Chief Operating Officer

# Chief Operating Officer (COO) ## Company Overview *Not specified* ## Job Summary # Chief Operating Officer (COO) ## About the Role The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will be responsible for **owning and scaling the organisation’s operational engine**. This is a hands-on, operations-first leadership role requiring deep expertise in **automation, compliance, risk management, operational controls, and large-scale execution**. The COO will work closely with the CEO and executive leadership team to build **scalable, technology-driven operating models** that support rapid growth, operational excellence, customer outcomes, and financial performance. The role provides an opportunity to expand beyond functional leadership into **broader business and P&L ownership**, based on performance and business readiness. ## Responsibilities - **Operational Leadership:** Develop and execute strategies, systems, processes, and performance metrics across operational functions to support business growth. - **Build Scalable Models:** Design scalable operating models to support increasing customers, products, transactions, and revenue. - **Operational Excellence:** Establish SLAs, operating metrics, quality standards, controls, and governance mechanisms. - **Process Optimisation:** Improve productivity, cost efficiency, turnaround times, accuracy, operational reliability, and customer outcomes. - **Banking, Payments & Credit Operations:** Oversee transaction processing, settlements, reconciliations, payment issues, disputes, chargebacks, credit servicing, repayments, and collections. - **Compliance & Risk Management:** Oversee KYC, customer verification, transaction monitoring, fraud operations, complaints, and regulatory controls. - **Automation & Process Excellence:** Drive AI-enabled automation, workflow optimisation, and technology-led process improvements in partnership with Product, Engineering, and Data teams. - **Hyper-Growth & Forward Planning:** Translate business and product objectives into actionable operational plans and build readiness for new products, customer segments, and partnerships. - **Customer & Commercial Outcomes:** Drive improvements in customer satisfaction, retention, service quality, resolution times, product reliability, and cost-to-serve. - **Leadership:** Lead and develop VPs, Directors, and Senior Managers while building a high-performance culture centred on ownership, data, speed, customer outcomes, and continuous improvement. ## Qualifications - **18+ years of overall experience**, including significant senior operational leadership experience. - Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Engineering, or a related field; **MBA from a Tier 1 business school preferred**. - Proven leadership experience in **hyper-growth FinTech, digital-first financial services, or consumer technology**. - Strong career progression across **Core Operations, Business Operations, Banking Operations, Payments, Credit, Compliance, Risk, Process Excellence, or Automation**. - Demonstrated success in scaling **large, complex, technology-enabled operations**. - Strong understanding of **automation, AI-led operations, compliance, KYC, fraud, risk controls, and process improvement**. - Experience managing multiple functions and leading senior leadership teams. - Strong understanding of **operational budgets, unit economics, cost-to-serve, and customer outcomes**. - Experience within an **international financial-services ecosystem** is strongly preferred. ## Preferred Skills - Deep expertise in **automation, AI-enabled operations, and operational risk & compliance**. - Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills. - Strategic and data-driven approach to decision-making. - Ability to operate effectively in a **fast-paced, high-accountability environment**. - Experience building and leading high-performance teams. - Familiarity with **financial-services partnerships, banking relationships, payments ecosystems, and regulated operations**. ## Experience - **18+ years of relevant experience**, including senior leadership roles across Operations, FinTech, financial services, or consumer technology. - Experience scaling **complex, regulated, and technology-enabled operations at scale**. - Prior experience influencing or owning a **business P&L** is advantageous. - **Founders, former founders, and professionals from top-tier consulting backgrounds** with strong subsequent operating leadership experience may also be considered. ## Operating Environment - Fast-paced, high-growth and technology-led environment. - Strong emphasis on **cross-functional collaboration, ownership, and execution**. - The role will involve managing senior internal stakeholders as well as external partners across the financial-services ecosystem. - The ideal leader should be comfortable operating with **high accountability, speed, and data-driven decision-making**. ##