Strategic Interchange Analyst

Overview

This role is a hands-on position for a senior payments professional responsible for interchange, card network, routing, and payment-cost optimization across the organization’s payments portfolio. The work blends deep interchange and network expertise with advanced data analysis, workflow automation, and clear business communication.

Responsibilities

• Own interchange qualification and network-cost performance across the portfolio, identifying downgrade drivers, cost leakage, routing opportunities, and remediation priorities.
• Monitor Visa, Mastercard, and other relevant network changes; assess financial impact; and maintain current interchange rules, cost tables, and optimization guidance.
• Analyze routing logic and transaction behavior to identify opportunities that improve qualification and payment economics.
• Use advanced SQL and other programming or query languages to analyze and reconcile large transaction, interchange, billing, and network-fee datasets.
• Build automated monitoring, reporting, and analytical workflows using AI, Python, Java, or comparable tools to improve efficiency, accuracy, and scalability.
• Communicate complex payments analysis into clear executive insights, financial-impact assessments, and practical recommendations.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in payments, merchant acquiring, payment facilitation, processing, card networks, issuing, gateway operations, or a closely related field.
• Deep knowledge of Visa and Mastercard interchange structures, qualification criteria, downgrade drivers, assessments, network fees, and card-brand operating rules.
• Strong understanding of the payments ecosystem, including card brands, networks, issuers, acquirers, processors, gateways, PayFacs, merchants, and sponsor banks.
• Advanced SQL proficiency, including independent ability to query, join, validate, and interpret large and complex datasets.
• Hands-on proficiency with Python, Java, or another programming or query language used for analysis, automation, and data workflow development.
• Demonstrated ability to use AI tools to automate workflows, improve analytical efficiency, and communicate data-driven insights.
• Experience in merchant acquiring, payment facilitation, or processor environments.
• Knowledge of PIN debit, least-cost routing, FANF, VAMP, assessments, compliance fees, and other network-related costs.
• Experience building interchange reference tables, qualification engines, reconciliation frameworks, portfolio monitoring, or profitability models.
• Familiarity with payment-message data, gateway field mapping, and authorization-to-clearing analysis.
• Degree in a quantitative or technical field such as Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, or Finance.

Compensation & Benefits

• Scheduled hours: 40

Location

• Canada

Openings

• 1