Operations Director

About the Client Our client is an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) based in Malta, currently in the process of obtaining Principal Membership with Visa and Mastercard and launching acquiring operations. The company is building its operational infrastructure from the ground up and entering an active growth phase, with a particular focus on processing merchants from high-risk industries. About the Role We are looking for an experienced Operations Director who will take full ownership of structuring, launching, and managing the acquiring operations in Malta. This role requires a hands-on leader who can break the overall project into clear operational components, launch key processes from scratch, and ensure efficient execution across certifications, scheme relationships, vendor management, and team build-out. The Operations Director will play a central role in building the acquiring framework and representing the company locally in Malta. Key Responsibilities Break down the acquiring launch project into clear operational workstreams and ensure structured execution Oversee certification processes and ensure operational readiness for scheme compliance Build and hire the operational team Establish and manage relationships with vendors, service providers, and technical partners Set up and implement operational processes from scratch Lead and coordinate the Principal Membership process with Visa and Mastercard Ensure operational efficiency in high-risk merchant processing Lead and support the operational presence of the EMI Requirements Proven experience in payment companies, preferably within acquiring environments Strong understanding of merchant processing, including high-risk industries Previous leadership experience in a payment or fintech company Practical experience launching and structuring processes from scratch Experience working with card schemes and understanding of Principal Membership processes Fluent Russian and English (both mandatory) Strong operational mindset with the ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously Soft Skills Structured and strategic thinker who can decompose complex projects into actionable steps Hands-on executor with strong ownership mentality Strong leadership presence and ability to build and motivate teams Comfortable working in fast-moving, build-from-zero environments Solution-oriented approach with strong decision-making skills If you are an experienced payments leader who understands acquiring, high-risk merchant processing, and enjoys building operations from the ground up, we would be happy to discuss this opportunity with you.