Head of Operations & IT

Head of Operations & IT

City of London

Permanent

£110,000 - £120,000

cer Financial are working alongside an international bank who are based in the City of London. They are seeking a Head of Operations to work with them on a permanent basis.

The responsibilities of the Head of Operations will include:

• Accountable for the strategic planning and delivery of operations and systems to enable general processing, effective outsourcing of services, business continuity and operational resilience within the business.
• Own the bank’s IT strategy and IT operations.
• Ensure availability and performance of core banking systems, payment gateways, and all customer-facing digital platforms.
• Lead IT change, systems upgrades, incident response, and technology risk management.
• Govern system access controls, IT policies, and disaster recovery processes.
• Oversee cybersecurity strategy, controls, testing (including penetration testing), and ongoing monitoring.
• Ensure compliance with FCA/PRA cyber requirements, NCSC guidance, and GDPR.
• Manage vulnerability scanning, patch management, endpoint security, and identity management.
• Own the incident response plan for cyber events and support regulatory notifications if required.
• Oversee payment processing (Faster Payments, CHAPS, BACS, card payments, etc.).
• Ensure reconciliations, settlements, and exceptions management are timely and accurate.
• Manage fraud operations, transaction monitoring, and chargeback processes.
• Provide Executive Committee (ExCo) with regular operational updates and ensure the correct specialist knowledge is conveyed to inform the committee according to agenda requirements.
• Ensure strategic objectives shaped at Executive Management level are translated into tactical business plans with mechanisms for key measurements in place to monitor progress.
• Engage with relevant stakeholders to understand business requirements and develop a comprehensive transformation programme.
• Ensure business change projects are delivered in line with directions from ExCo level.
• Coordinate the efforts of the different operational areas under management to ensure minimal duplication of efforts, maximum efficiency and value for money.
• Review performance against business plan as prescribed by the Board and agreed at ExCo, discuss gaps and agree on action plans to close gaps.
• Benchmark productivity of the department against industry standards and create measures to improve productivity.
• Maintain strong operational controls in line with FCA/PRA requirements, including operational resilience, outsourcing, GDPR, AML/KYC processes, and business continuity.
• Ensure the bank meets UK operational resilience framework requirements, including impact tolerances, important business services, and mapping/testing obligations.
• Own and maintain business continuity and disaster recovery plans.
• Serving / attending on various committees including Operational Risk & Conduct Committee.
• Ensure risk is effectively addressed in all aspects of the business under the Head of Operations.
• Work with direct reports to achieve excellent business results through continuous people development and mentoring activities.
• Ensure the development of a high-performing team through embedding formal performance appraisal, development plans and informally coaching direct reports on how to conduct the process effectively.
• Measure output quality against agreed service standards.
• Establish and maintain a succession plan for the department team heads.

The successful Head of Operations will have:

• Significant experience in operations leadership within a UK bank, building society, or FCA-regulated financial institution.
• Strong knowledge of UK banking operations: payments, onboarding/KYC, fraud operations, reconciliations, complaints, and customer servicing.
• Deep understanding of UK financial regulation (FCA Handbook, PRA rules, SYSC, Operational Resilience, Consumer Duty).
• Demonstrated ability to design, scale, and optimise operational processes.
• Experience with digital banking systems and automation highly desirable.