Head of Payment Operations (m/f/d)

ABOUT US Pliant is a modular B2B payments platform combining commercial card issuing, payment accounts, FX and spend management for businesses and AI agents. Businesses across travel, e-commerce, insurance and AI-native technology use Pliant to manage complex payment workflows, while fintechs, software platforms and banks use its infrastructure to build and operate their own commercial payment offerings. Pliant's API-first platform also enables AI agents and applications to access regulated payment infrastructure with permissions, controls and auditability built in. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Berlin, Pliant serves businesses and partners across Europe and North America. A principal member of Visa and Mastercard, Pliant issues commercial cards in 13 currencies across 32 countries under its European e-money license and through regulated partners in the UK and US. Learn more at www.getpliant.com http://www.getpliant.com. ABOUT THE ROLE We are looking for a Head of Payment Operations to lead and scale our payment operations across markets. You will own operational performance, strengthen controls and partner relationships, and build efficient, resilient processes that support growth in card issuing and payments. You will work with the management of each regulated entity to ensure that Group operations meet local requirements, including your specific responsibilities for Pliant Payments Ltd WHAT YOU’LL DO - Own the Payment Operations strategy, operating model, annual plans, objectives and performance reporting. - Lead day-to-day operations across card issuing, processing, payment flows, settlement, reconciliation and related treasury interfaces, including operational safeguarding processes within the team’s remit, timely escalation of safeguarding discrepancies and shortfalls, and coordination with Finance and Compliance. - Define and monitor service levels, authorisation performance, payment costs, exception management and operational quality. - Drive process standardisation, automation and improvements to tooling, controls and reporting. - Build, coach and develop a geographically distributed team, including managers and specialists; establish clear accountability and development pathways. - Manage senior relationships with card schemes, processors, banking partners and other critical providers, including escalations and performance reviews. - Partner with Risk, Compliance, Data and Legal on scheme obligations, regulatory requirements, audits and incident response. - Work closely with Product, Engineering, Finance, Data and Commercial teams to launch and improve products while ensuring operational readiness. - Oversee major operational incidents, root-cause analysis and corrective actions; provide concise updates to senior leadership. - Act as an FCA-registered EMD Individual for Pliant Payments Ltd, with responsibility for managing and overseeing payment operations in compliance with the applicable requirements of the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 and the Payment Services Regulations 2017, and maintain the good repute, knowledge and experience required under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011. WHAT YOU’LL BRING - Approximately 8–10 years of relevant experience in payments, issuing, acquiring, banking or fintech operations. - At least three years of people leadership experience, ideally including managing managers or multi-location teams. - Strong understanding of card schemes, issuer processing, payment lifecycle, settlement and reconciliation. - Experience designing scalable controls, operational metrics and service-management processes in a regulated environment. - Confidence working with external banking and scheme partners and influencing cross-functional stakeholders. - Analytical and commercially minded approach, with the ability to translate operational data into action. - Clear written and verbal communication, sound judgement and a hands-on appro