- Fantastic company, several offices across EU, multi licensed
- Excellent remuneration package and working conditions
- Opportunity to work for a key player in the Acquiring industry
Our client is a fast-growing, multilicensed Card Acquiring group with offices across the EU, specialising in payment acquiring, virtual cards, and comprehensive financial infrastructure solutions for digital merchants and high-volume businesses. About the Role Our client is seeking a highly experienced and strategic Head of Risk / Chief Risk Officer to lead and build the group-wide risk management function. This is a pivotal leadership role with end-to-end responsibility for the entire risk framework. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape and own the full risk organisation for the group, playing a critical part in supporting sustainable, high-volume growth. The key focus is the effective management of risks associated with recurring and high-volume payment traffic, with deep expertise in Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) — particularly the ongoing optimisation and control of the VAMP ratio. Key Responsibilities - Design, implement, and continuously strengthen the enterprise risk management framework across the group
- Take full ownership of VAMP compliance, monitoring, and performance — with special focus on maintaining a healthy VAMP ratio and avoiding scheme penalties
- Develop proactive strategies to manage risks related to recurring transactions, chargebacks, fraud, and high-volume payment flows
- Establish robust risk policies, controls, monitoring systems, and early-warning mechanisms across all acquiring and payment activities
- Collaborate closely with commercial, product, operations, compliance, and technology teams to enable responsible business growth
- Produce clear executive risk reporting and present insights to the Board and senior leadership
- Manage relationships with Visa, Mastercard, acquirers, and regulators on all risk-related topics
- Build, mentor, and lead a professional risk team as the function scales
- Advise on risk implications for new products, markets, client segments, and strategic initiatives
- Support group-wide governance and multilicense compliance across EU entities
What We're Looking For - 6+ years of senior risk leadership experience in card acquiring, payments, fintech, or banking
- Deep, hands-on expertise in Visa VAMP — including ratio management, threshold monitoring, reporting, and remediation actions
- Strong track record managing risk for high-volume recurring transaction businesses (acquiring or payment processing preferred)
- Thorough knowledge of chargeback management, fraud prevention, dispute workflows, and payment scheme rules
- Experience operating in a multilicensed, multi-jurisdiction environment is a strong advantage
- Strategic thinker who can balance risk control with commercial objectives
- Proven leadership skills with the ability to build and develop high-performing teams
- Excellent analytical and communication skills, with the presence to operate at Board level
- Cyprus or EU work eligibility preferable (relocation support available)
- Work permit can be provided in exemptional cases and depending on the candidate's preferred physical office location
What Our Client Offers - Competitive executive remuneration package negotiable benefits depending on the Candidate's previous benefits.
- Salary from120,000 - 160,000 per year
- Opportunity to build and lead the full group risk function as Chief Risk Officer
- Clear potential for further career growth within a rapidly expanding Card Acquiring group
- Collaborative, ambitious environment with direct exposure to the leadership team
This is a confidential search. If you are a seasoned risk professional with strong VAMP expertise and the leadership capability to own the entire risk function for a growing multilicensed acquiring group, our client would welcome your application in strict confidence.
Please send your CV and a brief note highlighting your experience with VAMP and high-volume payment/recurring traffic risk management.