSUE INVESTIGATION + RESOLUTION

Issue investigation and resolution, including but not limited technical, servicing, electronic files, network, settlement, site, reporting and billing. Success is measured by resolution time and merchant satisfaction.

MAXIMIZE RELATIONSHIPS

Manage relationships by building and sustaining client satisfaction with stakeholders. Advocating for merchant needs, while ensuring best practices are followed. Acting as the main point of contact for day to day operations, and coordinating communication between the stakeholder and all functional areas within WEX.

AUDITING

Ensures compliance with established internal controls. Mitigating levels of financial risk as it relates to contractual compliance. Identification of process improvement opportunities. Ensuring procedures, policies, and contracts are correctly followed and complied with.

REPORTING

Management of reporting, inclusive of audit and other auxiliary reporting such as volume and performance tracking reports; facilitating creation of customized reporting to support special circumstances. Must be comfortable in providing various reporting needs as required internally utilizing MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Ensure full comprehension and accuracy of all reporting before sharing with stakeholders.

PROCESS OWNERSHIP

Manage and successfully execute against projects specific to Merchant Risk. Demonstrate broader responsibility to administrate beyond assigned duties. Play an active role in responding to change and growth helping to evolve the operation. This may be done by identifying outdated processes or inefficiencies in existing processes and taking ownership of driving improvement, finding ways to eliminate wasteful processes that are a barrier to scale objectives, making recommendations for technical development to better equip and position partner operations to support growth strategies, and taking on stretch project assignments.

Experience you'll bring

Bachelor’s degree and/or minimum of 2-4 years of experience in a comparable operations role. Effective verbal and written communication skills. Results driven, action orientated and self-motivated. Flexible/Adaptable to change. Ability to collaborate cross-functionally; interpersonal and customer service skills with the ability to ascertain information and maintain dialogue with multiple teams. Intermediate knowledge of PC based application software with an emphasis on spreadsheets and data management skills. Strong attention to detail with some experience conducting quality audits. Proven experience in managing high-volume financial transactions and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and standards. Ability to interpret contract language and operational financial terms. Strong accounting, analytical, and problem solving skills. Excellent time management, prioritization skills, goals setting, planning and work scheduling skills. Detail oriented. Professional in nature and work well under pressure, tight timelines. Must successfully pass a background investigation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to effectively and calmly operate within a complex and changing environment.
• Ability to identify opportunities to improve performance and efficiencies within department and self.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and flexibility.
• Strong service orientation.
• AI -- Gemini, ChatGPT or similar.

The base pay range represents the anticipated low and high end of the pay range for this position. Actual pay rates will vary and will be based on various factors, such as your qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role. Base pay is one component of WEX's total compensation package. Most sales positions are eligible for commission under the terms of an applicable plan. Non-sales roles are typically eligible for a quarterly or annual bonus based on their role and applicable plan. WEX's comprehensive and market competitive benefits are designed to support your personal and professional well-being. Benefits include health, dental and vision insurances, retirement savings plan, paid time off, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, disability insurance, tuition reimbursement, and more. For more information, check out the "About Us" section.

Pay Range: $55,500.00 - $66,600.00