Chief Operating Officer - SFS

About Spendesk Financial Services

Spendesk Financial Services, SFS, is Spendesk’s regulated payment institution, providing the payment accounts, transfers, cards and banking infrastructure that underpin the Spendesk platform.

We are looking for a Chief Operating Officer to lead and transform SFS Operations.

The role combines two responsibilities:

1. Run the Operations organisation, ensuring that KYC, AML, Banking Operations and Payment Operations are delivered safely, efficiently and in compliance with regulatory requirements.

2. 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.

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.

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!

About Spendesk

Spendesk is the AI-powered spend management and procurement platform that transforms company spending. By simplifying procurement, payment cards, expense management, invoice processing, and accounting automation, Spendesk sets the new standard for spending at work. Its single, intelligent solution makes efficient spending easy for employees and gives finance leaders the full visibility and control they need across all company spend, even in multi-entity structures. Trusted by thousands of companies, Spendesk supports over 200,000 users across brands such as SoundCloud, Gousto, SumUp, and Bloom & Wild. With offices in the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Germany, Spendesk also puts community at the heart of its mission.

For more information:

About our people & culture

We believe that people do their best work when they're given the freedom to thrive and grow. That's why liberation is at the core of everything we do. We empower Spendeskers to take ownership of their work, to navigate ambiguity, and seize every opportunity. Spendeskers come from all over the world (35+ countries and counting!) but we have plenty in common: we're bold, ever-curious, committed to kindness, and tackle every challenge with a positive mindset.

Diversity & Inclusion

At Spendesk, we're committed to fostering an environment where all differences are encouraged, supported and celebrated. We're building our culture for everyone, with everyone. Our goal is to attract and build a diverse, equal and inclusive team, where everyone feels welcome and we truly embrace and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.