The Client:
Our client, a leader in payment-processing technologies and financial solutions for merchants and financial institutions in Cyprus, is looking to recruit an Operations Manager for its Operations' department based in Nicosia.
The Position:
The ideal candidate will report to the CEO and will act as the responsible member of the Company’s operational backbone. More specifically, the role would entail the smooth, secure and compliant execution of core operational processes across the Company. The functional success of the core operations ensures that merchant onboarding, transaction workflows, back-office operations, regulatory compliance, project governance, policies, procedures and facility management run in tandem. Acing as the cross-functional link between compliance, technology and business teams, the role delivers on efficiency, risk mitigation and continuous improvement through the adoption of automation and technology to support the company’s scalability and service delivery.
Duties and Responsibilities:
A) Operational Oversight & Service Deliver:
Manage day-to-day operations across all operational areas, including merchant onboarding, transaction workflows, PMO/O&M and back-office processing.
Ensure operational activities meet performance targets, service level agreements (SLAs), and customer satisfaction standards.
Oversee fraud management, chargeback handling, and dispute resolution in line with card scheme and regulatory requirements.
B) Compliance, Risk & Control:
Ensure strict adherence to regulatory obligations (e.g., AML, KYC, PCI DSS, PSD2) and internal control frameworks.
Maintain audit readiness and support internal/external audits with appropriate documentation and process transparency.
Identify operational risks and implement mitigating controls in collaboration with Compliance and Risk teams.
C) Project Governance & Cross-Functional Coordination:
Oversee PMO to plan and execute operational and company-wide initiatives.
Contribute to change management, resource alignment, and operational readiness for new products or platform changes.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams including IT, Business and Compliance to ensure seamless execution.
D) Process Improvement & O&M (Organization and Methods):
Evaluate and improve operational workflows for efficiency, scalability, and control.
Maintain and enforce standard operating procedures, policies, and documentation standards.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives and drive process standardization across departments.
Identify opportunities for automation within operational workflows to reduce manual intervention and error rates.
Collaborate with technology and product teams to implement system enhancements and operational tooling.
E) Facility & Vendor Oversight:
Supervise facility operations including maintenance, access control, and workplace services.
Manage relationships with third-party service providers involved in operations, ensuring compliance with contractual obligations and service performance.
F) Reporting & Strategic Alignment:
Provide regular reports to C-level leadership on operational KPIs, performance trends, and SLA adherence.
Deliver clear reporting on compliance status, audit readiness, and risk exposures, including incident escalations and resolution updates.
Present progress on strategic initiatives and process improvements, highlighting impact and return on investment (ROI).
Contribute to forecasting and resource planning by providing operational insight into team capacity, tooling needs, and system constraints.
Support executive decision-making with data-driven recommendations on service optimization, automation opportunities, and risk mitigation.
Skills - Qualifications – Experience:
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Operations Management or related field (Master’s degree a plus)
5+ years or relevant experience in financial services, payments, fintech or banking operations.
Prior experience in managing teams in a regulated environment is highly desirable.
Strong understanding of payment ecosystems and relevant workflows.
Prior experience in fraud management and chargeback handling is considered a plus.
Familiarity with regulatory and compliance frameworks such as AML/KYC, PCI DSS, ISO27001, PSD2 and GDPR.
Experience with operational tools like ERP, CRM, onboarding tools, fraud monitoring systems and case management/ticketing systems.
Proven ability to design, document and improve operation processes.
Understanding of automation tools (RPAs) and how technology can improve operational efficiency (workflow automation, ticketing systems, reconciliation platforms etc).
Effective leadership and team management skills with at least three years of experience.
Strong analytical skills and experience with data-driven decision-making.
Excellent communication, negotiation and management skills.
Ability to handle high-pressure environments and fast-paced decision-making.
Location: The position is for the Client’s offices in Nicosia, Cyprus.
Remuneration: An attractive remuneration package will be offered to the successful candidate.
Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next stages of the process.
All Applications will be handled in strict confidence.