Card Scheme Team Lead

Unlimit is a global fintech ecosystem built to eliminate financial borders holding businesses back. The company provides the extensive infrastructure needed to scale globally, integrating payment processing, multi-currency business accounts, BaaS and crypto gateways into a single, intelligent platform. Across 17 offices globally, Unlimit bridges hyper-local expertise with a high-capacity financial network, giving companies the agility to expand across regions with operational confidence and speed. Driving the evolution of payments, Unlimit is transforming its infrastructure from human-operated fintech into AI-native financial infrastructure — where APIs are consumed by machines, integrations are negotiated by agents, and systems evolve continuously through intelligent automation. Our next users are not only humans. They are AI agents acting on behalf of humans and businesses. Unlimit serves more than the needs of businesses today; we are building the nervous system for a borderless global economy. Senior payments professional with 5+ years of experience in card schemes and acquiring with a strong focus on building and strengthening strategic partnerships with global card schemes (Visa, Mastercard, UPI, Discover, etc.). Proven ability not only to ensure compliance, technical and operational excellence, but also to actively develop relationships, increase company visibility, and position the business as a trusted and proactive partner within the card scheme ecosystem (MasterCard & Visa and other). Experienced in representing the company in external engagements, driving collaborative initiatives, and aligning internal strategy with scheme priorities. Fluent English – must.1. Card Scheme Relationship Development & Representation Act as a key relationship owner for major card schemes, strengthening long-term partnerships beyond operational Drive initiatives to increase visibility of the company within Visa, Mastercard and other schemes Proactively engage with scheme representatives to identify collaboration opportunities and strategic initiatives Represent the company in external meetings, workshops, and scheme events, ensuring strong brand positioning Build trust-based relationships to facilitate smoother approvals, waivers, and support from schemes Identify opportunities for participation in:1. pilot programs2. scheme-led initiatives3. innovation projects2. Scheme Project Management Serve as the primary liaison with global card schemes and payments-related partners, managing day-to-day tasks and ongoing communication To lead and coordinate implementation projects involving card schemes, ensuring alignment across teams on a global basis Develop and maintain policies, procedures, and control frameworks to ensure ongoing adherence to card scheme regulations and industry standards Engage regularly with internal stakeholders to translate scheme requirements into practical solutions Provide guidance and ongoing assistance to internal teams, including Underwriting, Account Management, PSP, Processing around Card Scheme rules and requirements Effectively document business/technical requirements and understand operational processes This is a dynamic, cross-functional, and key role in working with some of the key payment schemes such as Visa, MasterCard, China Union Pay, JCB, American Express, Discover, and other local smaller nimble players. 3. Scheme Mandates & Compliance Monitor Bulletins, Mandatory Changes, and Global Releases Ensure timely implementation of scheme requirements across teams Translate scheme rules into internal processes and technical requirements Maintain internal policies, procedures, and control frameworks Support ongoing and targeted compliance monitoring against Card Scheme rules Ensure ongoing compliance with card scheme mandates, proactively managing risks and securing waivers when deadlines cannot be met Respond to non-compliance notifications raised by Card Schemes 4. Automation (AI) of Scheme Processes Design and implement automation for:a. mandate trackingb. impact assessmentc. ticket creation and routing Reduce manual workload in:d. compliance monitoringe. reportingf. certification tracking Develop internal tools:o AI assistants for scheme documentationo Smart search across Visa/Mastercard and other rules 5. Certification & Product Launches Lead end-to-end certification:o Acquiring & Issuing card productso 3DS / tokenizationo Apple Pay / Google Pay Coordinate processors, vendors, and scheme stakeholders• 5+ years of experience with Card Schemes, Merchant Acquiring, PSP • Strong knowledge of Visa/Mastercard rules, with specific experience in Card Not Present Payments • Proven ability to navigate Card Scheme relationships and compliance issues • Ability to convince colleagues and stress the importance of compliance requirements to protect our brand • Solid communication skills, specifically you will be able to connect with a variety of internal and external stakeholders and merc