Head of Fraud Operations

The Head of Fraud Operations is a seasoned leader responsible for designing and executing the anti-fraud and operational strategy across multiple consumer lending products in the UK and US. Reporting to the Director of Complaints, Fraud and Financial Crime, you will serve as the first line of defence, balancing a reduction in fraud losses with an exceptional, frictionless customer experience. This pivotal role requires a strategic mindset to build scalable processes, manage vendor relationships, and represent our fraud posture to regulators and partners.

• Strategy Development: Design and deliver Lendable’s fraud operational strategy, including technical enhancements and vendor selection, to scale with the company's growth and complexity.
• Operational Oversight: Lead the first line of defence fraud operations, overseeing the development, testing, and deployment of investigative processes and controls.
• Performance & Analytics: Rigorously use data and real-time analysis to drive decision-making, evaluate program performance, and forecast key fraud P&L drivers.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Partner closely with the Head of Compliance, Director of Enterprise Risk, COO, and product teams to ensure a coordinated approach to risk.
• Vendor Management: Own and manage compliance vendor relationships, including sourcing, monitoring, and contractual continuity.
• Regulatory Representation: Serve as the primary point of contact for industry forums and regulators, drafting responses to external requests and coordinating audits with CIFAS.
• Loss Mitigation: Drive a continuous reduction in fraud losses while optimising detection strategies and increasing fraud awareness across the business.
• Culture & Leadership: Foster an innovative, risk-aware culture that empowers the team to achieve regulatory objectives and operational efficiency.
• Product Safety: Conduct 1LoD risk assessments for new features and products, ensuring appropriate controls are in place prior to deployment.

• Experience: At least 6 years of experience in a fraud or fintech environment, with a proven track record in senior management or leadership roles.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Deep understanding of UK regulatory frameworks (FCA, PSR) and industry standards, including exposure to US fraud mitigation.
• Technical Expertise: Familiarity with fraud detection platforms, transaction monitoring systems, and the ability to analyse data for strategy recommendations.
• Subject Matter Expert: Expert knowledge of credit card disputes & chargeback rules and Section 75 legislation.
• Education/Certification: Professional certifications such as ICA or ACAMS are highly desirable.
• Proven Results: A history of taking individual ownership and delivering results across operations, compliance, and engineering functions.
• Industry Collaboration: Experience of working with CIFAS and key industry bodies, such as UK Finance, to align with evolving regulatory standards and industry best practices.

• Strategic Communication: Excellent verbal and written English, with the ability to communicate complex matters to management, auditors, and third parties.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Proficiency in drawing conclusions from complex data sets to recommend and implement risk-based solutions.
• Empathetic Leadership: Ability to lead and develop high-performing teams while maintaining a culture consistent with company values.
• Ambiguity Management: Comfortable working in a fast-paced, self-guided manner to solve complex problems at scale.
• Stakeholder Influence: Strong interpersonal skills to influence senior stakeholders and drive cross-functional initiatives.

The Head of Fraud Operations reports directly to the Director of Complaints, Fraud and Financial Crime. You will work as a key member of the leadership team, collaborating closely with the Head of Compliance, Director of Enterprise Risk, and the Chief Operating Officer.