Director FinTech Vendor Management

Role Overview We are seeking a strategic and results-driven Director of Vendor Management & Business Development to lead our partner ecosystem strategy and vendor governance framework across our financial services platform. This role will be responsible for building, negotiating, and managing high-impact partnerships while ensuring vendor performance, regulatory compliance, and cost optimization. The Director will serve as a critical bridge between Product, Engineering, Compliance, Risk, Legal, Finance, and external partners to enable scalable product innovation, operational resilience, and commercial growth. Key Responsibilities 1. Strategic Business Development & Partnerships Develop and execute partnership strategies to support company growth, product expansion, and geographic scaling. Identify and establish strategic relationships across: Banking-as-a-Service providers Payment processors and networks Card issuing and digital wallet infrastructure partners Cross-border payment and FX providers KYC/AML, fraud prevention, and compliance vendors Financial infrastructure and SaaS technology vendors Lead end-to-end partnership lifecycle including sourcing, evaluation, negotiation, contracting, onboarding, and performance optimization. Structure commercial agreements including pricing models, revenue sharing, service level agreements, and performance incentives. Support new product launches by enabling vendor capabilities and partner integrations. 2. Vendor Governance & Risk Management Establish and manage enterprise vendor management and third-party risk governance frameworks. Oversee vendor due diligence including financial, operational, technical, compliance, and regulatory assessments. Implement vendor onboarding standards aligned with internal risk and compliance policies. Develop vendor performance scorecards and service monitoring dashboards. Ensure vendors meet contractual SLAs, regulatory obligations, and security requirements. Drive vendor remediation, escalation management, and continuous performance improvement. 3. Cross-Functional Leadership & Program Execution Partner closely with Product and Engineering teams to translate business requirements into vendor and partner capabilities. Collaborate with Compliance, Legal, and Risk teams to ensure regulatory readiness and audit compliance. Coordinate vendor technical integration, implementation timelines, and operational readiness. Serve as executive escalation point for vendor performance, operational, or contractual issues. 4. Market Intelligence & Ecosystem Strategy Maintain strong awareness of FinTech infrastructure, emerging technologies, and vendor landscape developments. Evaluate build vs. buy vs. partner strategies to optimize speed to market and cost efficiency. Provide executive leadership with market insights and partnership recommendations. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Technology, or related field 10+ years of experience in FinTech, banking, payments, cross-border payment platforms or financial services 6+ years of experience in vendor management, partnerships, or business development leadership roles Strong understanding of financial infrastructure including: Payments ecosystem and card networks Banking-as-a-Service platforms Regulatory and compliance vendor landscape Digital wallets and embedded finance models Demonstrated experience negotiating complex commercial agreements Experience managing vendors in regulated financial environments Familiarity with third-party risk management and regulatory audit frameworks Proven track record leading cross-functional initiatives and partner integrations MBA or advanced business or technical degree preferred

Job Type:

Full-time Pay:

$130,000.00 - $150,000.00 per year

Work Location:

In person