Principal Program Manager – Remote-First

Be part of a movement to change the way Europe pays

In today’s digital Europe, payments still feel too complicated. Random delays, confusing rules, extra apps and accounts make it harder than it should be to pay and get paid.

The European Payments Initiative is changing that with Wero, a proudly European digital wallet that makes payments easier, clearer and more secure-online, in store, at home and across borders, with your money and data protected under European laws and regulations.

Wero is live in Belgium, France and Germany and launching very soon in Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Backed by 16 major banks and the two largest European acquirers, we’re building a brand-new, proudly European payment system. Why not join us?

What’s in it for you

• Help turn Europe’s interoperability ambition into concrete execution across products, engineering teams and external payment schemes.

• Work on a high-impact, pan-European initiative that connects major payment ecosystems and supports European payments sovereignty.

• Combine strategic program leadership with hands-on delivery in a complex, evolving environment-without being limited to coordination and reporting.

At EPI, we embrace a remote-first culture, enabling our teams to work remotely from the country they are based in, with in-person meetings at least once a quarter to foster collaboration and connection.

About the team

You’ll join Product, Engineering & Experience (PEX), working at the centre of EPI’s EU Interoperability program. You will collaborate closely with the dedicated interoperability team, Product and Engineering teams, PEX Finance, EPI Finance, Legal, Compliance, the CEO Office and Market Roll-out, as well as external bridge companies and payment schemes.

This is a Principal-level role for an experienced program leader who can create structure in ambiguity, build trust across organisations and drive outcomes without relying solely on formal authority.

Your impact

• Lead the EU Interoperability program end to end by translating EPI’s strategic ambition into an executable plan with clear milestones, dependencies, risks, decision points and ownership.

• Drive delivery across PEX by identifying blockers early, engaging the right stakeholders and ensuring Product and Engineering teams deliver against agreed interoperability commitments.

• Align products and solutions by connecting interoperability requirements, product capabilities and delivery implications across products, markets and partner schemes.

• Coordinate external partners such as Bizum, Bancomat, Vipps and SIBS, translating external agreements into clear internal actions and managing cross-organisation dependencies.

• Own program governance and communication through concise decision papers, presentations, conceptual documents, summaries, stakeholder updates and well-maintained program artefacts.

• Manage the PEX EU Interoperability program budget, including internal and external costs, forecasts and actuals, together with PEX Finance and the EPI Finance team.

Technology stack

• Microsoft Office 365 / MS Office

• Jira and Confluence

• Slack

• Miro

• Video conferencing tools

• Task and action-tracking tools

To succeed, you should meet at least 70% of these requirements

Must have

• 9+ years experience leading complex programs, ideally at Principal level or equivalent.

• Fluent English (CEFR C1 or C2); French, German, Dutch or other European languages are a plus.

• Ability to thrive in a remote-first, multicultural and highly collaborative environment.

• Complex program management: strong experience leading cross-functional programs involving multiple Product, Engineering and business stakeholders; able to establish structure, plans and governance and drive execution without direct authority.

• Digital product and technology understanding: solid understanding of digital product development and technology organisations, with the confidence to work effectively with Product Managers, Engineers and technical leaders.

• Stakeholder and partner management: excellent communication, facilitation and relationship-building skills, including experience navigating senior internal stakeholders and external partner organisations with different priorities and ways of working.

• Hands-on execution: highly proactive and execution-oriented, comfortable moving between strategic discussions and detailed operational work such as planning, documentation, presentations and action tracking.

Nice to have

• Payments and interoperability knowledge: experience in payments, fintech, banking or interoperability is a strong advantage; very good payment product knowledge will help you succeed.

If this looks like you, the recruitment steps are:

• A first call with one of our recruiters.

• A job-specific skills interview focused on program leadership, stakeholder management, digital product and technology understanding, and hands-on execution.

• A stakeholder interview with one of our Head of product

• A final interview with the the CPTO.

• Hopefully, an offer you can’t refuse.

Turn back if …

• You prefer to act primarily as a coordinator or meeting facilitator rather than owning outcomes.

• You wait for Product, Engineering or leadership to provide structure and next steps.

• You are uncomfortable engaging with technical and product discussions or connecting dependencies across teams.

• You escalate problems without first trying to drive resolution and align the relevant stakeholders.

• You prefer governance and reporting to hands-on execution, planning, documentation and follow-through.

• You are looking for a highly structured environment with little ambiguity or changing priorities.

What we can offer

• Remote-first culture with quarterly and annual all-staff in-person meetups to keep teams connected and collaborative.

• Possibility to work from another EU country for up to 3 months per year.

• Competitive compensation package, featuring salary, performance-based bonus and a thoughtfully designed, high-quality benefits program.

• The opportunity to be part of a pan-European company building a European payment system.

• Learning & development budget: €5,000 training budget per year.

Otherwise, apply!

Our commitment to equal employment opportunities

EPI offers the same job opportunities to all, without distinction of gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, social status, disability or age. EPI promotes the development of an inclusive work environment that mirrors the diversity of the clients our product is serving.