Associate Director, Fraud & Financial Crime Operations

Our Story

Hello there. We’re Zopa. We started our journey back in 2005, building the first ever peer-to-peer lending company. Fast forward to 2020 and we launched Zopa Bank. A bank that listens to what our customers don’t like about finance and does the opposite. We’re redefining what it feels like to work in finance. Our vision for a new era of banking puts people front and centre — we’ve built a business that empowers everyone to aim high, every day, to move finance forward.

We’re incredibly proud of our achievements and none of it would be possible without the amazing team here. It’s not just industry awards we’re winning, we’ve also been named in the top three UK’s Most Loved Workplaces.

If you embrace unconventional challenges, are unafraid to think differently and are driven to make an outsized impact, you’ll thrive here at Zopa, so join us, and make it count.

At Zopa, we’re building a Fraud and Financial Crime Tribe focused on protecting the bank and our customers across the full customer lifecycle. Bringing together Product and Operations, the tribe is reshaping how fraud and financial crime operations work through smarter processes, AI and automation.

This is a senior leadership role leading the Operations function across Fraud Ops and Fin Crime Ops, overseeing teams across London, Manchester and an outsourced operation in South Africa. You’ll shape the future operating model for the function, influencing how technology, automation and organisational design evolve as the business scales.

You’ll work closely with Product, Engineering, Risk, Compliance, Fraud Strategy and the MLRO, acting as a senior voice in decisions with broad operational, customer and regulatory impact.

A day in the life:

• Set the strategic direction for Fraud Ops and FinCrime Ops, shaping structure, standards and operating models.
• Own organisational design, workforce planning and operational budget across the function.
• Lead operational performance, using MI and insight to drive accountability and improvement.
• Partner with Product and Engineering teams to shape automation strategy and operational processes.
• Drive adoption of AI and automation across the function.
• Represent Operations in senior governance, regulatory and audit discussions where required.
• Ensure strong governance, controls and regulatory compliance across the function.
• Build leadership capability, succession plans and long term talent pipelines across Operations.

About you:

• Experienced senior operational leader with a strong track record managing large scale teams within regulated financial services or fintech.
• Deep expertise across fraud and financial crime operations, including governance, controls and customer outcomes.
• Proven experience leading operational transformation across technology, processes and operating models.
• Commercially minded with experience managing budgets, operational investment and third party relationships.
• Excited by AI and automation, with a clear view on how technology can reshape operational functions responsibly.
• Strong cross functional leader who influences effectively across Product, Engineering, Risk and Compliance.
• Strategic, data driven and highly pragmatic, with strong operational judgement.
• Strong people leader who develops high performing teams and future leadership capability.

Added bonus:

• Experience within digital banking or fast growth fintech environments.
• Knowledge of APP fraud, SAR obligations, Consumer Duty and vulnerable customer handling.
• Experience managing outsourced operational teams.
• Exposure to regulatory engagement with the FCA, auditors or industry bodies.
• Familiarity with modern fraud tooling and operational analytics platforms.

At Zopa we value flexible ways of working. We value face-to-face collaboration and a good work-life balance. This hybrid role requires you to come to our London office 2-3 days a week. You’ll also have the option of working from abroad for up to 120 days a year! But no matter where you are, we’ll make sure you’ve got everything you need to thrive, both in your work and home life, from day one.

Diversity Statement: Zopa is proud to offer a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and backgrounds leads to better products for our customers and a unique company culture for our people. We are made up of nearly 50 nationalities, have a DE&I forum made up of Zopians wanting to make a difference and we are proud of our culture where everyone can bring their full self to work. Our approach to DE&I is reflected in our hiring process so please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.