Strategic Partner Development Principal Lead

Strategic Partner Development Principal Lead Overview

This role sits within Google’s Global Partnerships organization and focuses on building, managing, and improving strategic relationships in the payments ecosystem. The position is centered on helping Google support payment transaction processing across its products and services, while also strengthening compliance, scalability, operational efficiency, and the overall user experience. The work is highly cross-functional and involves close collaboration with teams such as Finance and Legal, as well as ongoing engagement with external partners and industry stakeholders.

The role is based in either London or Dublin, and applicants are able to indicate their preferred location from those two options. The position is described as requiring someone who can take ownership of outcomes, make sound decisions in ambiguous situations, solve complex problems, and influence stakeholders with deep subject-matter expertise.

What you will do

• Advise Google product teams on EMEA payment methods, possible partner options, industry rules, and compliance expectations, while serving as the primary point of contact for difficult partner escalations involving financial, operational, technical, or regulatory issues.
• Lead the full partnership development process from start to finish, including preparing and managing requests for information, requests for proposal, and agreement negotiations.
• Build and maintain strong internal relationships across Google so that partnership planning is coordinated, comprehensive, and aligned with broader business goals.
• Oversee payment-processing relationships across a range of counterparties, including payment methods, payment service providers, banks, and network partners.
• Review partner scorecards, performance data, and assessment findings, then use those insights to support continuous improvement.
• Represent Google in strategic conversations with partners, networks, issuers, acquirers, and regulators to improve processing capability, compliance, and long-term sustainability in the market.
• Identify opportunities to improve the payments landscape across EMEA and actively champion those improvements.
• Shape partner strategy so that it supports Google’s product roadmap and keeps pace with emerging industry trends.
• Work with cross-functional teams, including Finance and Legal, to develop and manage partnerships that enable payment transaction processing for Google products and services.
• Operate effectively in a fast-moving environment, using strong investigative skills and close attention to detail to meet demanding deadlines.

What we are looking for

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
• At least 10 years of experience building and managing partnerships in payments within a regional market.
• Direct experience negotiating and securing payment-processing agreements or related ancillary service agreements with processors, issuers, acquirers, networks, or regulators.
• Experience working with partners in adjacent sectors such as identity verification, e-invoicing, or disbursements.
• A master’s degree or another advanced degree is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of regional processing regulations, operating rules, and standard agreement terms, along with the ability to understand business and technical requirements, evaluate cross-functional impacts, and assess new opportunities quickly and accurately.
• Ability to succeed in a dynamic, fast-paced team environment where priorities change and collaboration happens across time zones.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to extract practical insights from large payment-processing datasets and use those insights to improve partner processes.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels, both inside Google and externally.
• Fluency in French or Spanish is preferred to support collaboration with local stakeholders.
• English proficiency is required for all roles unless the posting explicitly states otherwise.
• The posting characterizes the ideal candidate as someone with advanced experience in owning outcomes, making decisions, handling ambiguity, influencing others, and applying deep expertise in the domain.

Compensation and benefits

• For Ireland, the listed base pay range is €144,000 to €148,000.
• The package also includes a 20% bonus target, equity, and benefits.
• Google directs candidates to learn more about its benefits offerings.
• Equity is described as discretionary and granted by Alphabet under the terms of the applicable stock plan and grant agreement.

Additional information

Google emphasizes its equal opportunity and affirmative action commitments and states that it aims to build a workforce that reflects the users it serves. The company notes that it does not accept agency resumes and will not pay fees for unsolicited submissions. Applicants are also told that information collected through Google Careers and any submitted applications is handled under Google’s Applicant and Candidate Privacy Policy.

The posting also includes Google’s standard statements about privacy, equal opportunity, accommodations for applicants, and the requirement for English proficiency across roles unless otherwise noted.

Degree Requirement: Not Specified

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