Operations & Finance Lead

Russam; Greater London; On-site; GBP 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Russam client in London seeks a senior leader to own UK operating controls for a fast-growing payments/e-wallet business setting up in Canary Wharf. You will oversee safeguarding, reconciliations, and outsourced providers; coordinate with group finance and external auditors; and shape an efficient, largely outsourced operating model.

You should bring hands-on UK EMI/payments operations experience, strong controls mindset, and the confidence to challenge senior stakeholders across UK and Saudi

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience in UK EMI or payments operations, safeguarding, or finance and operations management.
• Strong operational control skills, ideally building processes in a smaller or growing payments business.
• Sound financial judgement and the ability to review and challenge specialists, providers and senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Owning/overseeing safeguarding, daily reconciliations and related controls.
• Overseeing outsourced providers and contracts against UK regulatory obligations; maintaining evidence of checks.
• Coordinating UK finance and operating model with head-office finance, advisers and external auditors.
• Reviewing financial projections, assumptions, outsourcing arrangements and wind-down plans.
• Helping design the control framework for an efficient, largely outsourced operating model.

Skills

UK EMI experience

Payments operations

Education

Accountancy qualification

Job description

Our client is an ambitious, fast-growing payments and e-wallet group based in Saudi Arabia, now expanding internationally. The UK is its first step. It is setting up its UK business in Canary Wharf and preparing to apply to the FCA for authorisation as an electronic money institution. This is a new permanent post in a small UK leadership team. You’ll report to the UK Executive Director, who will mentor and coach you directly.

Role & Responsibilities

This is a chance to build the UK operating controls rather than take over someone else’s. You’ll own the UK operating controls and how the UK business works with finance. You’ll make sure work done by external providers and the group head office is properly overseen and accountable in the UK. Your remit will include:

• Owning or overseeing safeguarding, daily reconciliations and the checks and controls around them
• Overseeing outsourced providers and contracts against UK regulatory obligations, and keeping evidence that the checks are done
• Coordinating the UK finance and operating model with head-office finance, advisers and external auditors
• Reviewing and challenging financial projections, assumptions, outsourcing arrangements and wind-down plans
• Helping design the control framework for an efficient, largely outsourced operating model

The Desired Applicant

• Hands-on experience in UK EMI or payments operations, safeguarding, or finance and operations management
• Strong operational control skills, ideally including building processes in a smaller or growing payments business
• Sound financial judgement and the confidence to review and challenge specialists, providers and senior stakeholders
• Comfortable working across UK and Saudi teams in a lean, fast-moving setting, sometimes with early or late meetings
• An accountancy qualification is welcome but not essential
• Ready for your first end-to-end leadership role, with a long-term view beyond authorisation
• London-based or able to commute to Canary Wharf every day