SENIOR TECHNICAL PRODUCT MANAGER

About Us

The European Payments Council (EPC) is a leading financial sector association dedicated to the standardisation and harmonisation of electronic payments across 41 countries and territories. The EPC develops and manages key European payment schemes, including SEPA Credit Transfer, SEPA Instant Credit Transfer, One-Leg Out Instant Credit Transfer, and SEPA Direct Debit (Core and Business-to-Business), as well as payment-related schemes such as Verification of Payee (VOP), SEPA Payment Account Access (SPAA), and SEPA Request to Pay (SRTP). These schemes serve millions of citizens and businesses across SEPA every day. In addition, the EPC operates the EPC Directory Service (EDS), a pan-European directory designed to foster reachability and interoperability for API-based payment schemes. Our Mission is to promote European payments harmonisation and integration through innovative payment schemes and standards. Our Organisation is a dynamic and agile organisation, coordinating payment experts and working closely with market participants, regulators and overseers.

Position Overview

We are looking for a Senior Technical Product Manager / Senior Technical Architect to join our team and contribute to the design, development, and evolution of EPC payment schemes and supporting platforms. In this strategic and hands-on role, you will help define technical architectures, API specifications, implementation frameworks, and product evolution for key EPC initiatives such as VOP/EDS, FRIDA, SPAA, and related certification and interoperability tools. You will work in an international and highly collaborative environment, engaging with top technical experts from EPC member organisations and contributing to the development of resilient, secure, and future-proof payment solutions for the European market.

Key Responsibilities

Technical design and architectures

• Contribute to the design and evaluation of payment and payment-related schemes’ architecture, ensuring scalability, resilience, interoperability and secure API Integration.

• Assess the performance and robustness of IT infrastructure and technical frameworks supporting payment schemes.

• Identify and mitigate risks related to infrastructure, cybersecurity, and fraud, including vulnerabilities and attack vectors.

• Define and validate security requirement and ensure alignment with relevant standards and regulations

Technical specifications

• Deliver and maintain EPC schemes’ functional specifications and translate them into technical specifications and implementation guidelines as necessary, leveraging industry standards such as RESTful APIs, ISO 20022, JSON, YAML, XML, etc.

• Identify gaps, inconsistencies, and risks related to functional and technical specifications and propose corrective actions.

• Define and support testing activities, including validation of specifications, interoperability testing, and implementation consistency checks.

• Defining, maintaining and supporting API sandboxes and self-certification tools offered by the EPC to its participants

• Support API quality assurance processes through OpenAPI/YAML validation, contract testing, API mocking, and automated consistency checks integrated into the API lifecycle.

Product Management and Secretariat’s role

• Monitor and interpret technical, cybersecurity, and regulatory developments impacting EPC schemes like VOP, FRIDA, SPAA, etc.

• Contribute to maintain and evolve the EPC schemes, potentially through a Secretariat role in the frame of relevant EPC Working Groups and Task Forces 

• Provide expert input on technical topics related to payments, ISO standards, APIs, system architecture, and cybersecurity.

• Engage with and assertively challenge technical experts to ensure sound, secure, and future-proof technical solutions.

• Review transaction data statistics and technical performance indicators to detect anomalies, confirm system reliability, and propose system enhancements.

Why Join Us

• A unique opportunity to shape and influence the European payments ecosystem

• Direct exposure to and interaction with EU authorities and key market stakeholders

• A challenging senior role within a highly respected international organisation setting standards for the EU payments sector

• Collaboration with leading experts in payments and EPC schemes

• A competitive compensation package, aligned with experience and profile

Position Requirements

• Minimum of 12 years of professional experience in the relevant competence areas.

• Demonstrated technical leadership skills and experience in driving technical project teams and/or working groups

• Demonstrated working experience on API architecture and design, and underlying security frameworks including OAuth2, mutual TLS (mTLS), OpenAPI-based specifications, and related trust and security frameworks (e.g. eIDAS, QWAC/QSealC, etc.).

• Strong understanding of distributed IT system architectures and design principles.

• Demonstrated knowledge and/or experience in cybersecurity, including secure system design, risk assessment, and common threat vectors.

• Knowledge of EPC and SEPA schemes and underlying or related standards (e.g. ISO 20022, Open Banking / Open Finance APIs).

• High level of autonomy, strong sense of ownership, and ability to drive and prioritise technical topics independently.

• Knowledge of eIDAS 2.0 EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW) architecture and technical specifications, is considered a plus.

• Experience in the application of AI within the financial industry, as well as emerging technologies such as tokenisation and blockchain, is considered a plus.

• Master’s degree in software engineering, Data Analysis, Cybersecurity or equivalent

General Requirements

• Fluency in English (C1 or above) is required

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365

• Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines

• Excellent team working attitude in a multicultural team environment

• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

• High level of professionalism, discretion, and confidentiality

• Proactive and solution-oriented attitude

• Ability to work legally in Belgium and to work on-site at EPC Brussels’ office

• NOTE: the position is not suitable for a remote job.

Recruitment Process

Our recruitment process is designed to be transparent and efficient:

• 15-minute introductory call with the HR Manager - A short conversation to get to know you, discuss your background, and align on expectations.

• 60-minute interview with the Technical Product Management Team - An in-depth discussion focused on your technical skills, experience, and approach to legal matters.

• 60-minute meeting with the Director General - A final conversation to assess cultural fit, business alignment, and long-term potential.

We accept applications until June 12th 2026.