Director of Payments

At Scalapay, we’re shaping a culture with high standards, independent and critical thought, innovation, ownership, and continuous learning. We operate in a fast-moving, tech-driven environment, and we’re looking for people who thrive in change, think boldly, and take initiative. If you’re ready to put your potential to the test in a hiring process designed to spotlight exceptional talent, this is your chance to stand out and grow with one of Europe’s most ambitious fintech teams.The Mission: Scalapay is a regulated Payment Institution providing Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services across European markets. As a fast-growing fintech operating under strict compliance requirements (DORA, PCI-DSS, GDPR), we serve millions of customers and thousands of merchants across Italy, France, and other European countries.The Director of Payments will lead Scalapay's payment strategy and commercial operations, driving optimization across our multi-processor payment infrastructure and banking relationships. Reporting to the CTO and have a matrix reporting relationship to the CEO of Scalapay IP (our regulated entity), this role will focus on payment economics, vendor negotiations, and strategic partnerships while collaborating closely with the Payment Domain engineering team. This is a strategic and commercial role focused on maximizing payment performance, minimizing costs, and building the financial infrastructure to support our consumer lending expansion.Key ResponsibilitiesPayment Strategy & EconomicsDefine and execute payment strategy to maximize authorization rates while minimizing costsOwn payment economics including processor fees, interchange optimization, and cost attributionDevelop business cases and ROI analysis for payment initiatives and infrastructure investmentsLead strategic decisions on payment routing, processor selection, and payment method expansionDrive payment performance analytics and KPI reporting to executive teamIdentify and evaluate emerging payment technologies and market opportunitiesCommercial Management & NegotiationsLead commercial negotiations with payment processors on pricing, terms, and SLAsManage payment vendor relationships and contract renewalsNegotiate interchange fees, scheme fees, and processing ratesBuild business cases for processor additions, changes, or consolidationsDrive cost optimization initiatives across payment stack (target: 5-10% reduction annually)Establish and manage payment vendor governance and performance reviewsCore Banking & Settlement StrategyDefine merchant payout strategy leveraging SEPA rails and core banking platformOptimize settlement economics including timing, costs, and working capital impactLead core banking platform vendor relationship and commercial optimizationSupport loan securitization from a payment and settlement infrastructure perspectiveDrive treasury efficiency through improved settlement processes and reconciliationPartner with Finance on payment operations P&L managementBanking Relationships & InfrastructureBuild and maintain relationships with banking partners supporting SEPA operationsLead strategic decisions on banking infrastructure and correspondent banking relationshipsSupport securitization facility requirements with robust payment reporting and operationsNavigate EU banking ecosystem (TARGET2, EBA Clearing) for optimal payment executionDrive compliance with SEPA scheme rules and EU banking regulationsRepresent Scalapay in banking industry forums and with financial institution partnersStakeholder Management & LeadershipPartner with Product, Business, and Commercial teams on payment strategy alignmentProvide regular updates to CTO and executive team on payment performance and commercial opportunitiesRepresent payment function in board and investor discussionsLead cross-functional initiatives requiring payment expertise (e.g., securitization, market expansion)Communicate complex payment economics and trade-offs to non-technical stakeholdersBuild internal knowledge and capability around payment operations and economicsExperienceRequired Qualifications10+ years in payments, fintech, or financial services with progressive responsibility5+ years in strategic/commercial payment roles (payment strategy, vendor management, business development)Proven track record leading commercial negotiations with payment processors and banking partnersExperience managing multi-million dollar payment budgets and P&L responsibilityDirect experience with regulated financial services environments (Payment Institution, Bank, EMI)History of driving payment optimization and cost reduction initiativesExperience supporting securitization or asset-backed lending operations (preferred)Background in strategy consulting, investment banking, or corporate development (bonus)Commercial & Strategic ExpertiseDeep understanding of payment economics including interchange, scheme fees, and processing costsExpert knowledge of payment processor commercial models and pricing structuresStrong financial acumen with ability to build business cases and ROI modelsExperience with commercial negotiations and contract managementUnderstanding of banking relationships and correspondent banking arrangementsKnowledge of treasury operations and working capital optimizationExperience with vendor management and performance governance frameworksTechnical Understanding (Strategic Level)Strong grasp of payment processing architecture, card networks, and payment orchestrationUnderstanding of payment security standards (PCI-DSS, 3DS, tokenization) and regulatory implicationsFamiliarity with payment APIs, integration patterns, and processor capabilitiesKnowledge of core banking platforms and loan servicing systems architectureSEPA payment expertise including SEPA Credit Transfer (SCT), Instant SEPA (SCT Inst), and Direct Debit (SDD)Understanding of loan securitization processes and technical requirements for asset-backed facilitiesKnowledge of ISO 20022 messaging standards and EU banking infrastructureAbility to evaluate technical trade-offs and provide strategic direction (hands-on engineering not required)Leadership & Influence SkillsStrong executive presence with ability to influence senior stakeholders and board membersExcellent negotiation skills with track record of securing favorable commercial termsStrategic thinking with ability to connect payment decisions to business outcomesData-driven decision making with strong analytical and financial modeling capabilitiesComfortable with ambiguity and rapid change in high-growth environmentCollaborative leadership style with ability to work effectively across functionsStrong business acumen and commercial instinctsAbility to build and maintain relationships with external partners (processors, banks, vendors)European Market KnowledgeUnderstanding of European payment landscape and local payment methodsDeep knowledge of SEPA scheme rules and EU banking ecosystem (TARGET2, EBA Clearing)Familiarity with European financial services regulationExperience working with Banque de France, PRA, or similar regulators (preferred)Understanding of securitization frameworks and asset-backed lending structures in EULanguage skills: English required, Italian or French preferredWhy you should join Scalapay:International environment with significant challenges to be met every dayLots of opportunities to work with a team of industry leaders who are focused on delivering products that offer exceptional user experiencesPersonalised support to accelerate your professional growth and take ownership of the products you deliver: we want to help you growLatest technologies and being encouraged to bring your flair to the role.Recruitment process:A chat with someone from our Talent TeamFirst interview with the CTO to deep dive into your experiences, better understand your motivation and explore your business acumen in the product worldA case study to prepare at home to test your hard skills, and present to our team.A final chat with Simone, our CEO, that will share our vision and values with youWant to learn more? Don't hesitate to explore our Careers website, our LinkedIn and Glassdoor pages.Pro tip: send your CV in English.Super Pro tip: we know that application processes can be scary and frustrating but… we look for talent, not people that tick all our boxes.We believe in the power of diversity: Scalapay is an Equal Opportunity Employer for any minority, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation.#J-18808-Ljbffr