Set the vision and long-term strategy for Upwork’s global payments and financial infrastructure, aligning with company-wide objectives and board-level outcomes
Lead a multi-functional organization responsible for payment rails, payout orchestration, regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, and customer experience
Identify and scale global payment partnerships across acquiring, disbursing, and embedded finance—ensuring resilience, speed, and customer delight
Drive the adoption of AI-powered payment solutions and automation to reduce costs, enhance decision-making, and improve customer outcomes
Serve as executive sponsor for critical financial partnerships, vendor relationships, and compliance frameworks across jurisdictions
Navigate a complex regulatory landscape and ensure Upwork remains ahead of evolving global fintech requirements and risk standards
Deliver measurable outcomes tied to margin optimization, transaction costs and losses, and the optimal balance between payment success rates and net transaction loss, while ensuring experience quality
Build, mentor, and inspire a high-performing leadership team within the Payments function, reinforcing a culture of excellence, innovation, and cross-functional alignment

Proven executive leadership experience owning global payments, payout systems, or embedded finance platforms at scale—preferably within a two-sided marketplace or fintech environment
Deep understanding of financial systems, cross-border payment rails, wallet infrastructures, and regulatory dynamics across key regions (e.g., US, EMEA, APAC, LATAM)
Track record of driving strategic transformation, product portfolio management, and executing through complex, matrixed organizations
Proficiency in leveraging AI to optimize financial workflows, increase operational efficiency, and accelerate partner evaluation or integration processes
Ability to influence at all levels, from board to technical teams, and to balance long-term strategic vision with near-term executional excellence

VP, Payments

Key skills