Acquiring Expert - Payment Gateway SME

Our client is seeking an experienced payments professional, for an initial five-month contract, to provide strategic and operational expertise across merchant acceptance, payment gateways, acquiring, and PayFac ecosystems. This role requires a strong understanding of the UK & Ireland payments landscape, with particular emphasis on gateway and merchant-side payments experience.

The successful candidate will combine deep industry knowledge with an understanding of the regulatory, commercial, and technology trends shaping the future of merchant payments.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide subject matter expertise across payment gateways, merchant acceptance, acquiring, and PayFac models.
• Support the assessment and optimisation of merchant payment journeys, acceptance performance, and customer experience.
• Advise on gateway, acquiring, and acceptance strategies for merchants across SME, Mid-Corp, and Enterprise segments.
• Support engagement with acquirers, gateways, PayFacs, ISVs, and payment technology partners.
• Provide insight into emerging payment technologies and industry developments, including PSD3, Network Tokenisation, Agentic Commerce, and B2B payments.
• Translate regulatory requirements, including PSD2, PSD3, and Consumer Duty, into actionable business recommendations.
• Collaborate with product, technology, operations, compliance, and commercial teams to deliver acceptance-related initiatives.
• Develop stakeholder materials, strategic recommendations, and market insights.

What You Bring

• 10+ years of experience, or equivalent, in payments, with a preference for gateway and merchant-side experience.
• Strong expertise across one or more of:
• Payment gateways
• Acquiring
• Merchant acceptance
• PayFac models
• ISV partnerships
• Payments product, technology, or operations
• Strong understanding of the UK & Ireland acceptance landscape; additional international market experience is advantageous.
• Experience working with merchants, PSPs, acquirers, gateways, or payment technology providers.
• Knowledge of PSD2, PSD3, Consumer Duty, and the broader regulatory environment impacting payments.
• Understanding of the commercial drivers influencing merchant acceptance decisions across SME, Mid-Corp, or Enterprise segments.
• Working knowledge of industry trends and technologies, including Network Tokenisation, Agentic Commerce, and B2B Payments.
• Strong analytical, stakeholder management, and communication skills.
• Self-starter with the ability to operate effectively in fast-paced and evolving environments.