Merchant Acquiring Operations Manager

Apply now »

Date: 21 Jul 2026

Location: Cheshire, GB, CH65 4HB

Company: essaroiluk

 

Location: Stanlow Manufacturing Complex, Ellesmere Port

Employment Type: Site Based Full Time Role 5 days per week Monday-Friday

  • Competitive salary
  • 10% company contribution pension
  • 25 days holiday, increasing with service
  • Private medical insurance
  • Additional flex benefits, including holiday purchase
  • Access to Employee Assistance Programme with exclusive access to a range of Discounts
  • Free secure on-site car parking

 

About the Company

Essar Retail Ventures Limited (ERVL) is the dedicated retail business being carved out from Essar Oil UK (EET Fuels) as part of the wider Essar Energy Transition strategy. The transition to establish ERVL as a standalone subsidiary is currently underway, creating a focused organisation responsible for operating, developing, and expanding Essar’s UK retail fuel network, including dealer‑owned (DODO) and company‑owned (CLDO/COCO) sites.
ERVL will enable a sharper commercial and operational focus as the Retail business continues to scale its network, enhance convenience offerings, deploy digital retail solutions, and support future-facing customer propositions. As part of Essar’s long‑term energy transition ambitions, ERVL will play a key role in delivering high‑quality retail experiences, network growth, and new mobility solutions across the UK.

Find out more: Redefining Energy | EET

 

About the Role

 

As Manager - Merchant Acquiring Operations, you will play a key role in establishing and managing EET Retail's merchant acquiring capability, supporting payment acceptance across our growing forecourt, convenience and fleet card network. You will be responsible for the day-to-day operational delivery of card payment services, ensuring a seamless, secure and efficient experience for merchants and customers.

 

Key responsibilities include:

  • Managing end-to-end merchant acquiring operations across the Retail network.
  • Overseeing merchant onboarding, KYC processes and payment terminal deployment.
  • Ensuring accurate transaction processing, settlement and reconciliation activities.
  • Managing chargebacks, disputes and payment-related operational issues.
  • Building strong relationships with payment service providers, banking partners and key stakeholders.
  • Monitoring operational performance, service levels and payment trends to drive continuous improvement.
  • Developing robust operational controls, processes and reporting frameworks.
  • Supporting payment innovation, automation and the rollout of new payment capabilities.
  • Contributing to the growth and profitability of EET Retail's payments strategy through operational excellence and customer-focused service delivery.

 

About You
 

You are an experienced payments professional with a strong understanding of merchant acquiring operations and a passion for delivering excellent customer and merchant experiences. You combine operational expertise with a commercial mindset and thrive in fast-paced environments where you can drive improvements and support business growth.

 

We're looking for someone with:

  • A degree in Business, Finance, Payments, Technology or a related discipline.
  • Experience within merchant acquiring, payment operations, PSP, fintech or PayFac environments.
  • Strong knowledge of the end-to-end card payment and acquiring lifecycle.
  • Hands-on experience in merchant onboarding, settlement, reconciliation, disputes and merchant support.
  • Experience managing operational controls, investigations and issue resolution.
  • Excellent analytical, problem-solving and process management skills.
  • Strong stakeholder management and communication capabilities.
  • A customer-focused mindset with a passion for continuous improvement.
  • High attention to detail and a strong focus on accuracy, controls and compliance.
  • Commercial awareness and confidence using data to drive decisions and performance improvements.
  • The ability to work effectively in a dynamic, evolving and growth-focused environment.
 
Application Process

This vacancy will be advertised for a minimum period of two weeks and will remain open to applications until an offer has been made and accepted. Therefore, the vacancy may close at any time after the 3rd of August 2026, and we encourage interested candidates to apply as early as possible.