Head of Payments

Consortia Group; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

Benefits package

Job summary

Consortia Group in London is seeking a Head of Payments to stabilise and lead a growing, FCA-regulated EMI's payments function. You will transition from manual processing to automated, API-driven workflows while maintaining controls and service levels.

You will shape the future operating model, define metrics, and build a high-performing team, partnering with Product, Tech, Finance, Risk and Compliance. Hybrid work with three days in the central London office.

Qualifications

• Experience as Head of Payments or Senior Payments Manager in EMI/bank/payment institution.
• Deep operational knowledge of payment rails including Faster Payments and SEPA.
• Strong technical mindset with automation and API work to reduce manual tasks.
• Track record of leading and developing operational teams through change.
• Comfort balancing strategic and hands-on work in maturing environments.

Responsibilities

• Own payments function end-to-end, ensuring reliable daily execution across major schemes.
• Lead transition from manual processing to automated, API-driven workflows.
• Build and mentor a settled, high-performing payments team.
• Balance hands-on leadership with strategic transformation while maintaining controls.
• Partner with Product, Technology, Finance, Risk and Compliance to define future capabilities and deliver changes without disruption.
• Act as senior escalation point for complex time-critical transactions to maintain client confidence.
• Shape the future operating model, performance metrics and culture of payments.

Skills

Head of Payments leadership

Payments operations knowledge

Automation & APIs

Team leadership

Job description

You know payments operations don’t have to mean constant firefighting. As Head of Payments, you’ll take a mission‑critical function that’s been under-resourced and reactive, stabilise it, and then lead the strategic transformation the business has been waiting for. Our client is a fast-growing, FCA‑regulated EMI with global reach; this role exists now because volumes are increasing, the current team is stretched, and they need a calm, technically strong leader to build an automated, scalable payments operation. You’ll join at a pivotal moment, with the mandate to fix what’s fragile today while designing what payments should look like for the next stage of growth.

What You’ll Do

• Take end-to-end ownership of the payments function, ensuring reliable daily execution across Faster Payments, SEPA, ACH, Fedwire and international schemes.
• Lead the transition from manual, high‑touch processing to automated, API‑driven workflows that scale as transaction volumes grow.
• Build, mentor and support a settled, high‑performing team, developing managers and analysts and raising engagement after a period of instability.
• In this Head of Payments role, you’ll balance hands‑on operational leadership with strategic transformation, prioritising improvements while keeping service levels and controls rock solid.
• Partner closely with Product, Technology, Finance, Risk and Compliance to define future payment capabilities and deliver change without disruption.
• Act as senior escalation point for complex, high‑value or time‑critical transactions, using your calm approach to maintain client confidence.
• Shape the future operating model, performance metrics and culture of payments, with direct visibility to the senior leadership tea.

What You’ll Bring

• Experience as a Head of Payments or a Senior Payments Manager in an EMI, bank or payment institution, ready to step up.
• Deep operational knowledge of multiple payment rails, including Faster Payments, SEPA and other domestic and international schemes.
• A strong technical mindset with proven success driving automation, working with APIs and improving systems to reduce manual work.
• Track record of leading and nurturing operational teams through change, creating collaborative, accountable and supportive cultures.
• Comfort operating both strategically and hands‑on, especially in environments where processes, people and structures are still maturing.
• A calm, relationship‑focused leadership style: you listen, build trust and focus on sustainable improvement rather than blame.

What’s On Offer

• The chance to stabilise a mission‑critical function and then lead the automation and transformation agenda with strong executive backing.
• Significant autonomy to design the operating model, build the team and embed modern payment technologies and processes.
• Hybrid working with around three days per week in a central London office.
• Benefits package, details on application.

If you’re a Head of Payments who wants to turn a stretched, reactive operation into a scalable, automated and high‑performing payments function, this is the moment to step in.

Key Information

• Job Title: Head of Payments
• Location: London
• Work Policy: Hybrid (around three days per week in the office)
• Salary: £90,000–£100,000
• Benefits: Benefits package, details on application