COO - Financial Services

Location: Canada or Europe. Full remote

This is a contractor role; you will be invoicing us monthly and handling your own taxes.

Background

Exciting opportunity for an experienced COO to join our growing fintech Vellis. You will play a crucial role in ensuring our operations are effective and compliant as we optimize our payment processing offer and launch new accounts, payments, and FX services to SMBs in Canada and Europe.

If you have operations management experience in payments or banking, we want to hear from you.

Role

The COO is responsible for operational strategy and optimization of performance. The role includes ensuring that technology is implemented correctly, operations are effective, and Vellis meets compliance obligations to regulators and business partners.

We will be focused on working with clients who are high-risk industry SMBs, ensuring their needs are met while maintaining compliance and operational efficiency.

• The role is ideal for someone with strong planning skills, experience in payments or banking, and a hands-on approach.
• Reports to CEO.

Responsibilities

• Technology: Ensuring that payment gateway, core banking, and supporting systems are implemented and operate effectively.
• Client Service: Establish an in-house or outsourced client service capability able to resolve requests with high automation.
• Back Office: Ensure operations and compliance activity follows approved policies and procedures.
• Compliance: Ensure Vellis meets its reporting obligations to FINTRAC (MSB), Bank of Canada (PSP), payment acquiring (PCI), and banking partners.
• Growth Strategy: Ensure technology and operations are scalable as Vellis adds new payment options, financial services, clients, and markets.
• Business Partner: Liaise with suppliers and colleagues to ensure partners receive good experiences and are aware of priorities and plans.
• Sales approach: You will have a proactive sales mindset, always prepared to engage in the sales process and approach new clients if needed.

Requirements

Skills and experience include:

• Proven experience in supporting a CEO in a scaling technology business.
• At least 5 years experience in a COO or senior role in payments – merchant services, issuing, acquiring or processing – or banking.
• Experience with high-risk industry SMBs.
• Ability with enterprise financial technologies.
• Skills creating effective back office and client-facing operations.
• Diligent in the analysis, planning, and monitoring of activities.

Interpersonal skills:

• Hands-on approach, at C-suite and operational level.
• Brings a can-do attitude, energy, and creative solutions to challenges.
• Self-starter capable of working remotely in a fast-paced environment.

Nice to have:

• Experience with Canadian (MSB or PSP) or Payments (PCI) regulatory compliance.
• Additional language skills.