---
title: 'Head of Payment Operations (m/f/d) at Pliant'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-payment-operations-m-f-d-pliant-london-6h0hes7w6pg0'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-11'
---

# Head of Payment Operations (m/f/d) at Pliant

- **Company:** Pliant
- **Location:** London, United Kingdom
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-11-05
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-11
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/pliant/eb8a3a36-e632-477e-9d66-65a9d0c09102

## Job description

## ABOUT US

Pliant is a modular B2B payments platform combining commercial card issuing, payment accounts, FX and spend management for businesses and AI agents.

Businesses across travel, e-commerce, insurance and AI-native technology use Pliant to manage complex payment workflows, while fintechs, software platforms and banks use its infrastructure to build and operate their own commercial payment offerings.

Pliant's API-first platform also enables AI agents and applications to access regulated payment infrastructure with permissions, controls and auditability built in.

Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Berlin, Pliant serves businesses and partners across Europe and North America. A principal member of Visa and Mastercard, Pliant issues commercial cards in 13 currencies across 32 countries under its European e-money license and through regulated partners in the UK and US.

Learn more at [www.getpliant.com](http://www.getpliant.com).

## ABOUT THE ROLE

We are looking for a Head of Payment Operations to lead and scale our payment operations across markets. You will own operational performance, strengthen controls and partner relationships, and build efficient, resilient processes that support growth in card issuing and payments. You will work with the management of each regulated entity to ensure that Group operations meet local requirements, including your specific responsibilities for Pliant Payments Ltd

## WHAT YOU’LL DO

- Own the Payment Operations strategy, operating model, annual plans, objectives and performance reporting.
- Lead day-to-day operations across card issuing, processing, payment flows, settlement, reconciliation and related treasury interfaces, including operational safeguarding processes within the team’s remit, timely escalation of safeguarding discrepancies and shortfalls, and coordination with Finance and Compliance.
- Define and monitor service levels, authorisation performance, payment costs, exception management and operational quality.
- Drive process standardisation, automation and improvements to tooling, controls and reporting.
- Build, coach and develop a geographically distributed team, including managers and specialists; establish clear accountability and development pathways.
- Manage senior relationships with card schemes, processors, banking partners and other critical providers, including escalations and performance reviews.
- Partner with Risk, Compliance, Data and Legal on scheme obligations, regulatory requirements, audits and incident response.
- Work closely with Product, Engineering, Finance, Data and Commercial teams to launch and improve products while ensuring operational readiness.
- Oversee major operational incidents, root-cause analysis and corrective actions; provide concise updates to senior leadership.
- Act as an FCA-registered EMD Individual for Pliant Payments Ltd, with responsibility for managing and overseeing payment operations in compliance with the applicable requirements of the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 and the Payment Services Regulations 2017, and maintain the good repute, knowledge and experience required under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011.

## WHAT YOU’LL BRING

- Approximately 8–10 years of relevant experience in payments, issuing, acquiring, banking or fintech operations.
- At least three years of people leadership experience, ideally including managing managers or multi-location teams.
- Strong understanding of card schemes, issuer processing, payment lifecycle, settlement and reconciliation.
- Experience designing scalable controls, operational metrics and service-management processes in a regulated environment.
- Confidence working with external banking and scheme partners and influencing cross-functional stakeholders.
- Analytical and commercially minded approach, with the ability to translate operational data into action.
- Clear written and verbal communication, sound judgement and a hands-on approach to solving complex problems.
- Practical understanding of regulatory requirements applicable to payment operations across relevant markets, including UK EMI requirements under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011, Payment Services Regulations 2017 and FCA safeguarding rules.

## Nice to have

- International card-issuing programmes, BIN sponsorship or principal scheme membership.
- Tokenisation, 3-D Secure, alternative payment methods or related payments infrastructure.
- Data analysis using SQL, Python or comparable tools.

## WHAT WE OFFER

- The opportunity to work in a growing team with big responsibilities that thrives on a strong exchange of knowledge and excellence
- Attractive remuneration
- Flat hierarchy and transparent communication in a relaxed, professional atmosphere
- Opportunity to develop your talent in a dynamic team with ambitious goals
- Flexibility and possibility to work remotely
- Pliant Card with monthly credit to explore the product and enjoy food with colleagues

Pliant is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and abilities, and are committed to an inclusive hiring process. If you need any accommodations during the interview process, please let us know.

At Pliant we use the Ashby AI Criteria to assist with looking over resumes against our job qualifications for this role. All final decisions are made by our Talent Team and Hiring Team.

A human is behind these processes. Ashby does not automatically reject candidates or make final hiring decisions. Our teams review all results and make the final hiring decision with every candidate that applies.

## About Pliant

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Pliant provides an API-first, modular B2B credit card platform that enables businesses to issue, manage, and track physical and virtual credit cards while streamlining payment processes and spend controls.
- **Entity Type**: Private (growth stage, backed by multiple venture capital investors)
- **Headquarters**: Berlin, Germany
- **Founded**: 2020
- **Founders**: Malte Rau and Fabian Terner

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Fintech – B2B payments, spend management, and card issuance.
- **Target customers**: B2B – businesses of all sizes (SMB to enterprise), banks and financial institutions (via CaaS/BaaS), and developers/API users.
- **Mission or purpose statement**: "Empower companies to grow by providing a smart way to pay that scales with their business." [getpliant.com](https://www.getpliant.com/en-us/about-pliant)

## Products & Services
- **Payment Apps**: Ready-to-use mobile and web applications for issuing cards, managing spend, tracking transactions, and integrating with accounting tools. Ideal for companies that want a full-featured solution out of the box.
- **Pro API**: A fully customizable API for businesses that need to issue cards at scale, automate workflows, and build custom integrations into their finance stack. Supports single-use virtual cards, spend controls, and real-time monitoring.
- **CaaS & BaaS (Card-as-a-Service & Banking-as-a-Service)**: White-label solutions for banks and fintechs to launch their own branded credit card programs, with Pliant handling compliance, card issuance, and processing under its e-money license.
- **Card & Spend OS**: The underlying operating system that powers all products, offering spend control, receipt management, accounting automation, and transaction insights.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available.
- **Key Metric**: Total funding amount not publicly disclosed; notable investors include **Alstin Capital**, **Motive Ventures**, **Speedinvest**, **SBI Investment**, **PayPal Ventures**, and **Illuminate Financial**. [getpliant.com](https://www.getpliant.com/en-us/about-pliant)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: PayPal Ventures, Speedinvest, Alstin Capital, Motive Ventures, SBI Investment, Illuminate Financial.
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Team of 250+ employees representing 35+ nationalities. [getpliant.com](https://www.getpliant.com/en/careers)
  - Offices in Berlin (HQ), London, New York, Paris, Munich, Vienna, Lisbon, and Helsinki. [getpliant.com](https://www.getpliant.com/en-us/about-pliant)
  - Licensed as an e-money institution (EMI) in the EU and certified ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and PCI DSS. [getpliant.com](https://www.getpliant.com/en)
  - High Glassdoor rating of 4.6/5 (as of Nov 2024). [getpliant.com](https://www.getpliant.com/en/careers)

## Competitive Advantages
- **API-first platform**: Fully programmable card issuance and spend management, enabling deep customization and automation for enterprises and developers.
- **Regulatory moat**: Holds an e-money license and multiple security certifications (ISO 27001, PCI DSS), making it a trusted partner for banks and regulated institutions.
- **Multi-product flexibility**: Offers everything from out-of-the-box apps to white-label CaaS/BaaS, covering a wide range of customer needs in one platform.
- **Real-time data & insights**: Provides granular transaction monitoring, customizable reporting, and seamless integration with accounting and ERP systems.

## Strategic Focus
- Expand geographically (already present across Europe and the US) and deepen partnerships with banks and fintechs through CaaS offerings.
- Continue enhancing the Pro API and automation capabilities to serve high-volume enterprise clients.
- Strengthen compliance and security infrastructure to maintain regulatory advantages.
- Grow headcount across engineering, sales, and data teams to support scaling.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture & values**: Emphasizes agility, kindness, openness, and having fun. Mission-driven team with a flat structure and collaborative environment. [getpliant.com](https://www.getpliant.com/en/careers)
- **Remote/hybrid policy**: Offers home office and remote work opportunities (many roles listed as *EU/UK remote*), plus flexible working hours. [getpliant.com](https://www.getpliant.com/en/careers)
- **Perks**: Learning & development budget, monthly lunch benefit, mobility perk, Bahncard, Wellhub membership, and regular team events.
- **Engineering culture**: 11 cross-functional teams, with visible investment in data, engineering, and product roles. Technology stack includes modern API-first development.
- **Glassdoor rating**: 4.6/5 (as of Nov 2024) – indicative of high employee satisfaction.

## Sources
1. [getpliant.com - Main site](https://www.getpliant.com/en)
2. [getpliant.com - About page](https://www.getpliant.com/en-us/about-pliant)
3. [getpliant.com - Careers page](https://www.getpliant.com/en/careers)
4. [linkedin.com - Pliant company page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/getpliant)
5. [getpliant.com - Careers (alternate)](https://www.getpliant.com/en-us/careers)

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