Product Manager (Payments SME) - Fintech
Contractor OR Temp to Perm
3 days on site in London
*very competitive daily rate*
Key Responsibilities:
* Own and manage the payments product roadmap, aligning with business objectives and market opportunities.
* Lead high-priority payments projects, including API development for SEPA payment verification, with rollout targeted by October.
* Gather and document product requirements from internal stakeholders and external partners.
* Manage end-to-end delivery with engineering, operations, and third-party providers to ensure execution on time and to spec.
* Provide deep subject matter expertise in SEPA, SWIFT, FPS, and other payment rails and messaging systems (e.g., CHAPS, Bacs).
* Ensure all payment products comply with regulatory, scheme, and banking standards.
* Work cross-functionally with engineering teams, both strategically and hands-on, to build scalable and compliant solutions.
* Track product performance, troubleshoot issues, and lead continuous improvement initiatives.
* Contribute to shaping product strategy in a fast-paced fintech environment with tight timelines and evolving priorities.
* Conduct market and competitor analysis—even in opaque markets—to identify opportunities and maintain a competitive edge.
Candidate Profile:
* Proven experience in financial services, particularly in the payments domain.
* Hands-on understanding of payment rails and messaging systems: SWIFT, SEPA, CHAPS, Bacs, and FPS.
* Familiarity with Open Banking, digital wallets, transaction monitoring systems, and bank settlements and ISO 20022
* Strong cross-functional collaboration skills with the ability to build and maintain relationships across product, tech, ops, and compliance teams.
* Experience supporting engineers and delivering technical products in banking or fintech environments.
* Strong communication skills with a proven track record in delivering real-time, cross-border, or high-volume payment solutions.
* Comfortable operating in both enterprise (structured) and agile (startup/fintech) environments.
Nice to Have:
* Experience leading or launching payment APIs or verification products.
* Background in building or scaling payments teams.
* A hands-on approach with the ability to manage delivery independently under time pressure.