NZ Merchant Acquisition Lead

You Lead the Way. We’ve Got Your Back.

With the right backing, people and businesses have the power to progress in incredible ways. When you join Team Amex, you become part of a global and diverse community of colleagues with an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities and each other. Here, you’ll learn and grow as we help you create a career journey that’s unique and meaningful to you with benefits, programs, and flexibility that support you personally and professionally.

At American Express, you’ll be recognized for your contributions, leadership, and impact—every colleague has the opportunity to share in the company’s success. Together, we’ll win as a team, striving to uphold our company values and powerful backing promise to provide the world’s best customer experience every day. And we’ll do it with the utmost integrity, and in an environment where everyone is seen, heard and feels like they belong.

Join Team Amex and let's lead the way together.

The NZ Merchant Acquisition lead is an individual contributor role will be instrumental in continuing to redefine acceptance via converting NZ merchants that don’t currently accept Amex. Our mission is to deliver sustainable profitable growth for the market, closing out key acceptance opportunities to support a heathy Network and improved Coverage. In addition to identifying emerging prospects and supporting key inbound leads you will work from a targeted list of named prospects identified as key acceptance priorities.  This exciting role provides a great opportunity for an experienced BD professional to thrive and shine through overperformance in an inclusive, supportive, and collaborative team.

This role will suit a driven sales professional with a passion to drive positive commercial outcomes and make an impact in their role. As an individual contributor your expected to be a self-starter, proficient in driving outcomes with both warm leads and first contact approaches.

How will you make an impact in this role? 

• Conduct detailed research to establish a thorough understanding of a merchant’s business, the industry sector, financial background & performance, understand key partners, our acceptance and value with direct competitors as well as any prior interaction with Amex either as a prospect or a merchant.


• Develop new and creative card acceptance commercial propositions.


• Develop a clear contact & signing strategy including key external stakeholders for your named prospects, prioritising short, medium, and long-term opportunities.


• Work closely in partnership with multiple key Amex stakeholders


• Be able to expertly articulate a sales proposition to key strategic prospects as well as preparing highly tailored, professional, and compelling value led sales decks.


• Actively manage your pipeline, focusing on deal progression and driving momentum through all stages of the sales cycle.


• Manage the onboarding process including customer due diligence, KYC and AML

Minimum Qualifications

• Proven track record of over performance in a corporate sales environment


• Experience in selling both B2C and B2B payment solutions


• Face to face commercial sales experience, preferably in financial services


• Ability to navigate prospect organizations and to influence multiple stakeholders


• Experience in data insight led self-generation strategies


• Proven experience in selling to C suite in corporate companies


• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills


• Strong commercial acumen and understanding of P&L construct


• Contract negotiation including financial incentives


• Excellent presentation skills


• Strong rapport building and networking capabilities


• Understanding of risk factors affecting commercial deal negotiation


• Be highly computer literate. Skilled at using all Microsoft Office Programs esp. Excel, PowerPoint, Word as well the ability to learn and use other Amex systems.


• Previous Merchant or bank acquiring experience and/or working in the broader Payments sector would be a distinct advantage

We back our colleagues and their loved ones with benefits and programs that support their holistic well-being. That means we prioritize their physical, financial, and mental health through each stage of life. Benefits include:

• 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 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.