Senior Payments Data Optimization Analyst

Job Description

Job Description

Who are we?

Optimized Payments is the only fintech firm purpose-built to find and unlock value wherever it resides in our portfolio's payment ecosystem. We've assembled a team with deep expertise across payments specialties to develop a proprietary analytics platform that finds actionable insights. We are an Atlanta based 17-year-old, and growing, company looking for talented individuals who want to grow with us.

Our client portfolio includes Fortune 500 firms such as Apple, Staples, Safeway, Priceline, AutoNation, and the U.S. Postal Service.

Who are you?

Are you a strategic mastermind and part organizational guru looking to join a fintech? Look no further! Optimized Payments is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Payments Data Optimization Analyst to join our growing team.

OP is seeking an innovative and dedicated individual committed to both serving our customers and having fun! Driven, with an entrepreneurial spirit and a heart for fintech. We're looking for someone who wants to make a significant impact on the Company, Clients, and your Career. At Optimized Payments, our people embrace these qualities, so if this sounds like you then please read on!

The Role:

The Senior Payments Data Optimization Analyst serves as the technical business liaison between Optimized Payments' consulting team and internal Data Engineering and Data Science partners. The role focuses on transaction-level data, aggregated data, reporting accuracy, and performance optimization across our client base.

Approximately 75% of the role partners with technical teams on data quality, analytics, and optimization initiatives, with 25% supporting client-facing insights and consulting discussions across platforms such as Fiserv, Chase, Stripe, Adyen, Worldpay, etc.

While this is a hybrid position based in Atlanta, you will have the opportunity to work remote primarily.

Responsibilities:

Data Quality, Normalization & Governance

• Identify, track, and escalate data discrepancies or integrity issues impacting analytics, KPIs, client reporting, and analysis.
• Support data normalization efforts of authorization, clearing, settlement, and fee data across multiple processors, gateways, and client data sources.
• Partner with data engineering teams to define data requirements, schemas, and transformation logic for payment analytics requirements and improve data pipelines.
• Contribute to and maintain documentation of data definitions, KPI logic, and calculation methodologies.
• Assist in maintaining consistent reporting standards and governance controls across clients.
• Validate reporting outputs and ensure alignment between source transaction data and downstream dashboards.
• Review source-to-target mappings, schemas, and transformations to ensure accuracy of downstream reporting.

Payments Performance & Optimization

• Analyze transaction, authorization, decline, fee, and network data to identify optimization opportunities for existing clients.
• Monitor and report on key payments KPIs (e.g., authorization rates, interchange impact, routing performance, fraud indicators).
• Develop data-driven recommendations to improve payments performance and reduce cost for our clients.
• Support testing and performance initiatives for clients (e.g., routing strategies, retry logic, tokenization adoption, configuration changes).
• Quantify impact of optimization initiatives and track performance over time.

Client Support & Insights

• Prepare client-facing reporting and performance summaries using our proprietary analytics platform.
• Translate complex payment and operational data into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Support consulting discussions with analytical context, benchmarking, and scenario modeling.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Technology, Data Engineering, Product, and Client teams to implement and measure optimization initiatives.
• Help define business requirements for reporting enhancements and data improvements.
• Document findings, assumptions, and measurable outcomes of optimization efforts.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field such as Finance, Statistics, Economics, or Computer Science.
• 3–5 years of experience in payments, analytics, finance, consulting, or related field.
• Experience with card payments, interchange, authorization strategies, or network data is required.
• Strong analytical skills and experience working with large datasets.
• Proficiency in SQL and experience with BI tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, Looker).
• Ability to communicate insights clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong attention to detail and structured problem-solving approach.
• Knowledge of credit card scheme regulations, disputes, and chargeback processes.
• Familiarity with payment gateways, processors, or fraud tools, including cross-border and local payment methods.
• Deep understanding of how these systems interconnect and the resulting impact on credit card payment success.
• Understanding of A/B testing or performance experimentation frameworks.

What we offer:

For Full-time Optimized Payments employees, we're offering the following benefits and perks

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Stock Options
• 401(K) Plan
• Generous PTO + Paid Holidays
• Opportunity to be part of a dynamic, fast-growing company that will double in size in two years.
• Hybrid work environment with flexibility to work from home 3 days a week.
• A collaborative and inclusive company culture where your ideas are valued.
• Free onsite covered parking and access to a full gym with showers.

Employment Equity

Optimized Payments strongly supports equal employment opportunity for all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by provincial and/or federal law. Accommodations for candidates with disabilities are available on request during all aspects of the recruitment and selection process. If accommodation is needed during the recruitment and selection process, please contact us and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs.