Financial Advisor & Mentor (Contractor)

Payle

Actively Hiring

AI agents act. Payle makes them pay

Financial Advisor & Mentor (Contractor)

Payle is building the financial infrastructure layer for the AI agent economy. Our platform enables AI agents to transact under human-defined rules through programmable spending policies, deterministic authorization, and a verifiable transaction ledger. We are building at the intersection of fintech, payments, financial infrastructure, and artificial intelligence. As the market evolves, we want to ensure that our product is grounded in a deep understanding of financial systems, industry practices, market structure, and regulatory considerations.

The Role

We are looking for an experienced Financial Advisor & Mentor to work directly with the founders and help Payle navigate the financial industry. We have a strong technical foundation and understand the technology behind what we are building. We are looking for someone who can complement that expertise with deep financial industry knowledge: the theories, frameworks, market dynamics, business models, and established practices that shape how financial institutions and payment systems operate.

This is an advisory role, not an operational finance position. Your primary responsibility will be to help us understand the industry, challenge our assumptions, identify opportunities, and make better-informed strategic decisions as we build Payle.

Key Responsibilities

• 1. Financial Industry Education & Mentorship

• Help the founding team develop a deeper understanding of financial markets, payment systems, financial infrastructure, and fintech business models.

• Explain the financial concepts, industry frameworks, and established practices relevant to Payle's product and market.

• Provide context on how banks, payment processors, card networks, fintech companies, and other financial institutions operate.

• Help the team understand the incentives, constraints, risks, and decision-making processes of key industry participants.

• 2. Market Research & Industry Insights

• Help map the financial infrastructure ecosystem and identify relevant market segments.

• Explain current market dynamics, emerging trends, competitive landscapes, and potential opportunities.

• Identify the key problems financial institutions and businesses face that Payle could address.

• Help us understand how the emergence of AI agents may affect payments, authorization, risk management, and financial operations.

• Recommend relevant industry reports, research, frameworks, and resources.

• 3. Product & Business Strategy

• Advise the founders on product positioning, use cases, and potential business models.

• Challenge product assumptions and help assess whether proposed solutions address meaningful financial industry problems.

• Help prioritize customer segments, potential partnerships, and market entry opportunities.

• Provide feedback on our product roadmap from a financial industry and commercial perspective.

• 4. Risk, Compliance & Industry Practices

• Help us identify relevant financial risks, operational considerations, and regulatory questions.

• Explain the practical implications of compliance requirements and industry standards relevant to our business.

• Help identify where specialized legal, compliance, or regulatory advice may be necessary.

• This role does not replace qualified legal or regulatory counsel.

• 5. Founder Mentorship & Advisory Sessions

• Hold regular advisory sessions with the founding team.

• Answer questions and provide guidance as new market and product challenges arise.

• Review strategic decisions, business assumptions, and relevant research.

• Introduce useful analytical frameworks and help the team develop independent judgment about the financial industry.

• Provide candid feedback based on real-world experience.

• What We're Looking For

• Significant experience in fintech, payments, banking, financial infrastructure, financial services, or a closely related field.

• A strong understanding of how financial systems work in practice, supported by a solid grasp of the underlying concepts and industry frameworks.

• Experience in a relevant role, such as financial services executive, payments specialist, fintech founder, financial infrastructure expert, strategy consultant, or senior industry advisor.

• The ability to explain complex financial concepts clearly to a technically strong team that is building in a new market.

• Strategic thinking, intellectual curiosity, and a willingness to challenge assumptions.

• A practical, hands-on advisory style focused on helping an early-stage startup learn and make progress.

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work with a remote, international team.

• Experience with payments infrastructure, payment orchestration, card issuing, merchant acquiring, transaction authorization, risk management, or emerging AI-driven financial products is particularly relevant.

• Engagement & Compensation

• Independent contractor engagement.

• Flexible, part-time commitment based on agreed deliverables and advisory sessions.

• Direct collaboration with the founders.

• Compensation based on experience, expected time commitment, and the scope of the advisory relationship.

• Potential for a longer-term advisory relationship as Payle grows.

• What Success Looks Like

• Within the first few months, the advisor should help Payle build a clearer understanding of the financial industry and its underlying frameworks.

• Identify the most relevant market segments, customer problems, and use cases.

• Make more informed product and business strategy decisions.

• Understand key financial industry risks, constraints, and commercial considerations.

• Develop a structured knowledge base and research process that the team can continue using independently.

About the company

Payle

Actively Hiring

AI agents act. Payle makes them pay

San Francisco

11-50

Consumer Financial Services

Financial Services

Fin Tech

Founders

Mattia Ciuni Founder

San Francisco