Head of Central Operations

At Kroo Bank, we’re building a better bank from the ground up. One that puts customers first, treats money responsibly, and uses technology to make everyday banking simpler, fairer and more transparent. We’re a fully regulated UK bank, backed by long-term investors, with a growing customer base and big ambitions. We move fast, think carefully, and hold ourselves to the highest standards, whether that’s how we engage with our customers, build products, manage risk, or look after our people.

How you will contribute and key responsibilities: 

As the Head of Central Operations, your key responsibility will be to lead and optimise the bank’s central operations functions, ensuring efficient, scalable, and resilient processes that support business growth and regulatory compliance. You will work closely with senior stakeholders to drive operational excellence, embed strong risk and control frameworks, and enhance performance through data driven decision making. Other responsibilities include:

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of central operations processes to drive efficiency, scalability, and cost effectiveness.
• Oversee operational risk and control frameworks, ensuring risks are identified, assessed, and mitigated in line with the bank’s risk appetite.
• Manage operational resource planning to ensure optimal staffing levels and capability to meet business demand.
• Drive the development and use of operational business intelligence to identify trends, inform decision making, and enhance performance outcomes.
• Oversee supplier and vendor management activities, ensuring service delivery meets contractual obligations, performance standards, and regulatory expectations.
• Establish and maintain operational resilience and business continuity frameworks, including testing and enhancement of recovery plans.
• Ensure all central operations activities comply with regulatory requirements and internal policies, supporting audits and regulatory engagement where required.
• Collaborate with cross functional teams including Product, Technology, Risk, and People to align operational strategy with wider business objectives.
• Lead, develop, and inspire a high performing central operations team, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and innovation.
• Manage operational budgets and financial performance, ensuring cost control and alignment with strategic objectives.
• Support the development of training and capability frameworks, including operational academies, to enhance team knowledge and effectiveness.
• Act as a key advisor to senior leadership on operational strategy, risks, and opportunities to improve customer and business outcomes.
• Other duties as assigned to meet business needs.

• Strong leadership and people management skills with the ability to build and develop high performing teams.
• Extensive experience in banking operations or financial services within a regulated environment.
• Proven ability to design and improve operational processes to drive efficiency and scalability.
• Solid understanding of operational risk, controls, and regulatory requirements.
• Experience managing third party suppliers and vendor relationships.
• Ability to use data and insights to inform decisions and improve performance.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence at senior levels.
• Experience in resource planning and workforce optimisation.
• Excellent problem solving skills with a proactive and solution focused approach.
• Ability to lead change and deliver operational transformation initiatives.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Clear and confident communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Experience working cross functionally with Product, Technology, Risk, and People teams.
• Commercial awareness with the ability to manage budgets and control costs.
• Knowledge of business continuity and operational resilience frameworks.
• Ability to work in a fast paced, evolving environment with a high degree of adaptability.

What we offer:

At our cutting-edge fintech company, we know that attracting and retaining the best talent means offering top-notch benefits that help our employees thrive both in and outside of work. Check out what we currently offer:

• Generous holiday time: 25 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays, 1 Kroo bank holiday (June 24th), and 1 day off during the week of your birthday.
• Personal days: We know that life can be unpredictable, so we offer 3 personal days to use as needed.
• Employer-sponsored volunteer program: We're passionate about giving back to our community, and we support our employees in doing the same with up to 4 hours per month of employer-sponsored volunteer time.
• Mental health support: We care about the mental health of our team members and offer access to Spill, our mental health support partner.
• Workplace pension: We want you to feel secure about your future, so we offer a workplace pension with a 5% employee contribution and a 3% employer top-up.
• Top-notch equipment: We provide top-of-the-line equipment necessary for smooth hybrid work, including a MacBook laptop. Additionally, we also offer support in establishing your home office by contributing towards your setup if required.
• Modern office: When you're in the office, you'll enjoy access to our modern, bustling workspace in Farringdon (Central London).
• Cycle to Work scheme: We encourage sustainable transportation with our Cycle to Work scheme.
• Electric Car scheme: We're committed to reducing our carbon footprint, and our Electric Car scheme makes it easy for our employees to do the same.
• Enhanced parental leave: We know that family comes first, and we offer an enhanced parental leave policy to support our employees in starting and growing their families.
• Room for growth: As a fast-paced, high-growth start-up, we're dedicated to providing our employees with room to grow and excel.
• You get full healthcare for you and your nuclear family via Vitality.

Hybrid Working:

At Kroo Bank, we follow a hybrid working approach that balances flexibility with regular in office collaboration. Employees are expected to work from the office 1 or 2 days each week, using our London office as a valuable space to support productivity and teamwork. This role operates from Monday to Friday and includes a combination of remote and office based work, so you will not be required to be on site full time.

Diversity and Inclusion:

We wholeheartedly uphold our commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Every employee is highly regarded, respected, and supported without any form of judgement or prejudice. We consider Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion as fundamental pillars guiding our path in all aspects of our bank. We also ensure that reasonable adjustments are made available to all candidates throughout the recruitment process.

To all Recruitment Agencies:

At Kroo Bank, agency resumes are strictly prohibited. Do not submit agency resumes or forward them to our job advertisements or Kroo Bank employees. Be aware that Kroo Bank will not assume any responsibility for fees incurred due to unsolicited resumes.

To ensure a fair and efficient application process, all candidates are kindly requested to submit their applications directly through the advertised platform. We kindly ask that you refrain from reaching out to the company or its employees via email, LinkedIn, or any other communication channels for inquiries or updates. Please note that any attempts to contact us through these channels will not receive a response. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.