Head of Customer - EMEA in London

Head of Customer - EMEA in London

London Full-Time 60750 - 74250 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
Hawk

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead a dynamic team to drive customer success and operational excellence across EMEA.
  • Company: Join Hawk, a leader in AI-driven anti-money laundering and fraud detection technology.
  • Benefits: Enjoy a supportive culture, professional growth opportunities, and the chance to make a global impact.
  • Other info: Collaborate with global teams and contribute to scalable operational models.
  • Why this job: Be at the forefront of fighting financial crime while shaping customer experiences.
  • Qualifications: 10+ years in B2B enterprise software with proven leadership and commercial success.

The predicted salary is between 60750 - 74250 £ per year.

About Us

Hawk is the leading provider of AI-supported anti-money laundering and fraud detection technology. Banks and payment providers globally are using Hawk’s powerful combination of traditional rules and explainable AI to improve the effectiveness of their AML compliance and fraud prevention by identifying more crime while maximizing efficiency by reducing false positives. With our solution, we are playing a vital role in the global fight against Money Laundering, Fraud, or the financing of terrorism. We offer a culture of mutual trust, support and passion – while providing individuals with opportunities to grow professionally and make a difference in the world.

Your Mission

As Head of Customer for EMEA at Hawk, you own everything that happens with our customers in your territory: the outcomes (GRR, NRR), the operating model that makes delivery repeatable, and the people who run it. You lead a regional team of Customer Value Partners, Data Scientists, and Implementation Consultants, and you sit between the Chief Customer Officer and the front line. This isn't a role where the playbook already exists and you just execute it, but it's also not a role where you build your own version in isolation. Much of the operational discipline, the services products, systems, and tools that make execution scalable, is still being built globally, and you're a core contributor to that single, globally deployable model, not the architect of a regional one. You carry the region's commercial outcomes, you carry escalations personally when they matter, and you help build the machine that gets deployed everywhere, starting here.

Key Responsibilities

  • Own the regional commercial outcome: drive GRR and NRR across your portfolio of Customer Value Partner-managed accounts, and report on it with the same rigor you'd expect from your own team.
  • Contribute to Hawk's customer operating model, the delivery methodology, systems, and tools that make outcomes repeatable at scale, and roll it out in your region rather than building a parallel version of your own. You've seen what good looks like elsewhere and bring that judgment to a global effort, including coaching your Customer Value Partners as the model takes shape.
  • Lead and grow a cross-functional regional team, Customer Value Partners, Data Scientists, and Implementation Consultants, hiring, onboarding, and developing people as the region scales.
  • Be the last line of defense on escalations. When an account is genuinely at risk, you're the one on the governance call working the problem, not reading about it after the fact.
  • Partner with Sales as a credibility engine for the region: get pulled into pre-sale conversations, help scope engagements, and make sure what gets sold is something your team can actually deliver.
  • Run regular business reviews with Sales and company leadership covering forecasting, account health, and where the region's growth is actually coming from.
  • Work with your peer Heads of Customer and the functions that own the global model to keep your region aligned: feed regional learnings back in, adopt changes as they roll out, and flag where local market realities genuinely require an exception rather than a workaround.
  • Own people development across the region: performance reviews, career planning, and skills coverage across the CVP, Data Science, and Implementation Consultant roles, so the region is never one departure away from a delivery gap.
  • Represent the region in leadership conversations, giving the CCO and the rest of the leadership team an honest, evidence-based read on regional health, risk, and opportunity.

Your Profile

  • 10+ years leading and managing professional services or delivery organizations within B2B enterprise software. This means you've actually run a PS team, owned utilization, staffing, and delivery quality across a book of engagements, not just managed customer success or account relationships.
  • A genuine builder who plays well with a global standard. You've contributed to or helped roll out a services operating model across multiple markets before, delivery methodology, tooling, staffing model, and you understand the difference between adapting a global model locally and quietly building your own. You can point to what you contributed and why it worked.
  • A track record of owning a commercial number, GRR, NRR, revenue, or bookings, and hitting it, not just influencing it from the side.
  • Real experience managing a team through escalations. You've been the person on the call when an account was genuinely at risk, not just the person who heard about it afterward.
  • Comfortable with SaaS and services financial metrics (GRR, NRR, utilization) and can read a regional forecast without someone translating it for you.
  • Strong hiring instincts. You've built or scaled a team before, and you know the difference between a candidate who interviews well and one who'll actually do the job.
  • Genuine comfort operating at C-suite level, with customers and with internal stakeholders alike.
  • Strong grasp of SaaS and enterprise software delivery models; experience in AML, fraud prevention, or another regulated financial services domain is a real advantage, not a nice-to-have footnote.

Bonus

  • Fluent in German or another language relevant to the region you're hiring into, in addition to fluent English.
  • Experience leading a team spanning multiple functions (delivery, data science, technical implementation) rather than a single-discipline team.

Head of Customer - EMEA in London employer: Hawk

Hawk is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where innovation meets purpose in the fight against financial crime. With a culture rooted in mutual trust and support, employees are empowered to grow professionally while making a significant impact globally. Located at the forefront of AI technology, Hawk provides unique opportunities for collaboration across diverse teams, ensuring that every voice is heard and valued in shaping the future of compliance and fraud prevention.

Hawk

Contact Details:

Hawk Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Head of Customer - EMEA in London

Get to Know the Company Culture

Before jumping into applications, it’s super helpful to understand the vibe at Hawk. Check out their social media, read reviews on sites like Glassdoor, and see how they engage with customers. It'll give you clues on their values and help tailor your conversation during interviews.

Join Customer Support Communities

Dive into online communities like those on Reddit or LinkedIn where customer support pros hang out. Participating in discussions or asking questions can make you more visible to potential recruiters and help you learn about job openings at companies like Hawk before they even post them.

Attend Job Fairs or Networking Events

Look out for local job fairs or events specifically for customer support roles. This is your chance to meet hiring managers face-to-face, and you might even get the opportunity to interview on the spot!

Show Off Your Skills with Customer Interactions

In the customer support world, showcasing your communication skills is key. Consider creating a short video introducing yourself or even doing a mock call to showcase your abilities. It's a memorable way to stand out, especially if you can share this during your interview process!

We think you need these skills to ace Head of Customer - EMEA in London

Leadership
Commercial Acumen
Customer Relationship Management
Cross-Functional Team Management
Operational Discipline
SaaS Financial Metrics
Escalation Management

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Off Your Communication Skills:In customer support, clear communication is key. Make sure your CV highlights any experience you've had in customer-facing roles and your ability to resolve issues. Don't shy away from including specific examples of how you've gone above and beyond to help customers – this really shows your potential in the role.

Tailor Your Cover Letter to Hawk:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Tell us why you want to work at Hawk specifically. Mention any unique aspects of our company that resonate with you and how your skills can enhance our customer support. This personal touch will set your application apart from the rest!

Highlight Any Relevant Tools or Tech Skills:If you've used customer support software like Zendesk or Freshdesk or have experience with CRM systems, make sure to mention these in your application. Being familiar with industry-standard tools can be a big plus for us when we’re reviewing applications, as it shows you can hit the ground running!

Demonstrate Your Problem-Solving Skills:Customer support roles often require a knack for problem-solving. In your application, share examples of past experiences where you've tackled tough situations or resolved conflicts effectively. This will give us a good sense of how you handle challenges—an essential skill for success at Hawk!

How to prepare for a job interview at Hawk

Show Off Your People Skills

In customer support, it's all about communicating effectively. Prepare to share instances from your past experiences where you handled difficult customers or resolved conflicts. We want to hear how you empathised and found the best solutions, so think of specific examples to back up your stories!

Know the Tools of the Trade

Familiarise yourself with common customer support tools like Zendesk or Freshdesk, and make sure to review how you’ve used any similar systems in the past. During the interview, being able to discuss your hands-on experience with software or ticketing systems can really set you apart from the competition, so don’t skip this prep!

Show Genuine Enthusiasm

As this is a full-time role, employers want someone who isn’t just looking for any job, but wants to grow within customer support. Make sure to express your enthusiasm for helping customers and your desire to develop your skills. Show them why you're passionate about this field!

Practice Common Scenarios

Be prepared for role-playing scenarios where you might have to reassess a solution with a frustrated customer or explain a complex process in simple terms. Practising these common scenarios can help us feel more confident and demonstrate our practical skills effectively during the interview.