Program Manager, Payments

Our Fortune 100 financial services client is seeking an experienced Merchant Conversion/Payments Program Manager to lead a large-scale merchant portfolio conversion from a source platform to a target processing environment. The successful candidate will bring deep experience in merchant acquiring, payment processing, and program delivery, ensuring that conversion activities are executed with precision, transparency, and collaboration across all stakeholder groups.

This position requires a leader who can balance strategic oversight with hands-on project execution, effectively coordinating multiple workstreams across technical, operational, and business functions.

The Details:

• Location: Downtown Toronto, ON, CA or surrounding area (must be able to occasionally work onsite)
• Duration: Approximately a 16-month consulting role through Blend (must be able to work on Blend’s W2)
• Benefits: We do offer benefits to our full-time consultants, including Health, Vision, Dental, 401K plan, Life Insurance, Employee Assistance Programs, and an incredibly supportive team cheering you on!

What you’ll do:

• Manage end-to-end conversion program phases, including Discovery, Planning, Build, Testing, and Implementation/Cutover.
• Review and own the provided 18-month project schedule, defining the critical path, key milestones, and interdependencies.
• Establish program governance, executive committee reporting, and structured meeting cadences to ensure alignment and transparency.
• Oversee all merchant communications and coordination across internal teams, third parties, networks, and gateways.
• Coordinate and manage multiple workstreams, including:

• Merchant portfolio discovery and requirements documentation.
• Network connectivity and inbound/outbound file documentation.
• Data conversion mapping between source and target Masterfile and POS databases.
• Mock conversion testing and pre-implementation readiness assessments.
• Command center management during conversion weekend.
• Post-conversion support through the completion of the 16-month engagement.

• Lead and support workstreams related to large merchant certification activities and independent conversions.
• Oversee development efforts related to data mapping, file processing, and any custom code or configuration supporting the migration.
• Partner with operational teams, including customer service, relationship management, disputes, underwriting, and reconciliation, to ensure business continuity throughout the conversion.