Head of Customer Operations

Company DescriptionCardaq UK, established in October 2011, has over 12 years of experience in accepting and processing transparent payments globally. We excel in providing secure and efficient payment solutions, ensuring trust and reliability for our clients. As a leading player in the payment processing industry, we prioritise excellence and transparency in all our operations.Role OverviewWe are seeking an experienced and detail-driven leader to head our Customer Operations (First Line of Defence). In this senior role, you will have strategic oversight of all first-line risk functions for merchant operations, including Merchant Onboarding & Underwriting, Ongoing Merchant Reviews, Transaction & Merchant Monitoring, and Fraud & Disputes. You will be responsible for ensuring that the entire merchant lifecycle – from initial onboarding and due diligence through to continuous monitoring and issue resolution – is managed with operational excellence and in full compliance with regulatory and card scheme requirements.This is a strategic leadership position that plays a critical part in safeguarding Cardaq’s acquiring business while enabling scalable growth. Reporting to the COO and working closely with the Board and the 2nd line of Defence, you will establish robust processes and controls that meet FCA and card network standards. You will collaborate cross-functionally with Compliance, Risk, Product, and Technology teams to ensure alignment and efficiency in operations. The ideal candidate has a strong background in merchant risk operations and people management, with a proven ability to optimise processes and lead high-performing teams.Key Responsibilities· Merchant Onboarding & Underwriting: Lead and manage the merchant onboarding and underwriting process end-to-end, ensuring all due diligence, risk assessments, and documentation meet internal policies and FCA regulatory standards. Oversee Know Your Business (KYB) checks, Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) verification, analysis of company structure, appropriate Merchant Category Code (MCC) classification, and initial merchant risk scoring. · Ongoing Monitoring & Reviews: Develop and maintain a structured, risk-based ongoing monitoring framework for active merchants based on their risk profiles, business models, and card scheme exposure. Manage ongoing merchant due diligence reviews (e.g. periodic KYB refreshes, document re-verifications, and risk re-assessments) to ensure merchant information and risk ratings remain up-to-date. Oversee alert queues for non-transactional events such as adverse media hits, scheme notices (e.g. Visa VAMP or Mastercard BRAM warnings, these will be collaborative with the schemes compliance analyst and head of risk), changes in business status (MCC changes, ownership or business model shifts), and any watchlist or sanctions screening hits.· Transaction Monitoring & Risk Escalation: Oversee the daily review and triage of transaction monitoring alerts to identify any unusual or suspicious merchant activity. Ensure timely escalation of suspicious activities or trends to the Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) and Compliance team with thorough documentation of findings. Coordinate with second-line Risk and Financial Crime teams to regularly review and adjust monitoring rules and thresholds, ensuring that emerging risks or patterns in transaction data are effectively detected and managed.· Fraud & Dispute Management: Provide oversight for first-line fraud prevention and dispute handling functions. Ensure that potential fraudulent transactions or behaviours are promptly identified, investigated, and addressed using appropriate fraud monitoring tools and rules. Oversee the end-to-end merchant dispute and chargeback process, making sure cases are handled efficiently, fairly, and in line with card scheme rules and timeframes. Work with fraud analysts and the Risk team to analyse fraud trends, implement preventive measures, and maintain low fraud and chargeback rates across the merchant portfolio.· Process, Policy & Controls: Maintain ownership of first-line operational risk controls related to merchant onboarding and monitoring within Cardaq’s Three Lines of Defence model. Ensure all onboarding and review documentation is complete, auditable, and properly stored (e.g. in Salesforce or similar systems) for each merchant. Proactively monitor for any material changes in merchant profiles or behaviour (such as shifts in products/services or signs of merchant laundering) and promptly escalate issues or breaches of policy to the second line or senior management.· Process Optimisation & Technology: Drive continuous improvement of processes and leverage technology to enhance efficiency and scalability in Customer Operations. Work closely with Product and Technology teams to optimise onboarding and monitoring workflows – for example, by introducing automation, data integrations, or improved tooling. Design and implement merchant risk tiering, appropriate review schedules, and automated alerts (e.g. for document expirations or threshold breaches) that support proactive risk management and sustainable growth.· People Leadership & Performance: Manage, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary team across onboarding, underwriting, monitoring, fraud, and disputes functions. Set clear performance objectives, service-level agreements (SLAs), and escalation protocols for the team. Conduct regular quality assurance checks on the team’s work (e.g. file reviews, alert handling) and provide training, coaching, and feedback to ensure consistent high performance and continuous improvement. Foster a culture of accountability, customer focus, and risk awareness within the team.· Stakeholder Collaboration: Act as the primary first-line liaison for internal and external stakeholders on merchant risk matters. Work closely with cross-functional teams including Compliance, Risk, Sales, Product, and Legal to address merchant onboarding queries, complex cases, or policy updates. Represent the Customer Operations function in risk committee meetings, merchant review forums, and audits, presenting findings and risk metrics. .Key Requirements· Industry Experience: 5+ years of experience in merchant onboarding, merchant risk operations, or KYB (Know Your Business) oversight within a fintech, payment service provider (PSP), or acquiring bank/institution· Domain Knowledge: Strong knowledge of merchant due diligence processes (KYB, UBO verification, licensing checks), risk underwriting, MCC classification, and ongoing merchant monitoring practices· Regulatory & Scheme Familiarity: Familiarity with UK financial regulations relevant to payments (e.g. Money Laundering Regulations, FCA SYSC requirements) as well as card scheme rules and programs (e.g. Visa’s VAMP and Mastercard’s BRAM/MATCH)· Leadership: Proven experience managing teams and delivering operational results in a regulated financial environment. A track record of implementing effective controls and workflows at scale is highly desirableDesired Skills & Competencies· Risk Mindset & Detail Orientation: Operationally strong, with excellent attention to detail and a structured approach to risk management. Able to identify potential risks in merchant activities and address them proactively· Three Lines of Defence Awareness: Strong understanding of first-line versus second-line responsibilities within a Three Lines of Defence (3LoD) model, and ability to effectively fulfil first-line risk management duties· Communication & Stakeholder Management: Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Comfortable explaining risk requirements and findings to non-specialists and building strong working relationships across departments and with external partners· Analytical & Problem-Solving: Sharp analytical abilities and a solution-oriented mindset. Capable of interpreting complex data or rules, investigating issues methodically, and finding compliant solutions that support business objectives· Technical Proficiency: Experience with onboarding and risk monitoring tools/platforms (e.g. Salesforce, Sumsub, G2, WebShield, Platforma 365 or similar) and quick to adopt new technologies to improve workflowsBenefits· Competitive Holidays: 30 days of annual leave plus bank holidays· Healthcare: Private health insurance for employees· Pension Scheme: Company pension plan with employer contributions· Flexible Working: Hybrid working arrangements to promote work-life balance· Professional Development: Support for training and professional certifications (e.g. ICA, ACAMS)· Team Culture: Regular team social events and a supportive, inclusive work environment· Modern Office: A modern office in central London with state-of-the-art facilitiesCareer DevelopmentThis role offers excellent opportunities for progression within Cardaq’s growing operations and risk management function. You will gain exposure to a broad range of areas in the payments industry and have the chance to deepen your expertise in topics such as:Anti-Money Laundering & Counter-Terrorist Financing (AML/CTF): Deepening your understanding of financial crime prevention and regulatory complianceFraud Prevention & Chargeback Management: Developing advanced strategies to mitigate fraud losses and handle disputes effectivelyCard Scheme Compliance: Expanding your knowledge of Visa, Mastercard and other network rules and compliance programmesPayments & E-Money Regulations: Enhancing your grasp of UK/EU payment services regulations and e-money licensing requirementsOperational Leadership: Strengthening your leadership skills by driving key initiatives and potentially growing into more senior roles as Cardaq expands.