Developer Advocate Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

At PPRO, we simplify access to local payments - providing a local payments platform that empowers giants like PayPal, Stripe, and Microsoft to connect with billions of consumers worldwide. We are on an ambitious, fast-paced mission to 3x our growth by 2028 - and we're just getting started.
Our magic lies in our team of proud payments nerds. Spanning over 50 nationalities across 10+ global locations, our diverse cultures aren't a checklist; they are the competitive advantage driving our innovation. This is a people-first, high trust environment where you'll have the autonomy to make a massive impact, own your work end-to-end, and grow through broad exposure, meaningful challenges, and continuous learning. We get things done, challenge respectfully, put the customer first, and recognise that our biggest successes are those we create as a team. If you're ready to leave your footprint on global commerce, join us.
The Purpose:
PPRO is looking for a Senior Sales Solutions Engineer to serve as the lead technical authority during the commercial lifecycle for major enterprise merchants, PSPs, and marketplaces. Based out of our Chicago office, you will bridge the gap between complex payment technology and strategic deal-making- connecting global clients to PPRO's network of Local Payment Methods (LPMs), modern unified APIs (GAPI), and Merchant of Record (MoR) solutions.
You will act as the trusted technical partner from initial pre-sales scoping and high-stakes RFP presentations through integration architecture, go-live, and initial post-live support before handing over to Implementation Management (IM) and Customer Success.
Our clients rely on PPRO for candid, expert guidance. You will be expected to challenge conventional thinking, simplify complex integration hurdles, and occasionally say "no" when it serves the long-term interest of both the client and PPRO.
What You'll Be Doing
1. Pre-Sales Architecture & RFP Leadership

• Technical Single Point of Contact: Lead technical engagement during the pre-sales process, representing PPRO in high-exposure merchant workshops and pitch meetings.
• RFP/RFI Technical Ownership: Own and author the technical, security, and architectural responses for enterprise RFPs and RFIs.
• The Strategic Bridge: Translate complex merchant business logic, checkout flows, and developer constraints into tailored technical solutions built on PPRO's services.

2. Platform Modernization & Solution Scoping

• Migration & Modernization Partner: Guide existing and prospective merchants through platform evolution-explaining the architectural advantages of migrating to our unified global platform (GAPI), adopting modern payment rails (such as Pix, iDEAL, or regional e-wallets), or leveraging our Merchant of Record (MoR) model.
• Developer Advocacy: Act as a peer to prospective engineering teams. Demystify payload logic, webhook handling, and integration workflows to remove technical friction early in the sales cycle.
• Product Feedback Loop: Serve as the technical voice of the customer internally, collaborating with Product, Engineering, and Commercial Ops to refine platform capabilities based on real-world merchant requirements.

3. Integration Scoping & Go-Live Enablement

• End-to-End Implementation Scoping: Define integration requirements, test payloads, and assist merchant developers using tools like Postman to ensure a seamless build out.
• Go-Live Support: Oversee technical testing and initial production transaction flows, providing business-hours escalation support during launch phases before handing off to TAM.
• Special Projects: Lead targeted technical initiatives to help long-standing customers adopt new PPRO products, payment methods, or regional connections quickly.

You'll Need to Have

• Experience: 5+ years of experience in a customer-facing solutions engineering, technical sales, or integration consulting role within payments, fintech, or e-commerce.
• Technical Aptitude: Strong hands-on experience working with REST APIs, webhooks, JSON payloads, and API testing tools (e.g., Postman, cURL). You don't need to be a full-stack developer, but you must speak the language of engineers.
• Payments Domain Knowledge: Deep understanding of global payment infrastructure, cards vs. local payment methods (LPMs), processing flows, authorization mechanics, and Merchant of Record / acquiring models.
• Commercial Presence & Candid Communication: Exceptional presentation skills with a proven track record of handling tough technical Q&A, managing technical conflict gracefully, and building long-term trust with technical and commercial executives.
• RFP Mastery: Proven ability to manage and deliver high-quality technical RFP responses under commercial deadlines.

Nice-to-Haves

• Scripting / Coding Ability: Working knowledge of a web-oriented programming language (e.g., JavaScript, Python, PHP, or Java) to review code samples or build quick proof-of-concept integrations.
• Cross-Border Expertise: Hands-on experience with cross-border e-commerce dynamics, local acquiring rails across the Americas, EMEA, or APAC, and regional checkout behaviors.
• Platform Migration Experience: Experience helping enterprise clients transition from legacy, multi-endpoint architectures to modern, unified APIs.
• Multilingual Skills: Fluency in additional languages (such as Spanish or Portuguese) is a plus.

What's in it for you?
Hybrid working - We offer a hybrid structure with a 3 days / week on site expectation, so you can strike the balance between office and home working. In addition to our 30-day holiday allowance, we also provide a work from abroad policy, enabling employees to work remotely for up to another 30 days per year
Learning and Development - We offer a 700 USD annual budget to support your professional growth-because investing in your development benefits us all. In addition, we provide leadership cafés, on-the-job training, and other opportunities to help you grow your skills and thrive in your role.
Insurance - we want our employees to benefit from various insurances including medical insurance (health, dental and vision), disability insurance, life insurance, and travel insurance.
Savings - We want our employees to be able to invest a portion of their wages and contribute to their savings- our Health Savings Account (HSA) and our 401k plan can help you lower your taxes, pay for health care more easily and even save for retirement.
Enhance Family Leave - We understand the importance of family - that's why we offer enhanced family leave to support you during key life moments.
Gym membership - PPRO helps contribute towards the costs of your gym membership, supporting your physical fitness journey while easing the burden on your wallet
Mental Health Platform - We've teamed up with a top well-being platform to provide one-on-one therapy, chat therapy, therapist-led courses, guided meditations, and more.
Our office - Our office is located in the iconic Civic Opera Building on North Wacker Drive, in the heart of the Chicago Loop, offering a prestigious setting along the Chicago River in one of the city's main business and cultural districts
Our Principles:
We get things done: We are courageous; we take ownership, make decisions and get things done.
We act with trust and integrity: We listen first and challenge respectfully. We seek out and leverage diverse perspectives. We welcome and offer honest and open feedback, always assuming positive intent
We put the customer first: We are laser focused on delivering outstanding outcomes for our customers. We put the customer at the heart of what we do.
We make things better: We boldly explore new ideas and have an unwavering commitment to continuous improvement.
We work as a team: We collaborate closely and value team success over individual achievement.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please refer to our Candidate Privacy Policy - https://www.ppro.com/candidate-privacy-policy/