Director of Merchant Marketing

At Early Warning, we've powered and protected the U.S. financial system for over thirty years with cutting-edge solutions like Zelle, Paze℠, and so much more. As a trusted name in payments, we partner with thousands of institutions to increase access to financial services and protect transactions for hundreds of millions of consumers and small businesses.

Positions located in Scottsdale, San Francisco, Chicago, or New York follow a hybrid work model to allow for a more collaborative working environment.

Candidates responding to this posting must independently possess the eligibility to work in the United States, for any employer, at the date of hire. This position is ineligible for employment Visa sponsorship.

The Director of Merchant Marketing will lead the strategy and execution of merchant-led marketing programs that drive consumer awareness, usage, and repeat behavior for Paze. This role will manage a team of marketers and is responsible for creating compelling creative, offers, and experiences-delivered through merchants-that make Paze feel valuable, intuitive, and habitual for consumers.

You'll operate at the intersection of brand, product, partnerships, and creative, shaping how Paze shows up at checkout and beyond to influence real consumer behavior at scale.

What You'll Do

Merchant-Led Consumer Growth Strategy

* Develop and lead merchant marketing strategies that drive consumer adoption, usage, and repeat transactions

* Define how merchants activate Paze through their owned channels and checkout experiences to influence consumer choice

* Identify high-impact moments across the consumer journey where Paze can be made more visible, relevant, and sticky

Creative, Offers & Activation

* Own the development of compelling creative concepts, value propositions, and offers that motivate consumers to choose and reuse Paze

* Partner with brand, creative, and UX teams to bring campaigns to life across merchant touchpoints (checkout, email, app, web, and in-store where applicable)

* Test and optimize incentives, messaging, and experiences that drive habituation over time

Go-to-Market & Program Leadership

* Lead go-to-market planning for merchant-facing consumer campaigns, product enhancements, and key moments (launches, seasonal pushes, promotions)

* Ensure merchant programs are easy to execute, on-brand, and scalable across different merchant types and platforms

* Balance consistency with flexibility so merchants can activate Paze in ways that resonate with their customers

Data-Driven Optimization

* Define and track KPIs focused on consumer usage, repeat rates, and engagement

* Use performance data, experimentation, and consumer insights to refine creative, offers, and activation strategies

* Partner with analytics and product teams to understand behavioral drivers and friction points

People & Cross-Functional Leadership

* Lead, mentor, and develop a team of merchant and consumer-focused marketers

* Set clear priorities, goals, and expectations while fostering a high-performing, collaborative team culture

* Act as the connective tissue between merchant partners, product, brand, design, and consumer marketing teams

* Bring merchant and consumer insights into roadmap and prioritization discussions

What You Bring

Required Qualifications

* Typically 12+ years of experience in marketing roles focused on consumer growth, activation, or lifecycle, ideally through partners or platforms

* Demonstrated experience managing and developing high-performing marketing teams

* Proven ability to develop creative strategies, campaigns, and offers that drive measurable consumer behavior

* Strong background in fintech, payments, digital wallets, ecommerce, or consumer technology

* Excellent storytelling and communication skills, with experience influencing senior stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications

* Experience driving consumer habituation or repeat usage for wallets, payments, or financial products

* Familiarity with merchant ecosystems (ecommerce platforms, PSPs, acquirers, networks)

* Experience working closely with design, UX, and brand teams

* MBA or equivalent experience a plus

The base pay scale for this position in:

New York, NY/ San…