Technical Professional Services Lead

Who we are: We are a leader in fraud prevention and AML compliance. Our platform uses device intelligence, behavior biometrics, machine learning, and AI to stop fraud before it happens. Today, over 300 banks, retailers, and fintechs worldwide use Sardine to stop identity fraud, payment fraud, account takeovers, and social engineering scams. We have raised $145M from world-class investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Activant, Visa, Experian, FIS, and Google Ventures. Our culture: We have hubs in the Bay Area, NYC, Austin, Toronto, and São Paulo. However, we maintain a remote-first work culture. #WorkFromAnywhere We hire talented, self-motivated individuals with extreme ownership and high growth orientation. We value performance and not hours worked. We believe you shouldn't have to miss your family dinner, your kid's school play, friends get-together, or doctor's appointments for the sake of adhering to an arbitrary work schedule. Location: Remote - United States. Candidates should be comfortable traveling up to 25% (domestic + international) for customer meetings, onsite implementation support, partner/vendor collaboration, and internal team gatherings. From Home / Beach / Mountain / Cafe / Anywhere! We are a remote-first company with a globally distributed team. You can find your productive zone and work from there. About the Role: We are looking for a Technical Professional Services Lead to build and manage our professional services function. In this role, you will build out a partner delivery network and certified integration partners that can provide a variety of customization services for our global key accounts. This is a unique chance to scale a new function at a fast-growing company. You will be involved in scoping, planning, and delivering custom work, You will be responsible for sourcing, onboarding, and managing a network of specialized contractors who deliver custom statement-of-work (SOW) engagements for our clients. You will own the full lifecycle of these projects—from scoping and contractor selection through delivery and billing—ensuring exceptional quality, on-time execution, and healthy margins. This is a high-impact, cross-functional role that sits at the intersection of post-sales, operations, and finance. You will work closely with sales, post-sales, product, and engineering to translate client needs into well-defined project scopes and match them with the right contractor talent. What you’ll be doing: Draft and manage statements of work for customizations, white labels, builds for clients, and change orders Partner with sales and post-sales teams to scope custom SOW engagements, define deliverables, timelines, and success criteria Plan, coordinate, and drive the delivery of large projects for global key accounts with in-house or outsourced contractors and ISVs Build a sardineAI preferred/certified Integration partner program. Build and maintain a vetted network of specialized contractors and consultants capable of delivering custom fintech implementations - Source, screen, and onboard new contractors; negotiate rates and establish master service agreements (MSAs) Match contractor skills and availability to incoming project requirements Manage contractor performance, provide feedback, and maintain a quality scorecard system Ensure all contractors meet compliance, security, and regulatory requirements relevant to financial services Oversee project execution to ensure on-time, on-budget, and on-quality delivery Serve as the escalation point for project issues and client concerns Conduct project retrospectives and implement continuous improvement practices Own the end-to-end billing process for contractor engagements, including time tracking, invoice review, and payment processing Manage project budgets, track margins, and report on the profitability of the professional services book of business Coordinate with finance and accounting to ensure accurate revenue recognition and contractor payables Build and refine operational processes, tools, and templates to scale the professional services function Develop and maintain reporting dashboards to track utilization, project health, and financial performance What you’ll need: 10+ years in Professional Services or Product 3–5+ years hiring and leading teams in high-growth environments Deep domain expertise in payments, fintechs, fraud, AML/KYC, or compliance Demonstrated experience in project scoping and financial operations, including the creation of SOWs, MSAs, and managing project profitability The ability to manage technical resources is mandatory, must have the technical fluency to oversee frontend, backend, and SQL-heavy projects and drive them to resolution Superior critical thinking skills and the ability to source and embed external expertise (contractors/consultants) into a seamless, high-quality delivery engine Exceptional executive presentation and communication skills, with a proven ability to command a room Ability to travel up to 25% Compensation: Base pay range of $210,000 -$250,000 + Equity with tremendous upside potential + Attractive benefits Benefits we offer: Generous compensation in cash and equity Early exercise for all options, including pre-vested Work from anywhere: Remote-first Culture Flexible paid time off and Year-end break Health insurance, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents - US and Canada specific 4% matching in 401k / RRSP - US and Canada specific MacBook Pro delivered to your door One-time stipend to set up a home office — desk, chair, screen, etc. Monthly meal stipend Monthly social meet-up stipend Annual health and wellness stipend Annual Learning stipend Join a fast-growing company with world-class professionals from around the world. If you are seeking a meaningful career, you found the right place, and we would love to hear from you. To learn more about how we process your personal information and your rights in regards to your personal information as an applicant and Sardine employee, please visit our Applicant and Worker Privacy Notice .