Head of Operation

Role OverviewA senior operations leadership role for someone who has done this before — built payment operations from the inside, managed teams across multiple markets, and knows the difference between running a function and transforming one. You will own Card Ops, CS, Payment Ops, Compliance Ops, and Treasury Ops across SEA, reporting directly to the Group COO and managing a 30+ person organisation across Singapore and Malaysia.What You'll DoStrategic LeadershipDefine and execute the SEA operations strategy across card issuing, acquiring, stablecoin payments, and DPT servicesBuild a lean, expert, AI-augmented organisation that scales without proportional headcount growthPartner with the COO and C-level on operating models and cross-functional initiativesRepresent operations in board reporting, investor discussions, and regulatory engagementsOperations ManagementCard Operations ← Primary FocusThis function demands a leader with genuine hands-on depth — someone who has personally navigated card programme operations from the inside and can roll up their sleeves when it matters.we need someone who can walk into a scheme audit, own a reconciliation break, or rebuild a dispute workflow from scratch.Own card issuing programmes across Corporate, Individual, and B2B2C Card — full lifecycle from application through cancellation, to scheme standards at every stageOwn Visa and Mastercard issuing operations in full — BIN management, scheme compliance, mandate tracking, and certification cyclesDrive authorisation monitoring, 3DS tuning, fraud rule configuration, and chargeback management end-to-endDefine and own card programme SLAs — and hold the team to the same standard you hold yourselfLead card reconciliation and ensure exceptions are resolved within agreed timelinesPartner with Internal Product on the card platform roadmap — author BRDs and ensure what gets built works in productionCustomer Service ← Primary FocusCS is the clearest signal of whether operations are actually working. We need a leader who has built and run CS at scale — someone who knows what a broken escalation path feels like, can spot a training gap from a complaint trend, and holds a vendor team to the same standard as their own.Lead multi-tiered CS operations (L1 / L2 / L3) across all channels — inbound and outbound, customer and merchantOwn CS SLAs and build the reporting infrastructure to track them in real timeManage vendor and internal specialist teams to consistent quality, training, and compliance standardsDrive AI-powered CS transformation — chatbots, L1 automation, intelligent routing — measured by deflection rate and CSAT impactBuild escalation frameworks, knowledge infrastructure, and training programmes so quality does not depend on who is on shiftRun a programme that turns complaint trends into structural fixes across Product and OperationsPayment Ops · Compliance Ops · Treasury OpsBeyond Card Ops and CS, this role carries full accountability across three additional functions. Across Payment Ops, own merchant acquiring end-to-end — processing, scheme operations (Visa / Mastercard / WeChat Pay / Alipay), reconciliation, settlement, and chargeback management. In Compliance Ops, oversee customer onboarding, KYC / KYB execution, and periodic reviews — maintaining a clear boundary with second-line Compliance. In Treasury Ops, manage pay-in / pay-out processing, fund monitoring, and daily reconciliation with timely resolution of all exceptions.People & OrganisationDirectly manage functional leads across all five operations functionsOwn headcount planning, capacity modelling, and workforce allocationLead structured performance management — OKRs, reviews, feedback, promotion and PIP decisionsBuild talent pipelines in card issuing and CS; manage succession and eliminate single-points-of-failureManage multiple L1/L2 CS and operations teams from vendors and partnersDrive talent strategy: recruit specialised payment operations expertise, transition existing team members through training and role evolution, manage attrition and replacement decisionsBuild a cohesive cross-site culture between SG and KL through regular on-site presenceTransformation, Collaboration & RiskLead the operations side of dtcpay's AI-native transformation — identify automation opportunities, define BRDs/PRDs, and manage the change management and people transition through automation rolloutPartner with Compliance, Finance, Product, Tech, and IT Governance on shared workflows, digitisation roadmap, and regulatory operationsOwn first-line risk management; ensure all operations meet MAS MPI, Visa / Mastercard scheme rules, and PCI DSS requirementsLead operations-side response to audits and regulatory examinations; maintain audit-ready documentation, SOPs, and evidence trails at all timesWhat We're Looking ForExperience & Background8+ years of operations leadership in payments, card issuing, or regulated financial services — at least 3 years at senior management levelTrack record at a licensed payment institution, e-money issuer, acquiring bank, or major bank's cards/payments division — with direct MAS, BNM, or equivalent regulatory exposureDeep, hands-on card operations expertise is required: Visa / Mastercard issuing programme management, full card lifecycle, fraud and 3DS, chargeback and dispute management, and card reconciliationProven experience of building and running large-scale CS operations (100+ agents or equivalent vendor capacity) — multi-tier model design, AI-driven transformation, and complaint managementFamiliarity with at least one of: merchant acquiring, KYC/KYB onboarding, or treasury / funds operationsExperience leading multi-location teams of 30+ across SEA strongly preferredTechnical KnowledgeDeep knowledge of card ecosystems: Visa / Mastercard scheme rules, BIN management, ISO 8583, authorisation flows, 3DS, disputes, interchange, and settlementStrong grasp of MAS PSA (MPI), PCI DSS, AML/CFT, and scheme compliance obligationsFamiliarity with stablecoin payments, DPT operations, and AI-native payment infrastructure is a strong plusLeadershipProven track record building and developing a high-performing operations team across SEA regionsStructured on performance management — OKRs, underperformance, and promotions handled with clarityStrategic thinker who can define a 3-year operations vision and translate it into quarterly execution plansExcellent English; Mandarin a strong plus given dtcpay's bilingual culture and regional operationsLocation & ReportingBased in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, with regular travel between both locationsReports to the Group COODirect management: Card Ops, CS, Payment Ops, Compliance Ops, Treasury Ops leadsIndirect / matrix: vendor and partner operations teams