Manager Payout Strategy & Partnerships

Job Title Manager – Payout Strategy & Partnerships

Reporting to Executive Head - Business

Department Relationship and Development

Role Overview The Manager – Payout Strategy & Partnerships holds full ownership of ACE’s global payout network, driving its commercial performance, regulatory compliance, and strategic growth. This role is pivotal in ensuring ACE’s cross-border payout ecosystem remains competitive, scalable, and profitable across all corridors. The Manager will lead complex commercial negotiations, govern high-value partnerships, and deliver measurable improvements in corridor profitability, FX margins, and payout efficiency. This position requires a sharp commercial strategist with the technical and operational depth to influence executive decisions and maintain regulatory integrity across multiple jurisdictions.

Core Responsibilities 1. Strategic Leadership & Execution

Own the end-to-end payout strategy, ensuring every corridor meets ACE’s profitability, compliance, and service-level objectives.

Develop and execute a multi-year payout growth roadmap, focusing on expanding corridor reach, improving transaction velocity, and optimizing partner costs.

Drive P&L accountability for the payout network, setting and achieving quarterly KPIs on cost optimization, turnaround times, and FX gains.

Act as a key advisor to the Executive Head, providing data-backed recommendations on partnership expansions, corridor exits, and pricing strategies.

Champion innovation in payout technology, integration models, and fintech collaborations to enhance ACE’s global competitiveness.

2. Partnership Governance & Commercial Negotiation

Lead contractual and commercial negotiations with major banks, fintechs, and MTOs, ensuring commercially sound and risk-compliant agreements.

Design and enforce governance frameworks for partner performance, SLA adherence, and dispute resolution.

Implement a tiered partner management structure, distinguishing between strategic, tactical, and transactional partners for focused oversight.

Conduct quarterly partner audits to ensure cost efficiency, compliance, and uptime reliability across all payout corridors.

Drive re-negotiations that deliver tangible improvements in margin contribution, payout speed, and liquidity management.

3. Market Expansion & Intelligence

Spearhead market entry assessments for new corridors, leveraging data analytics, competitor benchmarking, and regulatory research.

Oversee Corridor Health Reviews to evaluate profitability, transaction volume, and partner performance.

Identify and prioritize new payout corridors, payment methods, and digital partnerships aligned with ACE’s strategic expansion plans.

Present executive proposals backed by feasibility studies, FX analytics, and commercial forecasts for board-level approvals.

4. Compliance, Risk & Operational Control

Maintain strict adherence to global KYC / KYB, AML, and sanctions compliance frameworks.

Partner with Legal and Compliance to implement robust due diligence standards for all partner banks and institutions.

Ensure all payout integrations are technically resilient, API-compliant, and audit-ready.

Establish risk monitoring dashboards for real-time visibility into corridor disruptions, compliance exceptions, and partner anomalies.

Conduct semi-annual compliance reviews to ensure operational soundness and regulatory integrity.

5. Performance Optimization & Analytics

Build data-driven performance frameworks to measure partner throughput, payout costs, corridor latency, and conversion margins.

Lead quarterly performance reviews across all corridors, identifying corrective actions and commercial adjustments.

Collaborate with Finance and Treasury to optimize liquidity management and FX rate structures for each corridor.

Leverage predictive analytics to anticipate transaction trends, currency risks, and volume surges, enabling proactive decision-making.

6. Cross-Functional Influence & Leadership

Lead cross-departmental task forces involving Finance, Compliance, Product, Operations, and IT to align payout performance with corporate goals.

Mentor team leads and analysts within the unit, ensuring robust succession planning and leadership continuity.

Represent ACE in industry forums, bank partnerships, and international remittance discussions to reinforce ACE’s market leadership.

Report directly to the Executive Head - Business, with insights, risk reports, and strategic recommendations.

Required Skills & Qualifications

Education :

Bachelor’s in Business, Finance, or Economics; MBA or equivalent preferred.

Experience :

8–12 years in international remittance, fintech, or cross-border payments, with at least 4 years in a managerial or leadership role.

Expertise in :

Global pay-out operations and corridor management

Commercial negotiations and contract structuring

Partner due diligence and risk governance

API and fintech ecosystem integrations

Financial modeling, FX risk, and margin optimization.

Competencies :

Strong leadership with an executive-level mindset

Exceptional stakeholder management and negotiation acumen

Strategic foresight with operational execution discipline

Analytical precision and high resilience under pressure

Ability to represent ACE at senior external and regulatory levels

ACE Money Transfer Profile :