Fintech Operations Director (f/m/d)

📋 Description

• • **A pivotal leadership opportunity to shape the future of fintech operations in the global hospitality industry.** As the Fintech Operations Director at Mews Systems B.V., you will serve as the fintech "COO," building and scaling the operational backbone of Mews’ rapidly expanding global Fintech business. This role is critical to ensuring that Mews’ payment operations, compliance activities, and fraud management capabilities are robust, efficient, and aligned with regulatory expectations. With Mews valued at $2.5 billion and recognized as a leader in hotel technology, this position offers the chance to drive impactful change in an industry undergoing digital transformation.
• • **Day-to-day responsibilities will include:**
• • **Strategic leadership and execution:** Own and execute the fintech operations strategy, ensuring that payments, fraud prevention, and compliance functions scale seamlessly with Mews’ hypergrowth. This involves setting clear priorities, defining operational roadmaps, and aligning cross-functional teams to meet business objectives.
• • **Payment operations management:** Lead day-to-day payment operations across all rails, including cards, SEPA, alternative payment methods (APMs), and digital wallets. Oversee settlements, reconciliation, exceptions, and incident management to ensure smooth and secure transactions for Mews’ global customer base.
• • **Fraud and risk oversight:** Oversee first-line fraud and risk operations, including rule design, real-time monitoring, and investigations. Drive initiatives to reduce financial losses while maintaining a seamless customer experience, balancing security with usability.
• • **Compliance and regulatory alignment:** Manage first-line compliance operations, including Know Your Customer (KYC), Know Your Business (KYB), transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, and ongoing reviews. Partner closely with second-line compliance teams to ensure policies, controls, and audits meet regulatory standards across multiple jurisdictions.
• • **Dispute and chargeback management:** Lead chargeback and dispute operations, improving recovery rates and ensuring scheme and acquirer metrics remain within agreed thresholds. Develop strategies to minimize disputes and enhance customer satisfaction.
• • **Team leadership and development:** Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of 15–16 professionals, including four direct reports. Set clear expectations, provide growth opportunities, and foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• • **Process optimization and automation:** Drive continuous improvement across tools, processes, and workflows. Leverage data, KPIs, and automation (including AI where relevant) to identify inefficiencies, prioritize fixes, and scale operations efficiently.
• • **Cross-functional collaboration:** Act as a senior operational counterpart to Product, Engineering, Risk, Compliance, Finance, and Customer teams. Provide operational insights to inform new product launches, market expansions, and strategic initiatives, ensuring alignment with business goals.
• • **About Mews and the team:**
• • Mews is a Hotel Tech unicorn revolutionizing the hospitality industry with its cloud-based property management solution. Powering over 5,000 customers across more than 85 countries, Mews enables hotels to streamline operations, enhance guest experiences, and drive profitability. The company is recognized as the Best PMS of 2025 and a Best Place to Work in Hotel Tech, reflecting its commitment to innovation, employee growth, and industry leadership.
• • The Fintech organization at Mews is entering a phase of hypergrowth, with this role reporting directly to the SVP, GM of Fintech. You will join a dynamic, fast-paced team that values ambition, tenacity, and passion for disrupting traditional industries. Mews’ culture emphasizes freedom, open communication, and collaboration, with opportunities for professional development and work-life balance.
• • **What you can learn and achieve in this role:**
• • **Industry-leading expertise:** Gain deep experience in fintech operations within the hospitality sector, a niche but rapidly growing field. Develop specialized knowledge in payment rails, fraud management, and regulatory compliance, positioning yourself as a leader in fintech innovation.
• • **Scaling a global business:** Play a key role in scaling Mews’ Fintech operations from a high-growth phase to maturity. This includes building processes, teams, and systems that can handle increasing complexity and global expansion, providing invaluable experience in operational leadership.
• • **Cross-functional impact:** Work closely with senior leaders across Product, Engineering, Risk, Compliance, and Finance, broadening your understanding of how fintech integrates with other business functions. This role offers visibility into strategic decision-making and the opportunity to influence the direction of a unicorn company.
• • **Leadership and mentorship:** Develop your leadership skills by managing a team of 15+ professionals, including direct reports. Learn how to build high-performing teams, set clear expectations, and create development paths that align with both individual and company goals.
• • **Innovation and automation:** Drive initiatives to automate and optimize fintech operations, leveraging modern tools and data-driven insights. This role allows you to experiment with cutting-edge technologies, including AI, to improve efficiency and reduce manual workloads.
• • **Global regulatory navigation:** Navigate the complexities of regulatory compliance across multiple jurisdictions, gaining expertise in KYC, KYB, sanctions screening, and transaction monitoring. This experience is highly transferable and valuable in the fintech and financial services industries.