Merchant Operations Manager

We function as a hybrid organization, actively hiring across North America. While we embrace remote work, we prioritize candidates who can frequently contribute from our San Francisco office.

Job Summary:

Forage is seeking a Merchant Operations Manager with a deep understanding of government benefits programs, particularly EBT and SNAP, to drive end-to-end operational excellence, accelerate merchant onboarding, and champion customer success. In this role, you will act as a key partner to our grocery platforms, grocers, and retailers, streamlining integrations, reducing government-related delays, and driving strategic account management to enhance merchant loyalty and revenue growth. By enabling merchants’ to quickly and effectively serve SNAP customers, this role directly supports Forage's mission to expand food access and drive transformative impact. This position requires a proactive, strategic thinker capable of optimizing processes, identifying new growth opportunities, and collaborating cross-functionally to solidify Forage's position as the preferred EBT partner.

Key Responsibilities:

Government Benefits Expertise:

• Serve as the subject matter expert on FNS guidelines, EBT/SNAP regulations, and government onboarding requirements, ensuring compliance across all stages of the customer journey.
• Guide internal teams and customers through FNS policies, conducting research and providing insights that streamline the approval process.

Onboarding & Strategy:

• Lead strategic merchant onboarding initiatives to accelerate the integration and launch process, reducing FNS approval time and driving early revenue gains.
• Execute go-to-market strategies for SNAP/EBT integrations, from business model analysis to production testing, ensuring smooth, scalable onboarding experiences.
• Continuously refine and optimize onboarding playbooks, focusing on process improvements that drive efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Customer Success & Account Management:

• Act as the primary point of contact for strategic retail partners, ensuring strong relationships and alignment on business objectives throughout the entire partnership lifecycle.
• Drive post-launch customer success by implementing initiatives that support merchant engagement, optimize EBT revenue, and foster long-term retention.
• Lead proactive support and training efforts, empowering partners to maximize their EBT programs and meet growth targets..

Project & Stakeholder Management:

• Collaborate with Marketing, Revenue (formerly Business Development), and other internal teams to align on strategies that enhance merchant engagement and investment beyond the onboarding phase.
• Manage project timelines, communicate updates effectively, and serve as an escalation point for operational and technical issues.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Revenue (formerly Business Development)to leverage data to analyze customer performance, identify pain points, and develop strategic recommendations that contribute to Forage's growth and differentiation in the market.

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement:

• Champion process improvements by streamlining internal workflows, driving tooling enhancements, and anticipating industry trends to maintain a competitive edge.
• Utilize a data-driven approach to identify and execute new initiatives that support Forage’s mission of becoming the go-to partner for EBT solutions.

Technical & Integration Support:

• Provide hands-on support for technical integrations, collaborating closely with product and engineering teams to ensure seamless SNAP/EBT implementations.
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues promptly, minimizing disruptions to customer operations and enhancing the overall partner experience.

Qualifications:

• Proven experience (5+ years) in operations, strategy, or program management, ideally with experience working at a high growth fintech, in government programs, or in the grocery industry.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and grow relationships with large-scale accounts, including developing strategic account plans, aligning on shared goals, and driving successful outcomes.
• Strong project management skills with experience managing complex cross-functional initiatives.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to navigate and manage internal and external stakeholders.
• A track record of process improvement and optimization, with a data-driven approach to decision-making.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, remote work environment.

Our Offer:

• Your base salary would fall within the bands below. Please keep in mind that the equity portion of your offer is not included in these numbers and represents a significant part of your total compensation.
• Compensation:$65k-95k USD base + equity + benefits
• Meaningful work that makes a positive impact on our society.
• 100% of Medical, Dental and Vision premium coverage for yourself and dependents. 
• A remote-first work environment with opportunity for onsite meetings.
• A fun and caring environment that prioritizes transparency, growth, and ownership.
• A talented, diverse, high-achieving, and humble team with diverse backgrounds and viewpoints.