Strategic Relation Manager

At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. As part of Team Amex, you'll experience this powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career.

Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express.

The Partner Management team within GM&NS manages a range of important partners across Europe with the aim to grow the American Express merchant coverage footprint through the use of merchant recruitment and servicing models.

This position within the Partner Management team is responsible for managing key merchant recruitment and processing partners in the Nordic and Baltic region. The role presents an exciting opportunity for a successful business development professional to shape and execute the merchant coverage strategy in these countries.

The role will report to the Head of Nordic & Baltic Partner Management.

Key responsibilities:

• Direct management of external recruitment and processing partners in Nordics and Baltics and responsible for all aspects of Partner Management including:

• Accountability for delivering  key business metrics - including number of merchants, volume, and revenue.

• Driving the partner(s) to deliver targeted business from engaged and active merchants

• Providing consultancy to the partner(s) to ensure that best practices are shared and employed by them as well as driving key activities across all partners as part of the wider Partner Management team.

• Ensuring that partner practices are aligned to contract via direct project and process management.

• Managing updates and revisions to the contracts for commercial as well as regulatory purposes.

• Delivery of training to partner sales teams on the American Express Value Proposition and how to grow Amex acceptance with prospective Merchants.

• Potential new partner(s) - if required - research and identify new partner(s) including the negotiation of commercial and contractual terms.

• Stakeholder Management – in addition to working closely with internal business stakeholders across the American Express matrix organization, the role requires a high degree of alignment within internal departments.

• Providing strategic thought leadership in developing and deploying future acquiring and pricing strategies to deliver improved Amex coverage across the region.

• Ensuring up to date knowledge of the external acquiring landscape, anticipating changes and deploying appropriate actions.

Required qualifications:

• Fluent proficiency in Swedish and English. Any other Nordic language is a plus. 

• Track record of managing external partners and driving results through commercial relationships.

• Strong commercial acumen with a strategic perspective and the ability to create and implement the vision for the portfolio.

• Prior negotiations exposure gained through complex cross-market projects.

• Excellent communication skills and able to synthesize complex data in to manageable actions.

• Excellent influencing skills with ability to interact with internal and external audiences across all levels.

• Strong Process and Project Management skills, with experience of tracking task level activities.

• Ability to build and leverage internal and external relationships with experience of working through a complex matrix structure.

• Proven self-starter with the ability to work independently and in a team environment.

• Attention to detail and analytical.

• Highly resilient, able to drive results in challenging business environments.

• High degree of cultural sensitivity.

• Able to travel up to 25%25 of the time.

Employment eligibility to work with American Express in Sweden is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.

We back you with benefits that support your holistic well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:

• Competitive base salaries 

• Bonus incentives 

• Support for financial-well-being and retirement 

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits (depending on location) 

• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need 

• Generous paid parental leave policies (depending on your location) 

• Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location) 

• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program 

• Career development and training opportunities

Offer of employment with American Express is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background verification check, subject to applicable laws and regulations.