Job Title: Head of Operations

Industry: Payments

Location: Remote

Salary: Up to £85,000

Contact: tommy.harris@forsythbarnes.com

About Us

Our client is a dynamic and rapidly growing fintech company specializing in payment processing, digital transaction solutions, and credit services. With a deep commitment to innovation, security, and customer-centric design, the organization is on a mission to transform how individuals and businesses manage, move, and access money. From real-time payment platforms to scalable merchant solutions, they are at the forefront of shaping the future of payments infrastructure.

Job Description

The Head of Operations – Payments is a strategic leadership role responsible for driving operational excellence across all payment-related functions. The successful candidate will play a critical role in refining and scaling payment operations, ensuring frictionless transaction processing, and leading the organization’s efforts to deliver secure, reliable, and compliant payment experiences. This role requires a forward-thinking leader with a deep understanding of the payments landscape, from card networks and acquiring to real-time and cross-border payments.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and optimize end-to-end payments operations, including transaction processing, settlement, dispute resolution, and reconciliation.
• Develop and implement operational strategies that support the organization’s payments growth objectives and product roadmap.
• Ensure the reliability, scalability, and regulatory compliance of all payment systems and processes.
• Build and manage high-performing teams across payments operations, risk management, and compliance.
• Collaborate closely with product, engineering, risk, and compliance teams to launch and scale new payment products and features.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for payments success, driving improvements in speed, accuracy, and cost-efficiency.
• Cultivate strong relationships with payment networks, banks, vendors, and other ecosystem partners.
• Stay ahead of regulatory changes and payment industry trends to guide the organization’s operational strategy.

Requirements

• Extensive experience in payments operations, preferably within fintech, merchant acquiring, card issuing, or payment processing platforms.
• Proven ability to lead operational strategy and large-scale process improvements in a payments environment.
• Strong understanding of the technical and regulatory nuances of domestic and international payments (e.g., card networks, ACH, real-time payments, wire, SWIFT).
• Exceptional leadership and people management skills with a track record of building high-performance teams.
• Data-driven and process-oriented mindset with excellent analytical capabilities.
• Experience with vendor management, system migrations, and scaling operations in a fast-paced environment.
• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, operations, or a related field (advanced degree a plus).