Senior Manager - Client Management

The Global Merchant Services Global Client Group (GCG) is responsible for a portfolio of our most significant global merchant relationships. This group is unique within American Express, partnering globally to develop and implement opportunities that deepen these strategic merchant partnerships. With a highly hardworking team spanning the globe, the GCG team collaborates across American Express to drive initiatives to grow our merchant business.

As a Senior Manager in the Global Merchant Services- Global Client Group, you will be responsible for both managing day-to-day merchant relationships and supporting strategies to drive global growth in charge volume, revenue, and merchant engagement with some of our largest merchants in the retail industry.  This role manages major US airlines such as Delta and United, and partners with international counterparts to drive US growth with merchants such as Booking.com.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing external partners/clients. Prior negotiations experience is a plus.
• Proven ability to influence and drive decision making without formal authority and knowing when to elevate issues and opportunities.
• Experience translating complex data and business insights into concise, executive-ready presentations with clear strategic narratives and actionable recommendations.
• Strong project manager –detail-oriented, seamless follow-through, own action steps.
• Leading and resolving operational issues for merchant portfolio, in partnership with key internal stakeholders.
• Adept interpersonal skills and excellent oral/written communication skills a must.
• Strong attention to detail and an ability to effectively prioritize and manage multiple priorities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and ability to navigate through ambiguity.
• Demonstrated track record of driving results, entrepreneurial approach to business.
• Proven ability to build, manage, influence, and deepen relationships, across all levels and business units.
• Ability to synthesize components of industry, merchant and stakeholder input and create Executive level presentations.
• Experience working in, or with, international markets is valued.
• Great teammate who enjoys working in a fun, smart, fast-paced, and dynamic environment.
• Airline industry experience is a plus.
• Travel approximately 10%.
• Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the United States is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.

Responsibilities

• Act as the General Manager and key representative of American Express including P&L ownership of a portfolio. End-to-end global account management of merchant relationships, which includes leading the day-to-day relationships (i.e., marketing, operations, merchant reporting requests/ inquiries), as well as developing holistic account strategies which deepen American Express’ profitability, relevance, and engagement with these strategic partnerships.
• Develop and drive the annual account strategy at both a local and global level.
• Partner with internal business partners (e.g., Pricing, Legal, Servicing, Marketing, Finance, Risk and Network Operations) to negotiate contract renewals and lead all aspects of the merchant relationship.
• Drive optimization of contractual Marketing Funds to support charge volume growth and welcomed acceptance.
• Identify and build a pipeline of charge volume growth opportunities to increase profitability/ contribution margin of merchant relationships and improve merchant satisfaction.
• Partner across the network, Consumer, Global Commercial Services and other areas of the organization to identify and sell-in partnership growth opportunities, driving increased charge volume and enhanced customer experience.
• Deliver against quantifiable scorecard goals by leveraging American Express assets to drive AXP revenue while also meeting merchant needs.