Head of Payments & Compliance

Senior Partnership Consultant | Copello Global | Defence Engineering | Defence Technology

Overview

As Head of Payments & Payment Compliance, you will own and scale the global payments function across payment processing, fraud mitigation, and compliance with card scheme regulations. You will lead all aspects of PSP strategy, dispute management, and conversion optimization for a B2C subscription business.

You will work cross-functionally with Finance, Product, Engineering, and Customer Experience teams to ensure secure, scalable, and high-converting payment infrastructure.

The focus is on merchant-side payments, PSP optimisation, and fraud prevention related to subscriptions and chargebacks. We are looking for an experienced payments leader with deep knowledge of merchant acquiring, payment routing, fraud tools, and compliance with card scheme rules.

What You’ll Bring

• Ideally experience with merchant-side payment operations or compliance (preferably in subscription or recurring billing businesses).
• Not AML focused. This role is focused on chargebacks, card scheme compliance, and PSP management.
• Strong experience with PSPs, payment gateways, fraud platforms, and subscription billing providers.
• Proven success in managing disputes/chargebacks and fraud prevention while optimizing conversions.
• In-depth knowledge of card scheme rules, PCI DSS, and consumer regulations around recurring payments.
• Experience in leading cross-functional teams and building processes at scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end payments strategy, aligning payment operations with business growth and regional compliance needs.
• Lead and mentor a team responsible for payment operations, chargeback disputes, and fraud prevention.
• Continuously optimize our payments stack (PSPs, billing tools, fraud vendors) to support new markets and channels.
• Represent the payments function across senior leadership and cross-functional initiatives.
• Design and implement fraud strategies to reduce chargebacks while maintaining strong conversion rates.
• Manage the full dispute resolution process—compile evidence, optimize win rates, and reduce losses.
• Use data to track dispute trends and proactively address risk through system rules and fraud tools.
• Work closely with customer service and billing to prevent friendly fraud and subscription disputes.

Payment Infrastructure & PSP Management

• Own and manage relationships with PSPs, acquirers, billing providers, and fraud solution vendors.
• Oversee merchant account onboarding, maintenance, and compliance with scheme requirements.
• Implement account splitting and smart routing to increase approvals and reduce regional risks.
• Collaborate with Finance to support reconciliation, settlement, and chargeback reserve management.

Compliance (Card Scheme & Subscription Regulation)

• Ensure compliance with card scheme rules, subscription regulations (e.g., ROSCA), pre-/post-charge comms, and PCI DSS.
• Stay on top of changing card brand policies and assess their impact on the business.
• Lead internal audits related to payment compliance
• Work with legal to ensure our payment terms and flows meet global consumer protection laws.
• Track and improve conversion and decline rates across all transaction types (initial, add-on, renewals).
• Identify and integrate alternative payment methods relevant to our customer base.
• Build a roadmap for scalable, customer-friendly payment experiences in new regions.
• Use performance data to drive improvements in payment flow and user experience.

Seniority level

• Director

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Finance, General Business, and Legal

Industries

• Financial Services, IT Services and IT Consulting, and Operations Consulting

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