Finance Transformation Lead - Payment Safeguarding

Head of Finance Transformation - (payment safeguarding)Head of Finance Transformation – (Payment’s industry exp - card processing) 12 month FTC£100,000 + Bens, DOEBirmingham 5 days in office

Looking to lead finance transformation in a dynamic fintech environment? My client is hiring a Finance Transformation Lead to drive process improvements, automation, and safeguarding compliance.

Ideal candidates will bring strong financial accounting, payments operations (card processing), and IFRS/technical expertise, with hands-on experience in NetSuite or other ERP systems.

Why Join?

• Drive strategic finance transformation at a fast-growing tech-enabled payments business.
• Lead high-impact projects including ERP integrations, reconciliation automation.
• Collaborate with executive leadership, auditors, banking partners, and tech teams, gaining broad exposure across the business.
• Opportunity to grow into senior leadership roles, including Head of Payment Operations & Safeguarding.

The Role:

The Finance Transformation Lead will own the design, delivery, and optimisation of finance systems and processes, ensuring regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and full visibility of customer and scheme balances.

• Act as the accountable owner for safeguarding compliance, ensuring alignment with FCA expectations and audit readiness.
• Define and oversee the safeguarding control framework, including secondary cash book reconciliation in NetSuite.
• Provide executive visibility of merchant creditors, scheme receivables, debt positions, and negative balances.
• Lead daily/weekly safeguarding reporting and variance analysis between Way4 and NetSuite.
• Own the end-to-end collections process (GoCardless/Kolleno/Netsuite/Way4).
• Deliver transaction posting automation, bank integrations, invoice flows, and customer master data integration.
• Eliminate manual MSC journals and embed automated safeguarding and reconciliation logic.
• Tighten financial close timelines and improve auditability of balances.

Candidate Profile:

• Strong understanding of FCA safeguarding rules, audit expectations, and practical safeguarding implementations.
• Proven experience in payments operations, including card scheme settlement flows, net vs. gross settlement models, and handling negative balances.
• Demonstrated success in ERP/finance system integrations (NetSuite ideal), reconciliation automation, and financial reporting upgrades.
• Background in payments, fintech, or e-money institutions preferred (e.g., Checkout.com, Wise, Stripe, Adyen, Revolut).
• Finance qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) advantageous but not essential with strong payments/safeguarding expertise.