At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead operations, risk, and compliance to drive performance and accountability.
- Company: Join Ryft, a cutting-edge payment facilitator in Manchester.
- Benefits: Senior leadership role with direct impact and competitive salary.
- Other info: Opportunity for significant career growth and autonomy.
- Why this job: Shape operational architecture and make a real difference in a scaling company.
- Qualifications: 6–12+ years in operations leadership, preferably in fintech or regulated services.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 ÂŁ per year.
About Ryft
Ryft is a regulated payment facilitator and authorised payment institution building the infrastructure layer for modern commerce platforms. We enable marketplaces, SaaS platforms and multi-party ecosystems to embed and monetise payments natively. Our technology handles onboarding, compliance, orchestration, split payments and revenue sharing allowing our partners to focus on growth while we manage complexity. The role is based in Manchester, and requires 3 days a week on site.
The Role
We’re looking for an Operations Director to act as the operational backbone of the business and the right hand to the COO. This role exists to create structure at scale. You will sit across Operations, Risk, Compliance and Underwriting, consolidating team leads under one clear operational leader. You’ll drive performance, accountability, reporting clarity and execution rhythm across the business. This is not a middle-management role. It is a senior leadership position with real ownership, real authority, and real impact.
What You’ll Own
- Leadership & Structure
- Management of Operations, Risk, Compliance and related team leads
- Create clear reporting lines and performance frameworks
- Coach and elevate existing managers
- Build succession depth across teams
- Drive high standards of accountability and ownership
- Operational Excellence
- Improve processes across onboarding, underwriting, compliance and servicing
- Identify bottlenecks and eliminate inefficiencies
- Implement scalable systems and operating rhythms
- Ensure KPIs are clearly defined, measured and owned
- Performance & Reporting
- Build executive-level operational reporting
- Introduce dashboards and metrics that matter
- Own weekly and monthly operating cadences
- Translate data into insight and action
- Risk & Compliance Alignment
- Work closely with Compliance and Risk leads to ensure regulatory standards are embedded operationally
- Ensure operational processes meet FCA-level governance expectations
- Maintain audit readiness and documentation standards
- COO Enablement
- Act as escalation point for operational matters
- Reduce direct reporting load for the COO
- Filter, prioritise and solve issues before they reach executive level
- Free up the COO to focus on strategy, partnerships and scaling initiatives
What “Great” Looks Like in 12 Months
- The MD has significantly fewer direct operational touchpoints
- Team leads operate with greater autonomy and accountability
- Clear KPIs exist across every operational team
- Reporting is structured, predictable and insight-driven
- Process SLAs are defined and met
- Operational maturity is visibly stronger
Who You Are
- 6–12+ years in operations leadership within fintech, payments, regulated financial services or high-growth tech
- Experienced managing managers, not just individual contributors
- Data-driven but commercially aware
- Calm under pressure
- Highly structured thinker
- Strong operator who can balance detail and strategy
Why Join
- Senior-level ownership and visibility
- Direct impact on company-wide performance
- Opportunity to shape operational architecture during a scaling phase
Operations Director in Warrington employer: Ryft
Contact Detail:
Ryft Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Operations Director in Warrington
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the fintech and payments space, especially those who work at companies similar to Ryft. Use LinkedIn to connect and engage with them; you never know who might have a lead on your dream Operations Director role.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by diving deep into Ryft's operations and values. Understand their tech and how they handle compliance and risk. This will not only impress the interviewers but also show that you're genuinely interested in making an impact.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership skills! Be ready to discuss specific examples of how you've improved processes or driven performance in previous roles. Highlight your ability to coach and elevate teams, as this is crucial for the Operations Director position.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets the attention it deserves. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take that extra step to engage with us directly.
We think you need these skills to ace Operations Director in Warrington
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the Operations Director role. Highlight your experience in operations leadership, especially in fintech or regulated financial services. We want to see how your skills align with what we’re looking for!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you’re the perfect fit for this senior leadership position. Share specific examples of how you've driven performance and accountability in previous roles. We love a good story!
Showcase Your Data Skills: Since this role is data-driven, make sure to highlight your experience with metrics and reporting. Talk about how you've used data to improve processes or drive operational excellence. We’re all about insights that lead to action!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team at Ryft!
How to prepare for a job interview at Ryft
✨Know Your Operations Inside Out
Make sure you have a solid understanding of operations management, especially in fintech and payments. Brush up on key concepts like onboarding, compliance, and performance metrics. This will help you speak confidently about how you can create structure and drive operational excellence.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
Prepare to discuss your leadership approach and how you've successfully managed teams in the past. Think about specific examples where you've coached managers or improved team performance. This role is all about elevating others, so be ready to demonstrate your ability to build succession depth across teams.
✨Be Data-Driven Yet Commercially Savvy
Since this role requires a balance between data analysis and commercial awareness, come prepared with examples of how you've used data to drive insights and actions. Highlight any experience you have with building executive-level reporting or dashboards that have made a real impact on business decisions.
✨Understand Risk and Compliance Nuances
Familiarise yourself with FCA-level governance expectations and how they apply to operational processes. Be ready to discuss how you've ensured compliance in previous roles and how you would maintain audit readiness at Ryft. This knowledge will show that you can align operational practices with regulatory standards effectively.