Spendesk · Finance
Chief Operating Officer - SFS
- Paris (Hybrid)
Still open on Spendesk's site · checked just now
- Level
- Executive
- Posted
What you'll do
As written by Spendesk · Read the original
The role combines two responsibilities
Run the Operations organisation, ensuring that KYC, AML, Banking Operations and Payment Operations are delivered safely, efficiently and in compliance with regulatory requirements.
Optimise and transform the operating model, working closely with Product and Engineering to automate processes, improve scalability and build a highly reliable organisation.
The COO will manage approximately 15 employees across Banking Operations, KYC Operations and Operations AML.
The primary scope is European Operations operating under the French payment institution licence. The COO will also oversee operational activities impacting the UK and US businesses where Spendesk’s responsibility is engaged.
This is a hands-on leadership role in a fast-paced, transformation-driven environment, requiring both operational discipline and the ability to lead change.
Key responsibilities
Lead SFS Operations: Define the strategy, operating model, organisation, objectives, and talent agenda for scalable and high-performing SFS Operations.
Oversee Banking and Payment Operations: Own banking and payment operations, reconciliation, safeguarding, incidents, fraud, investigations, and partner coordination.
Oversee KYC and AML Operations: Lead KYB/KYC, customer risk management, screening, transaction monitoring, escalations, and coordination with Compliance and the MLRO.
Coordinate Operations across Europe, the UK and the US: Ensure consistent standards, controls, ownership, incident management, and risk visibility across geographies.
Transform and Scale SFS Operations: Build a precise, predictable, automated, scalable, and resilient operating model with PDE, Product, and Engineering.
Strengthen Operational Risk and Governance: Own first-line controls, incidents, remediation, resilience, outsourcing oversight, audits, and senior governance reporting while preserving independent second-line Compliance and Risk functions.
Requirements
Profile
We are looking for a senior operations leader with the maturity and leadership capabilities expected of a COO.
The ideal candidate may currently be
A Head of Operations managing a complex operational organisation.
A Head of Middle Office or Back Office.
An Operations Director managing several teams or activities.
A COO at a similarly sized company or business unit.
A senior operations leader ready to take ownership of a regulated payment institution’s Operations function.
The role requires someone who is both strategic and hands-on, comfortable understanding processes in detail and personally driving improvements when needed. The COO will be part of SFS’s governance framework, alongside the Chief Risk & Compliance Officer and the CISO
Experience and capabilities
Significant experience managing Operations, Middle Office or Back Office teams.
Experience leading several operational activities or teams, ideally through managers or team leads.
Strong people management and organisational capabilities.
A track record of improving processes, quality, controls and operational performance.
Experience managing change and transformation in a fast-paced environment.
Experience working in a regulated, risk-sensitive or operationally complex organisation.
Ability to collaborate effectively with Product, Engineering and external partners.
Strong problem-solving, prioritisation and decision-making skills.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management capabilities.
Confidence interacting with senior leadership, governance bodies, auditors and external partners.
A pragmatic, hands-on and highly accountable leadership style.
Experience in payments, banking operations, KYC, AML, fraud, reconciliation or card operations is a strong advantage, but is not mandatory. We are also open to candidates from other regulated or operationally complex environments.
Skills
Working languages
English
Salary & benefits
About our benefits
Our culture is built on trust, empowerment, and growth — with benefits to match!
Hybrid remote policy
Lunch 60% funded by Spendesk (Swile Card)
Alan Premium health insurance
A Gymlib pass to let off steam after a productive day at work
Access to Moka.care for emotional and mental health wellbeing
Latest Apple equipment
Great office snacks to fuel your day
A positive team to work with daily!
Company
Last checked . The details above were extracted automatically; the employer's original posting is the authority.
