Principal Relationship Management and Business Development Manager

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Illinois.

📋 Description

• Act as the main operational point of contact for designated acquiring and enablement partners.

• Assist in the contract renewal process and collaborate with product and marketing teams to promote partner adoption of Discover Network tools and programs.

• Implement partner acquisition strategies and outreach efforts to broaden Discover Network's acceptance in targeted Caribbean markets.

• Create territory and prospect plans while engaging processor partners for lead generation and prospecting.

• Monitor merchant acceptance metrics, generate transaction reports, and pinpoint acceptance gaps, terminal problems, or routing discrepancies.

• Represent Discover Network at regional industry events, trade exhibitions, and partner meetings.

• Analyze partner volume metrics, highlight operational challenges or settlement problems, and escalate any performance risks.

• Manage contract terms, amendment processes, and documentation of agreements.

• Lead acceptance campaigns across sectors such as Airlines, Hotels, Restaurants, Retail, and Travel Operators.

• Investigate potential acquiring partners, ISOs, gateways, and ATM networks in both Card Present and Card-Not-Present channels.

• Support partners with operational and technical onboarding for new payment capabilities, product features, and marketing materials.

• Ensure partner activities adhere to AML, KYC, and EDD standards.

• Collect local market insights, competitor actions, and merchant trends for senior team members.

• Achieve business outcomes through partners while providing exceptional partner service.

⛳️ Requirements

• High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent certification required.

• Minimum of 4 years of experience in client management, sales support, business development, or operational partner management within the payments, acquiring, or financial services sector.

• Bachelor’s Degree is preferred.

• Over 5 years of experience in payment network operations, merchant acquiring, or fintech partner management is preferred.

• Familiarity with Caribbean and Latin American payments ecosystems and regional acquiring dynamics is preferred.

• Demonstrated experience in managing partner deliverables, addressing partner escalations, and analyzing volume reports is preferred.

• Proficiency in both Spanish and English is preferred.

• Willingness and ability to travel 30–40% of the time within the region.

• Must be able to work independently without employer-sponsored immigration assistance.

🏝️ Benefits

• Performance-based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonuses and/or long-term incentives (LTI).

• Comprehensive, competitive, and inclusive health, financial, and other benefits that support overall well-being.

• Eligibility for remote work.