Job Description:

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Senior Manager of Payment Systems plays a pivotal role in overseeing the comprehensive management of payment processing solutions for Scholastic Book Fairs. This position is responsible for the end-to-end process of planning, developing, procuring, launching, and maintaining payment solutions, which includes hardware, software, and services for Scholastic’s network of 35,000 Point of Sale Terminals as well as online payment systems. 

In this role, the Senior Manager will collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure projects align with business objectives and regulatory requirements. They will create and maintain a cohesive roadmap for both in-person and online payment solutions, acting as a subject matter expert on payment systems. This involves providing expert guidance and support to internal teams, customers, and partners. 

The Senior Manager will manage payment processing solutions that are critical to Scholastic's Book Fairs operations, handling approximately $600 million in sales from 100,000 fairs annually. Given the complexity and unique nature of Scholastic’s business model, the solutions must be user-friendly to accommodate the predominantly volunteer staff, including teachers, librarians, and parents. 

Ideal candidates will possess a deep understanding of the payment processing ecosystem (including hardware, software, services, and compliance) and demonstrate the ability to integrate these solutions with Scholastic’s distinctive requirements. This role demands a driven individual with the ambition to execute effectively on the strategic roadmap and manage ongoing operational excellence. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Own Strategic Roadmap for Scholastic Book Fair’s Payment Processing Solutions 

• Establish and Lead Steering Committee: Form and lead a steering committee comprising business, finance, and technology stakeholders to guide product planning and roadmap development. 

• Industry Awareness: Stay informed about advancements in payment processing, including Point of Sale (POS), mPOS, softPOS, and online payment solutions. 

• Vendor Management: Take charge of creating and managing RFPs (Requests for Proposals) and selecting vendors for payment processing solutions. 

• Technology Evaluation: Conduct Proof of Concept (PoC) and technology evaluations to support and refine the strategic roadmap. 

• Business Case Development: Collaborate with business, finance, and technology peers to develop compelling business cases for investments in payment technology solutions. 

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with product, engineering, sales, marketing, support, finance, and other relevant teams to define requirements, prioritize features, and achieve consensus on project scope and timelines. 

Backlog Prioritization: Manage and prioritize the backlog, including negotiating priorities across multiple stakeholders. 

Payment Processing Roadmap Execution & Delivery 

• Project Management: Oversee project delivery for payment processing solutions, managing budgets and ensuring adherence to financial constraints. 

• Requirements Development: Collaborate with product owners, tech leads, and business analysts to develop comprehensive user stories and functional requirements. 

• Development Oversight: Supervise development efforts, coordinating between internal teams and external vendors to ensure timely and effective execution. 

• Work Environment: Foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment to drive team performance and project success. 

• Quality Assurance: Establish and maintain rigorous quality assurance processes for payment systems and POS deployments. Work with quality engineers and product owners to design test plans and acceptance criteria. 

• Compliance Management: Partner with compliance teams to ensure solutions meet relevant legal and security standards, such as PCI DSS and EMV. 

• Budget Advocacy: Advocate for necessary funding and manage the budget to support project and operational needs. 

• Risk Mitigation: Implement effective risk mitigation strategies, making informed trade-offs to ensure timely delivery of products and features within budget while maintaining product integrity. 

• Stakeholder Communication: Proactively communicate project status and updates to internal and external stakeholders, including executive-level communications.

Manage Point of Sale Vendors Solutions (hardware, software and services)