The posting
Company Mission
Payhawk is one AI-powered spend management platform for scaling businesses — corporate cards, expense management, procurement, and accounts payable, unified in one place. We serve finance teams across 32+ countries, cutting month-end close time and reconciling 99.7% of transactions with zero manual touch. AI runs through the platform as core infrastructure, not a bolted-on feature — and we hire the top 1% of talent in every function to keep building it that way.
Why Payhawk Payhawk, where the bold builders make an impact.
We're not a family, we're a high-performance team — and that's deliberate. We debate, ideate, and push each other to be better, because the best ideas come from direct feedback. We've already made history as Bulgaria's first unicorn, but the ambition doesn't stop there: if you want to grow fast - own it; do not wait for it.
Give: Honest opinions, real ownership, a focus on outcomes. Get: A front-row seat to a market leader in one of the fastest-moving industries.
What you will own
Safeguarding and regulatory compliance
- Take direct responsibility for the safeguarding of client funds and the operation of PFSL’s safeguarding accounts.
- Act as PFSL’s nominated individual for CASS safeguarding oversight.
- Chair and organise the quarterly Safeguarding Committee: set the agenda, record the minutes and track every action to closure.
- Lead the annual safeguarding audit. Manage the documentation and take the auditors through walk-throughs of processes and reconciliations.
- Responsible for updating policies, processes and reconciliations as safeguarding requirements change, including the FCA’s PS25/12 safeguarding regime.
- Make sure PFSL meets its regulatory capital obligations.
- Be responsible for PFSL’s reporting to the FCA and other relevant regulatory and state institutions.
- Prepare and present the quarterly update to the Board on financial performance, safeguarding status and operational risk.
- Act as approver and risk owner for safeguarding and financial risks in new product launches.
Payment operations and the payments ecosystem
- Oversee payment operations at PFSL. Keep processing in line with the entity’s risk appetite and regulatory obligations through regular reviews of operational processes, control frameworks and key risk indicators.
- Monitor KPIs, processor performance and contractual service levels, and put corrective measures in place where they slip.
- Oversee settlement with the card schemes and payment rails.
- Manage PFSL’s relationships with card schemes, issuers, processors and banking partners, and work with them to resolve systemic operational issues.
- Manage the Visa relationship for PFSL, including settlement escalations, collateral balances and future collateral requirements.
- Manage banking relationships, including approval of new bank account set-ups, approval of certain payments and escalation of client queries (for example, global payments).
- Lead PFSL through incidents, escalations and risk events, from first response to resolution and post-incident review.
- Represent Payhawk at the monthly Electronic Money Association (EMA) meetings, bringing PFSL’s issues and views.
- Work with the wider leadership team on provider relationships (card scheme, transactional banking) to build and optimise the e-money institution setup and its costs.
Financial controls and reconciliations
- Be responsible for the performance and validation of daily reconciliations of safeguarded and settlement accounts.
- Keep accurate records of daily transactions.
- Monitor liquidity in settlement and operational accounts, and request or approve operational transfers where needed.
- Manage currency balances and conversions in line with Group policy.
- Own the implementation and enforcement of internal policies on payment processing operations, liquidity monitoring, safeguarding processes and oversight of service providers.
- Oversee PFSL’s financial performance and financial operations, keeping them accurate, controlled and delivered on time.
Group, entity and team
- Work with the HQ finance team on group financial reporting.
- Lead the interaction with the external accounting firm on entity matters.
- Work with the Group entities that provide services to PFSL and receive services from it, including the annual test of exit plans for intragroup outsourcing.
- Work with the leadership of Payhawk’s EU entity where products and Visa arrangements span both entities.
- Build and lead the team and processes behind payment operations and finance operations at PFSL.
What you will need
- Deep knowledge of UK e-money and safeguarding rules, including the EMRs and CASS 10A.
- Experience leading e-money institution reporting to a financial regulator, for example the FCA.
- Experience running reconciliations of safeguarded and settlement funds, and taking auditors through them.
- Experience in a regulated financial services business, such as a payments fintech or a bank.
- Working knowledge of payment and card schemes (Visa ideally) and settlement processes.
- A track record of building processes, including operating and outsourcing processes, ideally in a fast-scaling environment.
- Experience in a global, cross-border business where other group entities provide services to, and receive services from, a UK e-money institution.
- A good understanding of the SaaS industry and venture-backed businesses.
- Clear spoken and written English, including when presenting to a Board and answering questions from regulators.
- Based in the UK, with the right to work in the UK.
What you will get
- Recharge properly — 30 days of paid holiday
- Change the view — a week-long exchange to London, Amsterdam, Paris, Munich, Vilnius, Berlin, Sofia, or Barcelona
- Win together, celebrate together — regular team-wide events that are actually worth showing up to
- Covered, properly — additional medical care
- Stay in the game — a sports card, fully funded, for the gym, classes, or your sport of choice
- Commute easily — a monthly travel allowance that covers getting to and from the office
- Use what you build — hands-on access to the actual product you're hiring people to help build
Payhawk is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status.
