Senior Digital Payments Project Manager

Senior Digital Payments Project Manager / Payments Transformation LeadLocation: All over Europe/ HybridWorking Model: Hybrid, with a combination of onsite and remote workingTravel: Some travel across Europe may be requiredContract: Initial 12 months, with potential for extensionStart: Immediate / ASAPRole OverviewWe are looking for an experienced Senior Digital Payments Project Manager / Payments Transformation Lead to support a major payments transformation programme.The successful candidate will have strong experience across payment cards, EMV, debit and credit card products, fraud management and digital payments, combined with proven project management and stakeholder management capabilities.The role will involve working closely with business and technology leadership to understand requirements, coordinate multiple stakeholders and support the transformation of legacy payment platforms towards modern, cloud-based technologies.The ideal candidate will be comfortable operating at the intersection of business, technology and payments, with the ability to translate complex business requirements into actionable technology initiatives.Key ResponsibilitiesPayments & Business AnalysisWork closely with business and technology stakeholders to understand, document and prioritise business and technology requirements.Provide subject-matter expertise across payment cards and digital payments.Demonstrate a strong understanding of EMV standards, card issuing and/or acquiring environments and payment processing.Understand debit and credit card models, payment journeys and associated operational processes.Bring knowledge of fraud management, fraud prevention and payment security.Support the assessment and improvement of existing payment processes and platforms.Identify opportunities for modernisation, simplification and digital transformation. Payments Transformation & Cloud MigrationSupport programmes involving the migration of legacy payment platforms and applications to modern cloud-based environments.Understand the business and technology drivers for moving legacy payment infrastructure to cloud platforms.Work with architecture, engineering and product teams to define migration requirements and dependencies.Support the identification of risks, constraints, dependencies and transition considerations associated with legacy-to-cloud migration.Help ensure that payment functionality, security, resilience and regulatory requirements are maintained throughout the transformation. Project ManagementLead or support end-to-end project delivery across payments and technology transformation initiatives.Develop and maintain project plans, milestones, dependencies, RAID logs and delivery governance.Coordinate activities across business, technology, architecture, operations, compliance and external stakeholders.Track delivery progress, risks, issues and dependencies and escalate where appropriate.Facilitate workshops, requirements sessions, project meetings and stakeholder reviews.Support senior management with programme coordination, reporting and decision-making.Ensure delivery remains aligned with agreed scope, timelines and business objectives. Stakeholder ManagementAct as a key interface between business and technology teams.Manage multiple stakeholders across different functions, countries and levels of seniority.Facilitate discussions between business users, product owners, architects, engineers and programme leadership.Communicate complex payments and technology topics clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.Build strong working relationships with internal teams, clients, partners and third-party suppliers. Regulatory & ComplianceDemonstrate an understanding of digital payments regulations and compliance requirements.Consider regulatory, security and risk requirements within payment transformation initiatives.Work with compliance, risk and security teams to ensure that programme requirements are appropriately addressed.Understand the implications of regulatory and security requirements on payment platforms and processes. Essential Skills & ExperiencePayments DomainStrong experience in the payments / financial services industry.Good understanding of payment cards and digital payments.Strong knowledge of EMV and card payment technologies.Understanding of debit and credit card models.Knowledge of fraud management and payment fraud prevention.Understanding of payment processing, card lifecycle and related payment ecosystem concepts.Awareness of relevant payments security, regulatory and compliance requirements. Technology & TransformationExperience working with legacy payment platforms and modernisation programmes.Understanding of cloud migration and cloud-based payment platforms.Ability to work effectively with technology architects, engineers and technical delivery teams.Experience supporting or managing technology transformation programmes. Project & Stakeholder ManagementProven project/programme management experience.Strong requirements gathering and business analysis capability.Experience managing multiple stakeholders across business and technology.Strong workshop facilitation and communication skills.Ability to manage competing priorities, risks, issues and dependencies.Strong documentation, reporting and governance skills.Comfortable working with senior management and executive stakeholders. Languages:Mandatory:EnglishFrenchItalianCandidates must be able to communicate effectively in all three languages in a professional business environment.Desirable ExperienceThe following would be advantageous:Experience with major European banks, financial institutions, payment processors or card schemes.Experience working on large-scale payments transformation programmes.Experience with EMV migration or implementation programmes.Experience with card issuing, acquiring or payment processing platforms.Experience with fraud detection and fraud management solutions.Experience with legacy-to-cloud transformation.Experience working across multiple European markets.Knowledge of payment standards, security frameworks and relevant European payments regulation.Personal AttributesWe are looking for someone who is:A strong communicator with excellent stakeholder management skills.Comfortable working across business and technology teams.Structured, organised and delivery-focused.Able to operate independently and take ownership of deliverables.Comfortable working in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.Commercially and business-minded, with the ability to understand the wider impact of technology decisions.Comfortable working onsite when required and travelling across Europe.Fluent and confident in English, French and Italian.