Lead, Interac Debit

Position: Payments, Lead, Interac Debit
** Payments Lead
** At Interac, we design and deliver products and solutions that give Canadians control over their money so they can get more out of life. But that’s not all. Whether we’re leading real-time money movement, driving innovative commerce solutions like open payments for transit systems, or making advancements in new areas like verification and open banking, we are playing a key role in shaping the future of the digital economy in Canada.

As Payments Lead, you will drive the technical direction and delivery of high-quality software solutions aligned with the Product’s strategic objectives and roadmap. You will provide technical support for Interac Corp. Debit products and services, including mobile payment projects, and ensure full understanding of functional, security, and design specifications.

We are seeking a seasoned leader with a strong software development background and deep expertise in payments infrastructure to oversee the Inter Member Network (IMN) network (POS, ATM and Mobile). This role combines technical leadership, product innovation, and operational excellence, ensuring our payment platforms remain secure, scalable, and future-ready
** Key Responsibilities
**** Strategic & Technical Leadership
*** Define and execute the roadmap for IMN Debit payment network and tokenization service.
* Lead modernization initiatives, API-driven architectures, and cloud-native solutions.
* Partner with engineering teams to design, build, and optimize payment services, transaction routing, and settlement systems.
* Lead the technical direction and delivery of high-quality software solutions that are aligned with the Product’s strategic objectives and roadmap.
* Lead planning, development, performance, and maintenance of software applications
* Collaborate with business stakeholders to gather requirements and deliver technical insights
* Collaborate with banks, card networks, and fintech partners to expand capabilities.
* Develop, enhance, and maintain technical specifications for payments solutions
* Review architecture and design; recommend frameworks and support deployment activities
* Coordinate release management and build deployments in test environments, working with Dev Ops, platform, networking, and DBA teams
* Serve as the main technical contact for application vendors
* Support client integration testing
* Recommend process improvements based on industry standards and best practices
** You’re great at…
*** Oversee transaction processing, clearing, and settlement across IMN and POS ecosystems.
* Ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks (PCI-DSS, PSD2, NACHA, EMV standards).
* Drive adoption of emerging payment technologies (real-time payments, tokenization, digital wallets, contactless, QR-based payments).
* EMV payments
* API software development
* Hands-on experience with
** ISO 8583/ISO 20022
** messaging formats.
* Knowledge of
** switching,*
* ** acquiring, issuing, and merchant services**.
* Exposure to
** API-first payment platforms
** and
** open banking frameworks**.
* Database processing and ability to write complex SQL queries will be an asset
* Cryptography knowledge will be an asset
* Experience in client end-to-end implementation
* Guide teams in building scalable microservices, APIs, and integration layers for payments.
* Champion Dev Ops practices, CI/CD pipelines, and secure coding standards.
* Bachelor’s/master’s degree in computer science, Engineering, Finance, or related field.
* 10+ years of experience in
** payments technology**, with at least 5 years in leadership roles.
* Strong background in
** software development** (Java, .NET, Python, or similar) and system architecture.
* Proven track record in managing
** large-scale payment systems** (IMN, POS, card networks, ACH, real-time payments).
* Deep understanding of
** transaction lifecycle, authorization, clearing, settlement, and reconciliation**.
* Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
* Familiarity with security protocols, encryption, and identity management in payments.
* Proven technical expertise in large scale/enterprise Java product delivery.
* A strong analytical mindset…