Role Overview
We are seeking a seasoned Head of Trading Operations & Payment Operations to lead and scale our client end-to-end operational infrastructure across our OTC trading desk and fiat payment rails.
This role sits at the intersection of markets, treasury, and payments, owning the full lifecycle from trade execution through settlement, while ensuring seamless integration between digital assets and fiat flows.
You will be responsible for building a resilient, scalable, and control-driven operations function that supports institutional trading activity and high-volume payment processing in a hybrid financial environment.
Key Responsibilities
1. End-to-End Trading & Payment Operations Leadership
- Own the full lifecycle of OTC trades (RFQ → execution → settlement → reconciliation) across digital assets, FX, and structured products
- Oversee fiat payment operations including funding, payouts, collections, and liquidity movement across banking partners and PSPs
- Ensure seamless coordination between trading, treasury, custody, and payment flows
2. Settlement, Liquidity & Treasury Oversight
- Manage multi-asset settlement processes across wallets, custodians, exchanges, and banking rails
- Oversee intraday liquidity, prefunding, and collateral management across fiat and digital assets
- Optimize settlement models to reduce counterparty risk, funding gaps, and operational latency
3. Risk Management, Controls & Governance
- Establish and enforce robust operational controls across trading and payment workflows
- Monitor credit exposure, settlement risk, payment failures, and reconciliation breaks
- Partner with Compliance to ensure adherence to AML/CFT, regulatory reporting, and audit requirements
- Lead incident management, escalation frameworks, and post-mortem analysis
4. Payment Operations & Banking Infrastructure
- Own relationships and workflows with banks, payment service providers (PSPs), and fiat rails
- Oversee payment processing (SWIFT, FAST, SEPA, etc.), including success rates, SLAs, and exception handling
- Drive optimization of payment routing, cost efficiency, and reliability
5. Process Optimization & Automation
- Identify and eliminate manual touchpoints across trading and payment operations
- Drive automation initiatives across reconciliation, settlements, and reporting workflows
- Partner with Technology and Product teams on platform enhancements, system integrations, and UAT
6. Client & Stakeholder Management
- Ensure high-quality operational support for institutional clients across trading and payments
- Act as escalation point for complex trade or payment issues
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Trading, Compliance, Finance, Product, and Engineering
7. Team Leadership & Buildout
- Build, lead, and scale a high-performing Trading Ops + Payment Ops team
- Define KPIs, SLAs, and performance metrics across both functions
- Develop SOPs, playbooks, and training frameworks to ensure operational excellence
Requirements
Experience & Domain Expertise
- 8–12+ years of experience in Trading Operations, Treasury, Payment Operations, or Middle Office leadership roles
- Strong exposure to OTC trading, FX, digital assets, or capital markets environments
- Proven experience managing fiat payment rails, banking relationships, and PSP integrations
- Deep understanding of trade lifecycle, settlements, liquidity management, and reconciliation processes
Technical & Functional Skills
- Familiarity with digital asset infrastructure (wallets, custody, blockchain settlements)
- Strong knowledge of payment systems (SWIFT, FAST, SEPA, etc.)
- Experience with OMS/EMS, reconciliation tools, and operational dashboards
- Data-driven mindset with strong Excel / analytics capability
Leadership & Behavioral Competencies
- Strong leadership presence with experience managing regional or global teams
- High ownership mindset with the ability to operate in fast-paced, high-stakes environments
- Excellent stakeholder management across front office, compliance, and external partners
- Strategic thinker with a hands-on approach to execution and problem-solving
