Chief Operating Officer

1stdigital; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial technology company is seeking a Chief Operating Officer to join its team in Gibraltar. This strategic role involves overseeing operational execution, managing outsourcing services, and ensuring compliance with regulations. The ideal candidate should have extensive experience in payments and fintech, with a strong understanding of both UK and Gibraltar regulations. Competitive compensation and benefits support professional development and career growth in a dynamic environment.

Benefits

Competitive Compensation

Transportation Support

Comprehensive Benefits

Professional Development

Career Growth

Team Engagement

Qualifications

• 10+ years of executive experience in Payments, E-Money or Fintech.
• Experience managing operations for high-risk client bases.
• Deep understanding of UK or Gibraltar regulations.

Responsibilities

• Translate strategic objectives into operational plans.
• Oversee client lifecycle management.
• Direct annual testing programs for business continuity.

Skills

Industry Knowledge

Operational Leadership

Crisis Management

Regulatory Competence

Risk Mindset

Tools

Core banking platforms

APIs

Job description

First Digital Group is the global holding company for a leading ecosystem of financial technology, trust, and digital asset companies. Our mission is to empower financial fluidity in a digital-first world by bridging the gap between traditional finance and the digital asset economy. Through our strategic subsidiaries, we provide a comprehensive infrastructure that enables economies, institutions, and developers to capitalize on the digital evolution of finance. The Group’s portfolio includes:

• First Digital Trust: Asia’s leading digital asset custodian and registered trust company.
• FD 121 (BVI) Limited: The issuer of FDUSD, Asia’s first homegrown blockchain based USD stablecoin.
• FD Payments: The Group’s dedicated fiat payments and electronic money engine.

About FD Payments Limited (FDPL):

FD Payments Limited (FDPL) is the Gibraltar-based Electronic Money Institution (EMI) subsidiary of the First Digital Group. Established to serve as the originating "payments engine" for the Group and its institutional clients, FDPL is dedicated to solving the banking and settlement challenges faced by the digital asset sector. We provide accessible and innovative electronic money payment accounts and fiat on/off-ramp solutions to a diverse range of institutional clients, including Crypto Fintechs, Trust & Corporate Service Providers (TCSPs), and international group structures. By leveraging the Group's ecosystem, FDPL offers a specialized payment infrastructure designed for operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and global scalability.

About the role:

FDPL is seeking a hands‑on and strategic Chief Operating Officer (COO) to join its leadership team in Gibraltar. Reporting directly to the Board, you will be responsible for the operational execution of FDPL’s strategy, ensuring the company functions efficiently, compliantly, and securely. As a senior leader within the First Line of Defence, you will own operational risk and oversee the minimum "four-eyes" approval process for material transactions. You will bridge the gap between the Gibraltar-based executive team and outsourced support functions in Hong Kong and Malaysia, ensuring that while services are leveraged globally, ultimate decision‑making and control remain firmly in Gibraltar.

What you'll do:

1. Strategic Leadership & Board Execution

• Strategy Implementation: Translate strategic objectives set by the Board into operational plans, budgets, and performance targets.
• Committee Leadership: Chair the Operational Resilience & Safeguarding Committee, providing focused oversight of business continuity, IT security, and critical client fund safeguarding processes.
• Board Reporting: Present quarterly updates on operations, client services, and outsourcing performance to the Board of Directors.

2. Operational Oversight & Outsourcing Management

• Outsourcing Supervision: Maintain strict oversight of intra-group outsourced services provided by FDT Malaysia (Back-office/Marketing) and FDT HK (Technology). Ensure all outsourced activities adhere to Gibraltar regulatory standards.
• Cross‑Border Resilience Strategy: Lead the contingency strategy for the outsourcing model. Train and manage Gibraltar-based managers (e.g., Client Services, Finance) to ensure they can immediately assume critical first‑line support tasks if the Malaysia support hub becomes unavailable.
• Operational Architecture: Define the high‑level Process Architecture and drive the standardization of operating procedures across the entity. Ensure that workflows executed by outsourced teams in Hong Kong and Malaysia are fully documented and aligned with Gibraltar’s regulatory substance requirements, ensuring appropriate signoffs are obtained from functional stakeholders (e.g., Compliance, Risk) prior to implementation.
• Vendor Management: Manage the relationship with the platform vendor to ensure the Smart Trust Platform meets Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for availability, security patches, and feature development.

3. Platform, Product & Payments

• Platform Ownership: Act as the business owner for the Smart Trust Platform, ensuring it delivers seamless multi‑currency account management and payment processing for clients.
• Payment Operations: Oversee the execution of payment transactions (SWIFT/SEPA) and e‑money issuance, ensuring settlement accuracy and speed.
• Change Management Governance: Lead the operational readiness strategy for new product rollouts and vendor integrations. Act as the "Gatekeeper" for the Gibraltar entity, ensuring that any group‑level system upgrades or new feature launches (e.g., new stablecoin pairs) have received local regulatory sign‑off before implementation.
• Product Roadmap: Collaborate with the Group CTO to guide the technology roadmap, ensuring alignment with client needs and regulatory requirements.

4. Client Services & Onboarding

• Client Lifecycle: Oversee the Client Services function to ensure high‑quality support for corporate clients, specifically within the Crypto, Fintech, and TCSP sectors.
• Onboarding Efficiency: Work with the Compliance Committee to streamline onboarding, balancing strict AML/CFT rigor with a competitive client experience.
• Complaint Handling: Ensure a robust complaints handling process is in place and that operational escalations are managed effectively.

5. Operational Resilience & Safeguarding (First Line of Defence)

• Crisis Command: Serve as the permanent Chair of the Crisis Management Team (CMT). You hold the sole authority to formally declare a "significant disruption," activate the BCDR Plan, and lead the strategic response.
• BCDRP Framework Ownership: Act as the designated Policy Owner for the Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Plan. You are responsible for its lifecycle, conducting annual reviews, and reporting resilience status and test results to the Board.
• Recovery Execution: Act as the primary Recovery Task Owner for critical risk scenarios designated in the BCDR plan, including third‑party vendor failures, cyber‑attacks, and physical security threats.
• Testing Direction: Direct the annual testing program (e.g., simulations, tabletop exercises) to validate the effectiveness of the BCDR plan against "severe but plausible" scenarios.
• Risk Ownership: Act as the "Responsible Owner" for operational risks, identifying and mitigating risks within the First Line of Defence.
• Safeguarding: Oversee the daily effectiveness of client fund safeguarding measures and reconciliations to comply with EMRs.
• BCDR Planning: Review and approve the annual Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) Plan and oversee testing results.

What we're looking for:

• Industry Knowledge: 10+ years of executive experience in Payments, E‑Money (EMI), or Fintech, with specific expertise in B2B corporate banking or payment processing.
• High‑Risk Verticals: Proven experience managing operations for high‑risk client bases, specifically Crypto/Web3, Fintechs, or Gaming.
• Regulatory Competence: Deep understanding of Gibraltar (GFSC) or UK (FCA/HMRC) regulations regarding Electronic Money Regulations (EMRs), safeguarding of funds, and outsourcing governance.
• Operational Leadership: Experience managing cross‑border teams and outsourcing arrangements, ensuring local substance and control are maintained.
• Strategic Execution: Ability to scale EMI‑compliant operations from licensing to full commercial launch.
• Digital Asset Operations Fluency: Deep technical understanding of stablecoin operational lifecycles (minting, burning, treasury management) and custody workflows. Ability to oversee the operational integration between fiat payment rails (FDPL) and digital asset settlement layers (FDT HK).
• Crisis Management: Proven ability to lead under pressure, with experience chairing crisis committees or managing significant business continuity events.
• Leadership: Strong interpersonal skills and gravitas to function as an Executive Director and challenge peers constructively.
• Technical Fluency: Familiarity with core banking platforms, APIs, SEPA/SWIFT payment rails, and cloud infrastructure.
• Risk Mindset: A solid grasp of the "Three Lines of Defence" model and the ability to balance commercial growth with operational resilience.

Why Join Us?

• Competitive Compensation – We offer a remuneration package that reflects your expertise and contributions.
• Transportation Support – A monthly allowance to assist with your commute.
• Comprehensive Benefits – Life, medical, and dental coverage for your well‑being.
• Professional Development – A US$4,000 education allowance to support your continuous learning.
• Career Growth – Strong prospects for advancement within a dynamic organization.
• Team Engagement – Regular activities to foster collaboration and a positive work environment.