Senior Principal Account Executive

Powering the world’s payments ecosystem

ACI powers the payments ecosystem – globally, and you power ACI.  You’ll innovate, collaborate, and grow – in an energetic technology culture with decades of proven success.  ACIers – in all roles and levels – are truly your colleagues and many are your friends. Our size and reach allow you to see the global impact of your work. You are visible, your talents are valued, and you are empowered to shape the future of payments.

As a Senior Principal Account executive in the UK, you will join a diverse, passionate team, dedicated to powering the world’s payments ecosystem!

This purpose of this Senior Principal Account Executive is:

Own the account strategy, executive engagement model and commercial growth plan across complex, multi-business organisations. Success requires the ability to navigate Tier 1 banking structures, understand how influence and investment decisions move across business units, functions and geographies, and build durable relationships from operational stakeholders through to C-suite sponsors.

This is a pan-solution role covering licensed technology and software-as-a-service offerings. It combines the stewardship of established relationships with a strong new-business mandate: identifying whitespace, shaping relevant propositions, cross-selling into new divisions and use cases, and converting client priorities into sustainable sales and revenue growth. The role champions a 'One Team' mindset, mobilising colleagues across ACI to deliver outcomes that strengthen customer satisfaction, loyalty and long-term partnership value.

A typical day at ACI for a Senior Principal Account Executive is:

• Own the overall commercial relationship and strategic account plan for a defined portfolio of ACI's largest and most complex UK banking and payments clients, with accountability for retention, growth, customer satisfaction and loyalty.

• Build deep client intimacy by developing a first-hand understanding of each client's ambitions, pressures, culture and measures of success, and use that insight to make ACI the payments technology provider of choice with direct relevance to the client's strategic agenda. 

• Develop a detailed understanding of each client's organisational structure, strategy, operating model, technology landscape, investment priorities and decision-making processes; maintain current stakeholder maps that show formal authority, informal influence and relationships across divisions, functions and geographies.

• Navigate complex Tier 1 organisations with confidence, creating access to senior decision-makers while building a broad, resilient network of executive sponsors, business leaders, technology stakeholders, procurement partners and operational teams.

• Create and execute multi-year account strategies that define client outcomes, growth priorities, competitive positioning, relationship gaps, risks, whitespace opportunities and clear actions for ACI's account team.

• Build trusted, value-based relationships by leading with the client's business challenges and desired outcomes rather than product specifications; bring relevant market insight, constructive challenge and a clear point of view to senior client conversations.

• Create the conditions for strategic customers to become proud lighthouse clients for ACI by aligning on shared outcomes, visibly demonstrating value and ensuring that the relationship showcases the best of both organisations. 

• Develop and execute account-level advocacy and referenceability plans, securing appropriate client participation in case studies, peer references, executive forums, industry events and other market-facing activities.

• Recognise, evidence and celebrate joint success with clients, converting strong delivery and measurable outcomes into greater trust, broader executive sponsorship and new growth opportunities across the organisation. 

• Identify, qualify and progress expansion opportunities across ACI's portfolio, connecting needs across account-to-account payments, card processing, merchant payments, fraud management and related services where relevant to the client.

• Build and maintain a high-quality, balanced pipeline; provide accurate forecasts, account updates and risk assessments, and maintain disciplined records in ACI's customer relationship management system.

• Lead the virtual account team across Solution Consulting, Product Management, Client Delivery, Customer Success, Support, Marketing, Finance, Legal and executive leadership, creating clarity of ownership and alignment around the client's priorities.

• Coordinate executive sponsorship and governance for each strategic account, ensuring that senior engagement is purposeful, well prepared and connected to agreed client and commercial outcomes.

• Represent the voice of the customer, translating client feedback, market developments and emerging requirements into actionable input for product strategy, service improvement and future growth opportunities.

• Protect the existing business by anticipating commercial, delivery and relationship risks, coordinating timely resolution, and ensuring that challenges are managed transparently without losing sight of the wider strategic partnership.

• Lead commercial negotiations for renewals, expansions and new agreements, balancing client value, long-term partnership health, revenue growth and appropriate commercial discipline.

• Represent ACI externally with credibility at client forums and relevant industry events, strengthening ACI's position as a trusted payments partner.

• Understand and adhere to all corporate policies to include but not limited to the ACI Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience needed to succeed in this role: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in relevant studies with 12+ year relevant experience.  
• Significant executive-level strategic account management or enterprise sales experience in banking, financial services technology, payments or a closely related sector.
• A sustained record of growing major, complex accounts through relationship expansion, cross-selling, new opportunity creation and successful closure of high-value, multi-stakeholder agreements.
• Demonstrable experience navigating Tier 1 banks, processors, merchant acquirers or comparable multinational organisations, including matrixed structures, multiple buying centres, formal governance and complex procurement processes.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships at multiple levels, including with C-suite and senior executive stakeholders, while maintaining strong engagement with business, technology, operations, risk, procurement and commercial teams.
• Strong strategic account planning capability, including stakeholder mapping, whitespace analysis, opportunity qualification, competitive strategy, account governance and risk management.
• Commercial acumen and the ability to translate client strategy, industry change and operational challenges into outcome-led propositions and measurable business value.
• Working knowledge of the banking and payments market, including relevant technology trends, buyer priorities, regulatory drivers and competitive dynamics.
• Ability to understand and position complex business and technical solutions clearly, adapting the message for executive, commercial, operational and technical audiences.
• Excellent negotiation, influencing, presentation and written communication skills, with the judgement and presence to represent ACI in high-stakes client situations.
• Disciplined sales leadership, including accurate forecasting, pipeline management, opportunity planning and use of customer relationship management tools.
• Ability to lead through influence across a global, cross-functional organisation, creating momentum and accountability without relying on direct authority.
• Behavioural must-haves include integrity, customer focus, commercial judgement, curiosity, courage, collaboration, resilience and personal accountability.
• Established senior-level network across UK Tier 1 banking, card issuing, merchant acquiring, payment processing or related sectors.
• In-depth knowledge of one or more of the following: account-to-account payments, high-value payments, card processing, merchant payments, fraud management, payment orchestration or software-as-a-service delivery models.
• Experience managing strategic relationships that span several client divisions, brands, legal entities or international markets.
• Experience developing executive account governance, joint value plans or multi-year transformation roadmaps with major clients.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Experience needed for this role: 

Core Capabilities:

We seek colleagues who embody our core capabilities — these shape our culture and enable us to make a meaningful impact together:

• Ensure Accountability: holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.

• Drives Results: consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances.

• Customer Focus: building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.

• Cultivate Innovation: creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful.

• Collaborates: building partnerships and working collaboratively with others.

• Courage: stepping up to address difficult issues, saying what needs to be said.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. This position does not offer sponsorship for employment visa status or work permit now or in the future.

In return for your expertise, we offer opportunities for growth, career development, and a competitive compensation and benefits package—all within an innovative and collaborative work environment.

Are you ready to help us transform the payments ecosystem? To learn more about ACI Worldwide, visit our web site at www.aciworldwide.com Job ID (Requisition #20094)

ACI Worldwide is an AA/EEO employer in the United States, which includes providing equal opportunity for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities, and an EEO employer globally.

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Job seekers should be aware of ongoing recruitment scams where individuals or organizations impersonate legitimate companies to offer fake job opportunities. These scams often involve requests for personal information, payments, or interviews through unofficial channels. Please be cautious and verify any communications claiming to be from our company (www.aciworldwide.com / @aciworldwide.com). The ACI Worldwide recruitment team will always follow official channels and will never request payment.

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