Head of Payments & Financial Services

Why Vagaro? At Vagaro, we believe in fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment where every team member can thrive. Our culture is built on innovation, continuous learning, and a passion for making a positive impact. We support our employees' growth and vision for themselves, offering opportunities for professional development and career advancement. Join us and be part of a team that values creativity, teamwork, and a commitment to excellence. Plus, we know how to have fun while getting the job done!

About the Role: Vagaro is seeking a Head of Payments & Financial Services to lead and scale our payments and embedded financial services strategy. As the Head of Payments, you will drive the growth, innovation, and profitability of Vagaro’s payment processing solutions, lending programs, and financial products. You will play a pivotal role in expanding our fintech ecosystem, optimizing transactional efficiencies, and ensuring compliance within the evolving regulatory landscape.

• This position is onsite in Pleasanton, CA.*
  
  

Your Impact

• Payments Strategy & Execution
• Develop and execute Vagaro’s payments and financial services strategy, ensuring alignment with business growth objectives.
• Enhance and expand Vagaro’s payment processing capabilities, including POS, card-present, card-not-present, ACH, and digital wallet solutions.
• Drive merchant adoption of Vagaro's payment solutions, increasing revenue and retention.
• Lead efforts to optimize transaction processing efficiency, interchange management, and fraud prevention.
• Accountable for achieving the payment goals.
• Financial Products & Embedded Finance
• Develop and scale embedded finance solutions, such as instant payouts, business loans, and financial planning tools tailored for Vagaro customers.
• Establish partnerships with banks, card brands, financial institutions, and fintech providers to enhance Vagaro’s financial offerings.
• Identify new revenue opportunities in BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later), subscription billing, and capital lending.
• Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Lead a high-performing Payments & Financial Services team, including Product, Risk, Compliance, and Operations.
• Work closely with Product, Engineering, Marketing and Sales to enhance the merchant and consumer payment experience.
• Partner with Risk & Compliance to ensure all payment and financial services products meet regulatory and security standards.
• Report and present to executive leadership and the Board of Directors.
  
  

• Team Development & Leadership Growth
• Foster a high-performance culture by developing deep payments and risk domain expertise across the team while strengthening leadership bench depth. Invest in continuous learning, mentorship, and cross-functional collaboration to build versatile, empowered leaders. Establish a goals- and metrics-driven environment where roles and responsibilities are well-defined, success metrics are transparent, and every team member has a clear path for career growth and advancement.
  
  

• Operational Excellence & Business Continuity
• Drive operational resilience and scalability through robust systems, streamlined processes, and a culture of continuous improvement. Implement comprehensive business continuity planning to safeguard critical operations and ensure readiness in the face of disruptions. Design for redundancy across systems, processes, and tools to eliminate single points of failure, reduce downtime, and maintain service reliability. Prioritize automation, proactive risk mitigation, and data-driven decision-making to support sustainable, high-quality execution at scale.
  

What Sets You Apart

• 8+ years of leadership experience in payments, fintech, or financial services, with a proven track record of scaling products.
• Deep expertise in payment processing, merchant acquiring, interchange management, and embedded finance.
• Experience working with payment processors, card networks (Visa, Mastercard), and regulatory bodies.
• Strong understanding of risk management, fraud prevention, and compliance in financial services.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and collaborate with Product, Engineering, Sales, and Compliance.
• Strategic thinker with a data-driven approach to growth, pricing, and monetization.
• Experience in SaaS, SMB-focused financial services, or verticalized payments is a plus.
  
  

Why You’ll Love Working Here:

• Attractive Compensation & Performance Bonuses: Enjoy a competitive salary paired with performance-based bonuses
• Generous PTO: 15 accrued days, plus 10 company holidays annually.
• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive healthcare, dental, and vision plans for you and your family.
• Exclusive Perks: Discounts on attractions, theme parks, shows, sports events, movies, hotels, and more through TicketsAtWork.
• Beauty Perks: $30/month reimbursement for any Vagaro service, including health, beauty, or wellness treatments.
• Food Perks: $50 monthly stipend for our onsite microkitchen and a complimentary DoorDash DashPass subscription.
• Growth Opportunities: College Assistance Reimbursement, access to EAP & Work/Life Programs, and a LinkedIn Learning account.
• Financial Security: 401k program with 4% matching and optional life/supplemental insurance.
• Stay Active: Access to our on-site gym, flavored water dispenser, and basketball court to keep you fit and energized!
  
  

Compensation

Base Salary Range DOE: $190,000 - $250,000

Equal Opportunity Employer

Vagaro is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and affirmative action employer. We foster an inclusive environment where individuals are evaluated without discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by law.

Privacy Policy

Your privacy matters! At Vagaro, we are committed to protecting your personal information. Before proceeding with your application, please review our Employee and Applicant Privacy Notice here. By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you have read and understood our Privacy Notice, which outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information during the recruitment and employment process.

Learn More About Vagaro

Visit us at vagaro.com/pro and vagaro.com to learn more.