Director of Payment Operations

About

Fora is the modern travel agency, empowering anyone with a passion for travel to build a thriving advisory business. We're modernizing the $100B+ travel agency industry by combining powerful technology, data, and community to enable thousands of entrepreneurs to build on our platform. Our business-in-a-box platform gives travel entrepreneurs everything they need to launch and scale, from cutting-edge tools and personalized training to a vibrant community and exclusive industry partnerships. At the heart of it all is our mission: to help the next generation of travel entrepreneurs turn their love for travel into a fulfilling career, whether full-time or part-time. We believe that everyone, from seasoned professionals to first-time advisors, can build something both profitable and personal.

Founded in 2021 by seasoned entrepreneurs, Fora has grown steadily since, expanding to a team of 200+ full-time employees based in downtown New York City. In 2025, we announced our $60 million Series B and C investment rounds, led by Thrive Capital and Insight Partners, with participation by previous investors including Forerunner and Heartcore Capital. We've also been recognized as a LinkedIn Top Startup 2024, Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies 2025 and 2023, and Built In 2025 Best Places to Work.

Director, Payment Operations

We are seeking a Director, Payment Operations to lead the evolution of our advisor-facing financial operations, ensuring that as advisors grow their businesses, their financial experience matches the quality of every other part of the Fora platform. Reporting to the Director of Product Operations, this role leads the Product Operations Payments function, which owns booking ingestion, commission tracking, and advisor payouts. The role also serves as the primary operational partner to Finance across accounting, supplier-facing operations, and compliance.

• Lead the end-to-end operational quality of booking ingestion, commission tracking, quality assurance, and advisor payout execution, continuously improving accuracy, timeliness, and operational consistency.
• Identify, prioritize, and implement process improvements and automation opportunities that reduce manual effort, eliminate recurring exceptions, and improve the advisor experience.
• Own the operational partnership with Finance, including establishing clear escalation paths for supplier disputes, invoice corrections, and compliance matters while ensuring seamless collaboration across teams.
• Partner closely with Product and Engineering to define operational requirements for advisor-facing earnings and payout tools, advocate for scalable solutions, and surface operational issues that require technical investment.
• Represent Payment Operations in cross-functional planning, ensuring priorities are aligned across Product Operations, Finance, Product, Engineering, and the broader business.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team across headquarters and the Philippines, fostering strong collaboration, consistent execution, and clear accountability across the organization.
• Establish and monitor key operational metrics across bookings and payouts, building reporting frameworks that provide leadership with visibility into performance, accuracy, timeliness, and exception trends.
• Analyze operational data to identify root causes, recommend improvements, and drive informed decision-making across the business.

Requirements

• 8 to 12 years of experience in operations, preferably within a marketplace, fintech, payments, travel, or other high-growth technology environment.
• Experience in consulting or investment banking is valuable but hands-on operational leadership is the priority.
• Demonstrated success balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution while driving operational excellence and end-to-end ownership of outcomes.
• Experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives and influencing partners across Finance, Product, Engineering, and Operations.
• Strong analytical capabilities with experience defining KPIs, building operational reporting, and using data to drive decisions and continuous improvement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively across a wide range of audiences, from frontline operations teams to executive leadership.
• Strong judgment and the ability to make thoughtful decisions in fast-moving, ambiguous environments while knowing when to escalate risk.
• Experience managing and developing high-performing teams with a strong focus on coaching, accountability, and operational excellence.

Compensation

Compensation for this role varies based on experience, with an indicative range of $185K–$210K + equity. Final compensation will depend on the level at which the candidate is hired, as we’re considering multiple levels for this role.

• Unlimited vacation
• Health Insurance (including an option completely covered by Fora HQ)
• Dental & Vision Insurance
• Wellhub Memberships
• 401k plan with company match
• Commuter Benefits
• Supplemental Life Insurance
• Stock Options

Work Authorization

Authorization to work in the United States is required for full-time roles based in our New York City office. Fora is unable to sponsor or assist with U.S. work authorization. Roles based outside of the United States are not subject to this requirement.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Fora is committed to an equitable hiring process and an inclusive work environment. BIPOC and traditionally underrepresented candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We will not discriminate and will take action to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or any other characteristic protected by law.