Senior Analyst – Business Partnership (Merchant Ops)

About the role

This strategic operations position is designed for a builder‑strategist with a strong interest in how AI is reshaping merchant support and operations. Reporting to the Head of Operational Excellence, you will support Merchant Operations leadership across Merchant Care and Merchant Configuration, translating complex challenges into clear, decision‑ready narratives and identifying AI‑driven improvements.

Key responsibilities

• Build business cases for structural and technology changes, including cost‑to‑serve analysis, capacity modelling, AI investment sizing, and trade‑off frameworks.
• Develop the strategic narrative for evolving Merchant Operations from reactive support to a proactive, insight‑led success function.
• Own the AI opportunity roadmap, identifying where LLMs, autonomous agents, and intelligent automation can reduce manual handling and improve service capabilities.
• Evaluate AI vendor strategy, assess build‑vs‑buy decisions, trial new tooling, and build business cases for adoption.
• Partner with Data and Product teams to translate operational requirements into AI product direction and define performance metrics.
• Collaborate with Process Architects to embed automation and AI within workflow redesigns for Care and Config processes.
• Synthesize operational data, product roadmap changes, merchant feedback, and AI developments into coherent strategic views.
• Provide scenario‑based recommendations for headcount planning, geographic expansion, service tiering, and technology investment with explicit AI impact modelling.

Required profile

• 3+ years in strategy, operations, consulting, business operations, or a Chief of Staff role, preferably in fintech, payments, or B2B SaaS.
• Experience with merchant support or B2B service delivery environments, understanding contact volume, handle time, and merchant satisfaction.
• Proven ability to design operating models, including org design, service tiering, channel strategy, or workflow redesign.
• Strong curiosity about AI applications in support and operations, with ability to translate LLM and conversational AI developments into business opportunities.
• Experience evaluating or deploying AI/automation tooling in an operational context, including build‑vs‑buy decisions and vendor pilots.
• Exceptional communication skills, capable of producing board‑quality documents and presenting to senior audiences.
• Commercial instinct focused on cost‑to‑serve, contact avoidance, and merchant lifetime value.
• Analytical fluency to understand AI decision processes and critically assess model outputs.