Head of Acquiring (Card Acquiring and Operations)

We are looking for an experienced and hands-on Head of Acquiring to take end-to-end ownership of our card acquiring business unit for a growing bank in the EU/Baltics region.
In this role, you will act as the key generalist leader, bridging technical acquiring infrastructure, operational workflows, risk frameworks, and commercial growth. This is not a pure sales or business development position; we are looking for an expert who deeply understands the "under-the-hood" mechanics of acquiring, from transaction processing and gateway integrations to scheme compliance and merchant risk management.

Key Responsibilities:
End-to-End Ownership: Take full operational and strategic ownership of the card acquiring ecosystem, driving performance, scalability, and efficiency.
Operations & Infrastructure: Oversee the technical and operational aspects of merchant acquiring, including payment routing, gateway setups, and integration flows.
Risk, Fraud & Scheme Compliance: Manage acquiring risk frameworks, merchant underwriting standards, transaction monitoring (including prevention of miscoding, fraud, and excessive chargebacks), ensuring full compliance with Visa and Mastercard scheme rules.
Product & Process Development: Collaborate closely with internal teams to enhance merchant onboarding journeys, dispute handling, and back-office settlement operations.
Strategic Growth & Partnerships: Work alongside commercial teams to support complex merchant acquisitions, manage relationships with key payment partners, and expand the portfolio strategically.

Requirements:
Extensive Experience: Proven leadership background (4+ years) in card acquiring, payment operations, or merchant risk management within a licensed fintech, payment institution, or commercial bank.
360-Degree Expertise: Deep understanding of the full acquiring lifecycle - from technical infrastructure and scheme rules to risk mitigation and chargeback management.
Not a Pure Sales Role: While you understand the commercial dynamics, your strength lies in operational leadership, product execution, and risk/infrastructure governance.
Regulatory Knowledge: Solid familiarity with Visa/Mastercard regulations, AML/KYC standards, and high-risk e-commerce acquiring specifics.
Mindset: Strong strategic vision combined with a hands-on, proactive attitude. Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.

What We Offer:
A core leadership role with full autonomy to shape and scale the acquiring business unit within an agile banking environment.
Competitive compensation package aligned with your expertise.
Opportunity to work with a driven, professional team focused on building top-tier financial products.