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Also known as Acquiring Partnerships Manager · Channel Partner Manager (Payments) · Gateway Partnerships Manager · Partnership Manager Paymentsand 4 more
Payments Relationship Manager · Competitions Vertical Partnership Relationship Manager · Gaming Partnerships Manager (Payments) · Vertical Partnership Manager
A payments partnerships manager in acquiring and gateways builds and grows the channels through which merchants reach a payment acquirer or payment service provider. The role signs and manages partners such as payment gateways, e-commerce platforms, software vendors and independent sales organisations, negotiates commercial terms, manages the pipeline, coordinates technical integration and onboarding, and makes sure partner-sourced merchants meet know your customer and card scheme rules and PSD2 requirements.
The manager starts by reviewing the partner pipeline in the CRM system: three platforms are in negotiation, two are integrating and one has gone live but brings fewer merchants than forecast. A call with the live partner explores why: their merchants need a local payment method that is not yet enabled, so the manager raises it with the product team. Mid-morning goes to a commercial proposal for an e-commerce platform, with pricing, revenue share and service levels, which the manager reviews with finance and legal. After lunch there is a joint session with the risk and onboarding teams about merchants a partner submitted: some lack documents required for know your customer checks, and one sells products that card scheme rules treat as high risk. The manager agrees a better onboarding flow with the partner. Late afternoon brings a quarterly business review with a gateway, covering volumes, approval rates, chargebacks and next steps. The day ends with updating the forecast.
The EFO level names are the common scale; job titles differ between employers.
| Level | What the work looks like | Typical years | Typical job titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| L1 Starting out | Supports partner managers with research, pipeline data, proposals and onboarding follow-up, and learns acquiring, card schemes, partner models and compliance rules under supervision. | 0-2 | Banks: Analyst, Junior Analyst, Associate (asset servicing), Trainee, GraduateAsset servicers: Junior, Specialist (entry), Officer |
| L2 Independent | Manages a portfolio of partners end to end, prospects and negotiates standard deals, coordinates integration and onboarding, and is first contact for partners on commercial issues. | 2-5 | Banks: Analyst / Senior Analyst, AssociateAsset servicers: Specialist, Senior Specialist, Senior Officer |
| L3 Senior or specialist | Leads strategic or complex partnerships, structures non-standard deals, works with product and risk on new markets or payment methods, and represents partnerships in cross-team projects. | 5-9 | Banks: Senior Associate, AVP, Assistant ManagerAsset servicers: Senior Specialist, Expert, Team Lead (small team) |
| L4 Leads a team or an area | Leads a partnerships team for a region or segment, owns revenue targets, pricing guidelines and partner risk controls, and is the escalation point for key partners. | 8-14 | Banks: VP, Manager, Senior ManagerAsset servicers: Team Lead, Manager, Head of Section |
| L5 Leads the function | Head of partnerships or channels for a legal entity or region, sets the partner strategy and commercial standards, and reports to business leadership on growth and risk. | 12+ | Banks: Director, Executive Director, Managing Director, Head of functionAsset servicers: Head of Department, Director |
Specialisations share most of the role and differ in the skills listed here.
Also known as Competitions Vertical Partnership Relationship Manager · Gaming Partnerships Manager (Payments) · Vertical Partnership Manager
Critical skills: Merchant acquiring and payment processing, Partner and channel management, Anti-money laundering regulation
Each role lists its skills with a tier and a weight. The weights of one role add up to 100 percent.
Source: the EFO role catalogue, built from the ESCO classification and reviewed by the editors.
The percentage is the skill's share of the role; the bars are drawn relative to the anchor skill, which is shown full.
The work the role takes part in.
AI tools now score leads, summarise partner performance, draft proposals and automate parts of merchant onboarding and know your customer checks.
AI tools now score leads, summarise partner performance, draft proposals and automate parts of merchant onboarding and know your customer checks. Routine research and reporting are shrinking. Value grows in negotiation, structuring deals, understanding partner economics and working with risk teams, since fraud and onboarding quality remain central under PSD2 and card scheme rules. The World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2025 lists analytical thinking alongside influence and resilience among the skills employers rate highest.
The L3 salary range for this role, with its sources, will appear here when the salaries section opens.
The catalogue lists no certification for this role. Experience usually counts for more here.
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