Head of Operations

MERJE is seeking a Head of Operations to lead the build and governance of customer operations for an innovative new banking venture within the FinTech sector. This transformational role offers the rare opportunity to design operational capabilities from scratch, implementing AI-driven processes for a digitally-focused, investment-backed lending and retail savings proposition.

Hybrid working in London

The Company

This company is building a new bank from the ground up, pursuing full PRA and FCA authorisation. Operating within the FinTech sector, the organisation is developing a focused proposition centred on investment-backed lending and retail savings, utilising cutting-edge technology including Thought Machine Vault and Salesforce, with a digital-first, AI-augmented service model.

The Role

The Head of Operations will initially design and build all customer-facing operational processes, financial crime workflows, and credit operations capabilities ahead of regulatory approval. Post-launch, the Head of Operations will transition to governing service delivery, ensuring operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and customer outcomes meet the standards required of a newly authorised bank.

Key Responsibilities of the Head of Operations:

• Design and build customer operations capabilities from inception, covering channel operations, complaints handling, vulnerable customer support, and management information
• Establish financial crime operations including CDD/EDD, transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, and SAR preparation in partnership with the MLRO and Compliance functions
• Create credit operations processes covering documentation verification, fund disbursement, in-life servicing, arrears management, and collections
• Govern the Service Company relationship post-launch, monitoring performance against service levels, chairing governance meetings, and ensuring regulatory compliance
• Lead the operational resilience programme, identifying Important Business Services, setting impact tolerances, and coordinating scenario testing and DORA compliance

Required knowledge and experience for the Head of Operations role:

• Senior customer operations leadership experience within a UK PRA or FCA regulated environment, with demonstrable understanding of Consumer Duty and regulatory expectations
• Direct experience in or oversight of financial crime operations, including CDD/EDD, transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, and SAR processes
• Proven experience governing third-party or outsourced operational delivery, including SLA management, governance frameworks, and performance monitoring
• Substantial experience with operational resilience programmes, including IBS identification, impact tolerance setting, or scenario testing
• Strategic capability balanced with hands-on execution, including experience building operational processes, controls, and technology implementations from scratch

This is an exceptional opportunity for a strategic operator to shape customer operations for a new banking proposition. If you possess the regulatory credibility, technical expertise, and builder mentality required for this Head of Operations position, MERJE would welcome your application.

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Applicants must be located and eligible to work in the UK without sponsorship.

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