Director of Engineering, Payments

As Director of Engineering for Payments, you'll lead the evolution of Upwork’s financial infrastructure, enabling seamless, reliable, and efficient transactions across a global marketplace. This is a unique opportunity to drive platform-wide impact by delivering exceptional payment experiences that empower freelancers and clients alike. You’ll guide globally distributed engineering teams, shape the future of Upwork’s payment architecture, and champion innovation in compliance, risk management, and emerging technologies, including Web3. Define and lead the technical strategy for Upwork’s Payments platform, aligning it with product vision, compliance, and user experience goals. Partner with cross-functional leaders in Product, Design, Legal, and Finance to deliver secure, scalable, and cost-efficient payment solutions. Oversee architecture modernization efforts to increase payment success rates, reduce transaction costs, and enhance system reliability. Drive the exploration and adoption of Web3 and decentralized finance solutions where they create real value for our users. Build and develop high-performing, inclusive engineering teams across geographies, instilling a culture of accountability, quality, and continuous learning. Champion data-driven decision-making and experimentation to optimize user journeys and support business outcomes. Ensure the Payments domain remains resilient, auditable, and compliant with global regulations and evolving financial standards.