Commercial Manager - Payments

Commercial Manager - Payments Job type: Remote Payments & Banking Infrastructure (PBI) ACE Money Transfer | Immediate Start Reporting to Head of Payments & Banking Infrastructure Team Commercial & Strategy — PBI Direct reports Commercial Analyst (1) About Us: ACE Money Transfer is a UK-based multinational company headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom. ACE Money Transfer provides online remittance services to individuals in 29 countries across the UK, Europe, Canada, and Australia, enabling them to send money across borders in over 100 countries About the Role This is a senior individual contributor role sitting at the commercial heart of PBI. You will be the right hand to the Head of PBI — translating strategic vision into commercial plans, sourcing and negotiating with new payments partners, and owning the renegotiation pipeline across the existing partner stack. Your primary role is finding, structuring, and closing the right commercial arrangements that power ACE's payments stack. You will also attend strategic Quarterly Business Reviews and major partner reviews alongside the Head of PBI, providing senior commercial context and continuity — without crossing into day-to-day performance management. Furthermore, you will revise renegotiation windows and partner performance specifically around cost of sale and revenue link. You will be supported by a dedicated Commercial Analyst who feeds you data on FX trader performance, acquirer costs, open banking economics, and revenue leakage — leaving you free to focus on strategy, negotiation, and commercial decision-making. Key Responsibilities Strategy & Long-Term Planning Work directly with the Head of PBI to develop the annual commercial plan and contribute to the 3-year payments infrastructure roadmap Translate strategic direction from the Head of PBI into structured, actionable plans with clear milestones and owners Proactively identify gaps in ACE's payments infrastructure by engaging cross-functionally with Partner Success, Partner Onboarding, Operations, Finance etc. Bring forward commercial solutions — not just problems — with implementation pathways and business logic Own the commercial narrative for the PBI function, including contribution to the monthly CEO Brief and quarterly commercial reviews New Partner Sourcing & Negotiations Identify, approach, and commercially evaluate new payments partners — card acquirers, APM providers, open banking rails, FX counterparties, and banking partners Involvement in all commercial negotiations: from first contact and term negotiation through to handshake before handover to PO. Build and maintain a live pipeline of prospective partners with commercial assessments and prioritisation rationale Develop business cases for new partner additions including cost modelling, volume projections, and break-even analysis for Head of PBI sign-off Ensure all new commercial arrangements protect ACE's margins. Renegotiations & Portfolio Optimisation Own the renegotiation pipeline for existing partners — tracking contract renewal dates, rate review windows, and volume-based tier unlock opportunities Use analyst-supplied data on FX costs, acquirer pricing, AR trends, and revenue leakage to build renegotiation mandates and target rate improvements Present renegotiation outcomes and savings to the Head of PBI with clear before/after commercial analysis Identify underperforming or overpriced partners and bring replacement or consolidation recommendations Strategic Partner Presence (Post Go-Live) Attend Quarterly Business Reviews and major partner strategy sessions alongside the Head of PBI Provide commercial context and continuity at the senior level without involvement in operational or day-to-day performance management Feed strategic insights from partner conversations back into the annual plan and roadmap Commercial Reporting & Team Direction Manage and direct the Commercial Analyst — setting priorities, reviewing outputs, and ensuring data quality underpins all commercial decisions Maintain the renegotiation pipeline tracker and new partner pipeline, keeping both current and accurately reported Own the commercial sections of the monthly CEO Brief and quarterly scorecard Provide clear, concise reporting to the Head of PBI on savings delivered, pipeline status, and strategic progress What We're Looking For Essential 3-5 years of experience in a commercial, partnerships, or business development role within payments, fintech, or financial services Proven track record of leading commercial negotiations with card acquirers, payment processors, banks, or FX counterparties Strong understanding of payment economics — MDR structures, interchange, scheme fees, FX spreads, and open banking pricing Experience working cross-functionally with operations, technology, and compliance teams to structure and close commercial deals Ability to build rigorous business cases and commercial models independently, without reliance on a finance team Excellent written and verbal communication — comfortable presenting commercial analysis and recommendations to senior leadership Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple negotiation tracks simultaneously without dropping detail ACE Money Transfer Profile: https://acemoneytransfer.com/company-profile