Senior Specialist, Contractor (UK) - Partnerships Development
Overview:
This role focuses on the operational and commercial aspects of card loyalty programs, including the design, implementation, and management of cardholder promotions, benefits, and insurance services. These solutions enable issuers and merchants to reward and retain customers while driving increased card usage and engagement. The successful candidate will play a key role in expanding Domestic and Cross-Border transaction volume by enhancing card-linked offers and strengthening partnerships with merchants and aggregators. The position is based in the UK/London.
Role & Responsibilities:
* Secure merchant offers for card-linked loyalty programs by engaging directly with merchants, aggregators, or regional market development teams.
* Prepare proposals, budget forecasts, and presentations while managing account relationships, renewals, and P&L forecasting.
* Build, maintain, and execute a pipeline of business development opportunities with merchant partners.
* Drive issuer and merchant business growth through strategic quarterly business reviews, effectively articulating program success and the value of card-linked offers.
* Oversee key operational processes, including merchant onboarding, offer setup, and cross-functional coordination.
* Manage relationships with external vendors and aggregators to ensure seamless program execution.
* Monitor, manage, and report on program KPIs to assess performance and identify areas for improvement.
* Support and conduct regular business reviews with clients, ensuring high-quality program delivery and identifying new opportunities to enhance retention.
* Develop subject-matter expertise in merchant participation in card-linked offer marketing programs.
* Facilitate issue resolution between functional groups and management when required.
* Manage and troubleshoot merchant billing processes, ensuring timely deployment of statements to partners.
* Maintain account budgets and forecasts, setting and monitoring revenue projection goals.
* Ensure high customer satisfaction ratings in line with company standards.
About You:
* Minimum of 5+ years of experience in loyalty/rewards offers or direct experience working with merchants in an offers-based program in Europe.
* Strong background in business development, operational support working with both internal and external stakeholders at various levels.
* Experience in merchant loyalty marketing or digital marketing preferred.
* Demonstrated ability to work with urgency and persistence to drive results.
* Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail.
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences, including technical teams and product/marketing leaders.
* Strong listening and presentation skills.
* Analytical mindset with strong problem-solving and cross-functional collaboration skills.
* Bachelor’s degree required.
* Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
* Location: UK/London.
* Some travel required.
Preferred Experience:
* Prior experience working on card-linked offers or collaborating with aggregators who facilitate merchant offers on behalf of financial institutions.
* Familiarity with the commercial and operational mechanics of card loyalty programs, including P&L management, data analytics, and customer engagement strategies.
This role is ideal for someone with strong operational and commercial expertise in the loyalty sector, particularly in card-linked offers and merchant-funded rewards programs.