Payment Program Manager – Card Issuing (m/f/d)

Our Payment Programs team designs, launches and runs Pliant's card programs across Europe and the US. That includes our own commercial card products and the programs we build with banking and fintech partners. As a Payment Program Manager, you'll own card program implementations from start to finish. That covers scheme and partner setup, digital wallet launches, testing and go-live. Once a program is live, you'll keep it compliant and running well. This is a hands-on individual contributor role.

Responsibilities

Lead the launch of new card programs, products, markets and currencies, from scoping and requirements through to production release; Manage scheme and partner onboarding across Visa and Mastercard, including BIN and product setup and related scheme submissions; Plan and coordinate end-to-end testing with partners and sign off programs before launch; Coordinate physical and virtual card launches, including card design approvals and production with external vendors; Drive digital wallet launches such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, from issuer onboarding and certification through to go-live; Extend existing wallet programs to new products, BINs and markets; Monitor wallet and tokenisation performance and work with partners to resolve issues; Keep programs aligned with scheme rules, mandates and new releases, translating changes into clear actions; Contribute to recurring scheme and partner reporting; Work with Compliance and Fraud teams on program-level controls, and support escalations and audits when needed; Be the main point of contact for your programs, internally and externally; Translate business and partner needs into clear requirements for Product & Engineering; Manage several projects in parallel, keeping an eye on dependencies and risks, and giving stakeholders clear, regular updates; Improve and document how programs are launched and run, so they become faster and more repeatable; Use AI and automation tools to reduce manual work across the team

Requirements

4–7 years of experience in payments, including at least 3 years of hands-on card program implementation at an issuer, processor, program manager or card-issuing fintech; Hands-on experience launching and managing programs with both Visa and Mastercard; Experience launching digital wallets and tokenisation, ideally including an Apple Pay issuer launch; A solid understanding of the card lifecycle, including authorisation, clearing and settlement, 3DS and tokenisation, as well as physical card production; A track record of delivering several multi-stakeholder projects at the same time, with clear ownership and reporting; Technical fluency, comfortable with API documentation, transaction data and test results, and working day to day with engineers; A structured, proactive way of working, flagging risks early and documenting as you go; Fluent English, written and spoken

Nice to have

An established network within the card schemes and the wider issuing ecosystem; Experience with commercial card products, such as corporate, travel or virtual cards, and multi-currency programs; Exposure to European and Global card programs; Proficient SQL or data analysis skills

Benefits

Opportunity to work in a growing team with big responsibilities that thrives on a strong exchange of knowledge and excellence; Attractive remuneration; Flat hierarchy and transparent communication in a relaxed, professional atmosphere; Opportunity to develop your talent in a dynamic team with ambitious goals; Flexibility and possibility to work remotely; Monthly mobility benefit; Wellhub Membership; Pliant Card with monthly credit to explore the product and enjoy food with colleagues