Managing Director

About the Role:

This is the first operational leadership hire for a new European payments company establishing its licensed entity in Riga. You will direct the Latvian entity, sit on its management board, and act as the company's counterpart to Latvijas Banka – taking it through the electronic money institution license application, then building and running the operation.

The role reports to the CEO and is operational, not commercial: sales and account management sit elsewhere. Until the license is granted, the role is part-time; it becomes full-time once the company is authorized.

What You'll Do:

• Act as the person responsible for payment services and e-money issuance for the purposes of the company's authorization
• Represent the company before Latvijas Banka, other authorities, banks, partners and service providers
• Ensure effective governance, risk management, compliance and internal controls
• Oversee safeguarding arrangements, key operational risks and material outsourced functions
• Lead day-to-day operations: payment operations, merchant onboarding, first and second line support
• Supervise key function holders and external service providers
• Build the Riga team from nothing and own the HR function for Latvia: recruitment, contracts, payroll, onboarding, performance
• Run the entity: office, accounting and payroll providers, statutory filings, local administration
• Take part in management board decisions on strategy, finances, controls, outsourcing, staffing and business continuity

Requirements:

• Latvian and English – both required 
• Higher education in finance, economics, law, business administration or a related field
• 3+ years of experience in financial services, payments, banking, fintech or another regulated business
• Practical experience in financial and business management
• Good understanding of e-money, payment services, safeguarding, compliance, risk management and internal controls
• Experience managing teams, key functions or external service providers
• An impeccable professional reputation – the role is subject to fit-and-proper assessment by Latvijas Banka
• Ability to dedicate sufficient time to the company's management and regulatory responsibilities

Why Join?

• A seat on the management board of a licensed institution from the outset
• The first operational leadership role in a company built from nothing – no legacy platform, no inherited processes, real influence over its design
• AI-first payments company with a small, senior team, backed by founders who have built and scaled well-known European payment companies
• Control functions report to the board and are backed to say no
• Low-risk start: part-time during the licensing phase, alongside your current role

We Offer:

• Salary: EUR 5,500–7,500 gross/month for the full-time role, inclusive of the board-member component
• Equity participation, discussed at offer stage
• Part-time during licensing, full-time once authorized
• Location: Riga, Latvia (hybrid, flexible remote working)