Our client is a fintech building the infrastructure powering seamless cross-border payments across emerging markets. 

As they scale rapidly across multiple countries, they are seeking a high-caliber Chief Operating Officer to drive execution across growth, marketing, and operations. This role is critical in translating strategy into disciplined, high-performance execution, ensuring we scale efficiently, enter new markets successfully, and build strong teams and systems to support sustained growth.

Role Overview

This is a critical leadership role responsible for growth, marketing, and operational excellence, ensuring the business delivers on its strategic objectives with speed, discipline, and clarity.

The ideal candidate has previously scaled fintech across multiple countries, understands the complexity of operating in emerging markets, and can translate strategy into consistent, high-performance execution across teams.

Profile We're Looking For

• Operator, not just strategist

• Comfortable with ambiguity and fast-moving environments

• Strong bias for action and execution

• High ownership and accountability mindset

• Able to operate at both strategic and deeply operational levels

Key Responsibilities

1. Growth & Market Expansion

   1. Own and drive user, revenue, and transaction growth across all markets

   2. Lead go-to-market strategies for new countries and corridors

   3. Identify and unlock high-impact growth channels and partnerships

   4. Continuously optimize acquisition, activation, and retention funnels

2. Marketing Leadership

   1. Oversee brand, performance, and product marketing

   2. Ensure clear positioning across markets with localized execution

   3. Drive data-led marketing decisions and ROI accountability

   4. Align marketing with product and growth objectives

3. Operations & Execution

   1. Build and manage a high-performing operations function

   2. Ensure consistent service delivery across all markets

   3. Drive process optimization, scalability, and efficiency

   4. Implement systems for performance tracking and accountability

4. People & Organizational Leadership

   1. Lead hiring, development, and performance of operations and growth teams

   2. Build a high-performance culture with clear KPIs and ownership

   3. Ensure strong cross-functional alignment across product, engineering, and commercial teams

   4. Put in place structures, processes, and reporting systems to support scale

5. Strategic Execution

1. Translate company strategy into clear operational plans and targets

2. Work closely with the CEO to prioritize initiatives and allocate resources

3. Drive execution discipline across the organization

4. Track and report on key business metrics and performance

Requirements

• 7–12+ years experience, with significant leadership in fintech

• Proven track record of scaling a fintech or payments business across multiple markets

• Deep understanding of mobile money, cross-border payments, or digital financial services

• Strong experience in growth, marketing, and operations leadership

• Demonstrated ability to build and manage high-performing teams

• Highly analytical with strong data-driven decision-making capabilities

• Experience operating in African or emerging markets is highly preferred

Compensation

• Competitive monthly retainer aligned with experience and scope

• Meaningful stock options in the company, providing long-term upside and alignment with company growth

• Opportunity to participate in value creation at scale as the business expands across multiple markets

What Success Looks Like (12–18 Months)

• Measurable growth in users, transaction volume, and revenue across markets

• Clear, repeatable go-to-market playbooks for expansion

• Strong operational systems and reporting across all markets

• High-performing teams with clear accountability and ownership

• Improved efficiency, margins, and execution speed