Sr Dir E-Commerce - Payments Optimization

Powering the world’s payments ecosystem

ACI powers the payments ecosystem – globally, and you power ACI.  You’ll innovate, collaborate, and grow – in an energetic technology culture with decades of proven success.  ACI’ers – in all roles and levels – are truly your colleagues and many are your friends. Our size and reach allow you to see the global impact of your work. You are visible, your talents are valued, and you are empowered to shape the future of payments.

As a Senior Director of E-Commerce - Payments Optimization you will join a diverse, passionate team, dedicated to powering the world’s payments ecosystem!

The purpose of the Senior Director of E-Commerce - Payments Optimization role is:

The Senior Director of E-Commerce - Payments Optimization will lead the strategy, development, and execution of payment optimization solutions for card-not-present transactions across merchants, PSPs, and merchant acquirers. This role is responsible for driving P&L growth ($80M), expanding product offerings, and fostering partnerships to deliver best-in-class payment performance and fraud prevention solutions. 

Our ability to deliver best-in-class payment performance is fundamental to our clients' success and a key differentiator in the market. You'll define the strategy, assemble the team, and establish a function that maximizes authorization rates, enhances fraud protection, and optimizes the payment lifecycle through intelligent routing, advanced authentication, and AI-powered analytics. 

What makes this opportunity unique: ACI sits at the intersection of issuing, banking, and merchant acquiring—giving you access to cross-segment data and insights that pure-play orchestrators can't match. 

The ideal candidate brings the dual ability to roll up their sleeves and build from the ground up, while also serving as a credible, external-facing ambassador—cultivating executive client relationships and representing ACI across the industry

A typical day at ACI for a Senior Director of E-Commerce - Payments Optimization is: 

Product Strategy & Leadership 

• Drive the strategy and influence the delivery of solutions for Payments Optimization products across authorization improvement, fraud mitigation, and cost efficiency across Merchant and Banking segments 

• Own the multi-year product roadmap for intelligent routing, revenue optimization, and bundled merchant offerings 

• Partner with Product delivery, Engineering and Data Science to build GenAI and predictive analytics capabilities that drive measurable performance gains 

• Inform the broader product and engineering roadmap with market intelligence and customer insights 

• Take responsibility for solution success, driving go-to-market teams to execute your vision and base their motions on your product strategies 

Revenue Growth & P&L Ownership 

• Drive revenue growth for eCommerce and Merchant Fraud SaaS portfolio. 

• Expand Payments Optimization revenue through new products, value added services 

Adoption & Enablement 

• Drive adoption of optimization products and services, including Fraud, Tokenization, and Orchestration/Routing, or bundled offers (e.g switch and gateway) 

• Ensure seamless integration and customer onboarding for payment optimization solutions. 

• Cultivate deep relationships with enterprise clients at the executive level; represent ACI in industry forums and with strategic partners 

• Stay ahead of regulatory and structural shifts; ensure compliance and identify strategic opportunities

Partnerships & Market Expansion 

• Build strategic partnerships with PSPs, merchant acquirers, and technology providers. 

• Drive regional expansion and market penetration for payment optimization solutions. 

• Engage with card networks, PSPs, fraud vendors, and technology partners to advance ACI's market position 

Strategic Thinking: 

• Ability to anticipate market trends, support long-term vision definition, validation, and translate strategy into actionable plans. 

Talent Development: 

• Build and nurture high-performing teams; coach and mentor future leaders. Foster a culture of continuous improvement, experimentation, and innovation. 

Influence & Collaboration: 

• Engage cross-functional teams and external partners to drive alignment and deliver results. Drive cross-functional alignment in a complex, matrixed global environment; influence senior stakeholders across Product, Engineering, Sales, and Customer Success 

Change Leadership: 

• Lead transformation initiatives and inspire teams through ambiguity and complexity. 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience required for the job: 

• Bachelor’s degree or global equivalent in business, technology, or related field. 

• 12+ years’ experience in the relevant field - payments, fintech, or e-commerce with product and commercial leadership 

• Proven leadership experience managing global teams and large-scale product portfolios. 

• Deep understanding of both merchant payments and banking payment ecosystems related to payment lifecycle: e.g authorization flows, routing logic, acquirer performance, interchange dynamics 

• Strong analytical fluency; ability to translate complex data into compelling narratives and actionable strategies 

• Outstanding communication and executive presence; proven ability to build credibility with senior clients and stakeholder 

Preferred Qualifications (Education, Experience, Competencies) 

• Deep knowledge of payment technologies, merchant acquiring, and PSP integrations. 

• Ability to manage complex product portfolios and drive innovation. 

• Demonstrate expertise in developing and launching new products in the payments space 

• Strong analytical and financial acumen. 

Benefits:  In return for your expertise, we offer growth, opportunities, and a competitive compensation and benefits package in a casual work environment.

 Are you ready to help us transform the world of electronic payments? To learn more about ACI Worldwide, visit our web site at www.aciworldwide.com 

ACI Worldwide is an AA/EEO employer in the United States, which includes providing equal opportunity for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities, and an EEO employer globally.

Important Notice About Recruitment Scams
Job seekers should be aware of ongoing recruitment scams where individuals or organizations impersonate legitimate companies to offer fake job opportunities. These scams often involve requests for personal information, payments, or interviews through unofficial channels. Please be cautious and verify any communications claiming to be from our company (www.aciworldwide.com / @aciworldwide.com). The ACI Worldwide recruitment team will always follow official channels and will never request payment.

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