Operations Manager - Card Acquiring

ZipRecruiter; London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job description

Job Description

A trusted provider of financial services, Financial House offers multi-currency, comprehensive solutions that are swift, efficient, and adhere to global security standards. As a Principal member of MasterCard, Visa, and UnionPay, our advanced API provides seamless integration with essential payment systems SEPA, Faster Payments, BACS, CHAPS, and SWIFT.

Proudly, we were recognized as one of Europe's 1,000 fastest-growing companies by the Financial Times and Statista in 2022.

We’re looking for a proactive Chief Operating Officer to join our team! If you have a keen eye for detail and are passionate about ensuring operational excellence in the Fintech & Payment industry, we invite you to join Financial House Limited.

Role Overview:

We are seeking a visionary and results-driven Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead our Card Acquiring business within the Bank. This senior executive will be responsible for overseeing the end-to-end operations of the card-acquiring division, ensuring seamless merchant onboarding, transaction processing, compliance, risk management, and customer service excellence. The COO will play a pivotal role in shaping and executing the growth strategy, operational excellence, and digital transformation of our acquiring services.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute the card-acquiring business strategy in alignment with the Bank’s overall goals
• Identify new market opportunities, partnerships, and merchant segments to drive acquiring volume and profitability
• Lead the expansion of the acquiring portfolio, including e-commerce, POS, QR payments, and omni-channel solutions
• Oversee the operational lifecycle of acquiring services, including merchant onboarding, transaction authorization, clearing & settlement, chargebacks, and dispute resolution
• Drive operational efficiency through automation, technology integration, and lean process design
• Ensure high service levels, system uptime, and operational resilience
• Collaborate with Compliance and Risk teams to ensure adherence to regulatory requirements, card scheme rules, and internal policies
• Support implementation of fraud prevention, AML monitoring, merchant risk scoring, and due diligence processes in coordination with relevant teams
• Promote strong internal controls and governance frameworks across acquiring operations
• Collaborate with IT, product, and digital teams to evolve the acquiring platform and support innovation in payment acceptance
• Champion digital transformation initiatives and adoption of emerging technologies (e.g., softPOS, tokenization, contactless, real-time payments)
• Build and maintain strong relationships with card schemes, payment processors, fintech partners, and regulators
• Act as a key spokesperson and subject matter expert for acquiring strategy and performance in internal and external forums

Qualifications & Experience:

• 8+ years of progressive leadership experience in card acquiring, merchant services, or payments within a bank or financial institution.
• Strong understanding of acquiring infrastructure, card scheme operations, merchant onboarding, interchange/pricing, and risk controls.
• Proven track record of leading high-performing teams, scaling operations, and driving digital transformation.
• In-depth knowledge of regulatory requirements (e.g., PCI-DSS, AML, KYC) and scheme compliance.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and commercial acumen.

Key Competencies:

• Strategic Thinking & Vision
• Operational Excellence & Execution
• Strong Risk & Compliance
• Leadership & Team Development
• Innovation & Customer Focus
• Data-Driven Decision Making