VP, Director of Payments Implementation

Our client is a leading sponsor bank providing banking infrastructure, compliance, and payment capabilities to financial technology companies. They are seeking a VP, Director of Payments Implementation to lead the hands-on implementation and ongoing support of card and payment programs for fintech partners.

This role requires direct, recent experience implementing and operating sponsored debit or credit card programs, with detailed subject matter expertise in card networks, issuing processors, BIN sponsorship and migrations, FBO accounts, and virtual ledgers. Candidates must bring hands-on responsibility for card program configuration, funds movement, integration, testing, and issue resolution. BaaS oversight or project management experience alone does not meet the requirements.

Card sponsorship and implementation are the primary focus. The role also supports RTP and FedNow initiatives. This leader works directly with fintech partners, card networks, issuing processors, program managers, and internal teams to move programs from initial requirements through approval, integration, testing, launch, and ongoing operations.

What You Will Do

• Lead the end-to-end implementation and ongoing support of sponsored debit and credit card programs for fintech partners, taking direct responsibility for implementation details and operational readiness.
• Serve as the card subject matter expert across network requirements, issuing processor capabilities, BIN sponsorship, program configuration, transaction flows, and funds movement.
• Manage BIN sponsorship requirements, including BIN and ICA registrations, card-network forms, approvals, and partner entitlements.
• Lead BIN and card program migrations, addressing network and processor requirements, configuration changes, testing, reconciliation, and continuity of cardholder transactions.
• Define and validate issuing processor and program manager requirements, including configuration, integration, certification, production readiness, and launch.
• Establish and validate FBO account structures and virtual ledger requirements, including how balances, transaction activity, settlement, and reconciliation are recorded and controlled across bank, processor, and partner systems.
• Work directly with Visa, Mastercard, issuing processors, program managers, fintech partners, and technology providers to resolve implementation and operational issues.
• Ensure card programs meet applicable network requirements, bank policies, risk standards, compliance requirements, and operational controls.
• Manage settlement, reconciliation, network billing, and subledger requirements across card networks, processors, and program managers.
• Establish operational processes for disputes, chargebacks, fraud monitoring, exception management, and transaction oversight.
• Oversee quality control for card-network drawdowns, card-program transactions, configurations, and related implementation activities.
• Develop implementation plans, operating procedures, controls, testing strategies, launch-readiness criteria, and escalation processes.
• Coordinate implementation activities across product, technology, operations, risk, compliance, legal, and finance while maintaining direct ownership of card implementation decisions and issue resolution.
• Oversee payment processors and program managers to ensure adherence to card-network rules and contractual requirements.
• Identify implementation risks, investigate transaction and reconciliation issues, and lead remediation before and after program launch.
• Lead payment implementation activities involving RTP and FedNow.
• Manage payment technology relationships and support system purchases, integrations, upgrades, and new capabilities.
• Maintain policies, procedures, controls, reporting, and documentation supporting card sponsorship and payment implementation.
• Support audits and regulatory examinations related to card programs, sponsorship, processors, program managers, and payment operations.
• Lead and develop the payments implementation team while managing department operations, budgets, vendors, and business continuity planning.

What You Bring

• Direct, recent, hands-on experience implementing and supporting sponsored debit or credit card programs for fintech partners.
• Detailed subject matter expertise in card networks, issuing processors, BIN sponsorship and migration, FBO account structures, and virtual ledgers.
• Experience personally resolving card implementation and operational issues, with the ability to explain transaction flows, funds movement, system configurations, and reconciliation requirements in detail.
• Hands-on experience with BIN sponsorship, BIN or ICA registration, card-network forms, partner entitlements, and Visa or Mastercard approvals.
• Experience executing BIN or card program migrations, including processor coordination, configuration, testing, and operational transition.
• Experience defining or validating FBO account and virtual ledger structures and reconciling balances and activity across bank, processor, and partner systems.
• Experience managing card programs from initial requirements through processor integration, testing, certification, launch, and ongoing operations.
• Direct experience working with issuing processors, program managers, card networks, fintech companies, and technology providers.
• Strong knowledge of card issuing, payment processing, settlement, reconciliation, network billing, disputes, chargebacks, fraud controls, and card-network requirements.
• Experience developing implementation plans, operating procedures, controls, testing strategies, launch-readiness standards, and remediation plans.
• Experience managing operational risk, regulatory compliance, audits, examinations, and third-party oversight within a regulated payments environment.
• Experience implementing or supporting RTP and FedNow capabilities.
• Experience working across product, technology, operations, risk, compliance, legal, and finance teams.
• Experience leading and developing teams and managing budgets, vendors, and technology relationships.

Authorized to work in the United States and residing in the Eastern or Central time zone.