Senior Principal Relationship Management and Business Development

About This Role

Discover. A brighter future.

With us, you’ll do meaningful work from Day 1. Our collaborative culture is built on three core behaviors: We Play to Win, We Get Better Every Day & We Succeed Together. And we mean it — we want you to grow and make a difference at one of the world's leading digital banking and payments companies. We value what makes you unique so that you have an opportunity to shine.

Come build your future, while being the reason millions of people find a brighter financial future with Discover.

Job Description:

What You’ll Do

Responsible for managing business development in one or more countries, regions or industries. Responsible for building and maintaining a robust pipeline of new sales opportunities through effective networking and relationship development with appropriate industry and FinTech companies.

Responsible for cultivating and expanding multiple strategic and complex external relationships by serving as lead representative for Discover to identify and drive opportunities to expand business targets within portfolio. Serves a strategic role in increasing network transaction volume and revenue generation by selling new programs (e.g. Prepaid, Credit, Debit, etc...).                                                                        

How You’ll Do It

• Drive new partnerships with payment service providers to grow merchant acceptance for Discover in the UK.

• Manage the entire sales process, from pipeline development, lead generation to closing deals, and implementation. Manage pipeline.

• Strategically identifies leads, develops proposals, responds to RFP's and negotiates agreements to maximize network growth. Identifies and creates business case to establish new development activities with internal (Risk, AML, etc...) and external industry partners.

• Serve as the strategic liaison between Discover external accounts, by maintaining relationships with decision-makers across company divisions of each participant. Actively manages and escalates risk and customer-impacting issues or complaints within the day-to-day role to management.

• Explores new partnership opportunities and manages a portfolio of clients to retain, grow and drive existing and new business by exploring acceptance and volume growth.

• Manage and build relationships with existing strategic network participants. Maintain knowledge of partners, industry trends and competitive environment by performing market analysis and maintaining opportunity pipeline to recommend actions in improving Discover's position.                                            

• Drives internal processes including; development of communications, account management, approval requests and contract negotiations, compliance and risk management.

• Performs market analyses and business development activities to increase network transaction volume and revenue generation.                                                         

• Partner internally and externally to identify new or additional business opportunities within accounts; maintain and grow relationships to attain new business value and improve client experience.

• Advise network participant of new product, marketing or operational initiatives and act as primarily liason into Discover to ensure improved market position for DFS.

• Address client inquiries and problem solve to resolve opportunities or issues. Negotiate contracts, pricing agreements or incentives while ensuring compliance with new processes and business practices.                                                 

Qualifications You’ll Need
The Basics

• Bachelors Business Administration and Management, Finance, Marketing or related

• Payments, Relationship Management or Marketing

• Technical expertise (i.e.; mobile payments, vehicle commerce, SRC, payment chip technology, IOT emerging technologies) to support digital partners

In Lieu of Education Experience

• Business Development, Sales, Strategy, Payments, Relationship Management or Marketing

• Technical expertise (i.e.; mobile payments, vehicle commerce, SRC, payment chip technology, IOT emerging technologies) to support digital partners                               

Physical and Cognitive Requirements
The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable a qualified individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position as required by federal, state, and local laws:

• Primarily remain in a stationary position.

• Occasionally move about the work environment to complete the major responsibilities of the job.

• Primarily performed indoors in an office setting.

• Ability to operate office equipment such as but not limited to computer, telephone, printer, and calculator.

• Ability to communicate verbally.; Ability to communicate in written form.                  

• Travel up to 50% of the time.   

Bonus Points If You Have
 

• Masters Business Administration and Management, Finance, Marketing or related

• Business Development in Fintech, Credit, Debit, Prepaid, and/or Commercial Payments

• Passion for sales and adept at solving business problems, with a relentless drive to secure new PSP partnerships—whether directly or indirectly through Discover merchant acquirers.

• Ability to work on a pipeline to sign up new partners while simultaneously managing existing partnerships.

• Hands-on approach, involved in planning, sales, and implementation.

• Proven track record of signing up new partners from planning to closure.

• Extensive experience working with PSPs, including embedded finance companies like Bigcommerce and Lightspeed, as well as gateways or Payfacs, etc. Alternatively, experience at merchant acquirers or payment networks collaborating with these type of PSPs.

• Solid understanding of the UK/European PSP landscape.

• A team player who brings energy, ideas, and fun, along with a strong problem-solving mindset.

*** Discover will not sponsor or transfer employment work visas for this position. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United Kingdom on a full-time basis. ***

Application Deadline:

The application window for this position is anticipated to close on May-14-2025. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible. The posting may be available past this date, but it is not guaranteed.

What are you waiting for? Apply today!

All Discover employees place our customers at the very center of our work. To deliver on our promises to our customers, each of us contribute every day to a culture that values compliance and risk management.

Discover is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or other legally protected status. (Know Your Rights)

Discover complies with federal, state, and local laws applicable to qualified individuals with disabilities and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations. If you require a reasonable accommodation to search for a position, to complete an application, and/or to participate in an interview, please email HireAccommodation@discover.com. Any information you provide regarding your accommodation needs will be kept confidential and will only be used to determine and provide necessary accommodation.

Positions marked as remote eligible are limited to remote locations within the country in which the position is based.

Applicants must be 18 or older at the time of hire.