B2B Client Manager

In this high-profile role, you will be responsible for maintaining and growing business within a portfolio of high-value B2B merchants, differentiating American Express’ value and building relationships for the long term.  

You will need to develop an in-depth understanding of the B2B merchant environment, marketplace and clients, through excellent relationship management skills.  You will negotiate and influence client decisions and develop and execute strategic account plans linked to customer priorities and strategies.  

Core responsibilities: 

• Maintain and grow the day-to-day relationships between American Express and a portfolio of accounts in the B2B sector. Deepen existing relationships, and build new ones, to identify new opportunities and maximise customer satisfaction across the whole spectrum of the relationship. 

• Driving increased discount revenues via a combination of increased Amex business volumes & products whilst maintaining tight control over discount rates 

• Working closely with the merchants to ensure all trading locations/business brands are warmly accepting Amex Cards 

• Driving up merchant satisfaction levels via constant emphasis of the value of the relationship, and proactively identifying and solving for areas of potential dissatisfaction within the relationship, in partnership with the relevant internal teams. 

• Ensuring compliance with all risk, legal and compliance policies. 

• Renegotiate commercial agreements that maintain or grow Amex profit margins, drive increased business volumes, and grow merchant satisfaction, ensuring that they are signed in line with all American Express processes and policies. 

• Work closely with World Service teams to ensure the highest quality of servicing is maintained, and all technical and financial issues are resolved quickly and efficiently. 

• Build awareness and knowledge of American Express capabilities and assets to identify opportunities for the merchant to benefit, either through increased sales or decreased costs.   

Required Skills and Experience 

• Stakeholder engagement and management, gained through work with external clients or partners in a B2B environment. 

• Experience managing the end-to-end negotiation process with clients or external partners. 

• Communicating effectively with stakeholders at all levels, including C-Suite, both internally and externally. 

• Inclined to be curious and a natural problem-solver. 

• Ability to operate independently with a high level of resilience. 

• Comfortable managing challenging conversations. 

• Able to identify key customer objectives and be able to translate financial data and other information into strategies. 

• Strong analytical and strategic thinking abilities together with experience of using complex data analysis. 

Preferred Experience 

• Value-based sales experience is highly desirable. 

• A demonstrable track record in managing complex, key account portfolios, influencing key decision makers at every level of the customer’s organisation. 

• Merchant Acquiring experience. 

• B2B client management within the Payments industry.