Our client is an ambitious new company operating within the adult (18+) digital content space and is looking for an experienced Head of Payments to take complete ownership of its global payment processing operation. This is not a traditional payments engineering role. We are looking for a senior, commercially minded payments operator who has managed at least $4M per month in high-risk processing, across multiple MIDs, entities and processors. You will understand how to keep payments flowing, improve approval rates, manage risk and, critically, rebuild processing quickly when a MID or processor is lost. You will own the payment journey from the moment a card hits the checkout, including processing infrastructure, routing and cascading, approval rates, chargebacks, fraud ratios and processor relationships. For the right individual, the package will include a competitive base salary plus performance-related upside, which may include revenue share or vesting.
Important
The company operates within the adult (18+) content industry, and the role will work directly with payments relating to adult content. Applicants must therefore be comfortable working within this sector.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Payment Processing & Infrastructure
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Manage processing across multiple legal entities, MIDs, acquirers and PSPs.
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Maintain resilient processing infrastructure so the business is not dependent on a single MID, processor or entity.
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React quickly to MID or processor closures, with alternative processing routes prepared and capable of taking traffic rapidly.
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Oversee payment performance across initial transactions and recurring/rebill payments.
Routing & Cascading
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Own the rules within the company's payment routing environment.
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Determine which transactions are directed to which MIDs and processors.
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Manage cascading and retry strategies to maximise successful transactions while maintaining appropriate risk controls.
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Work closely with engineering on the company's card vault, routing infrastructure and processor integrations.
Approval Rate Optimisation
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Take direct ownership of payment approval rates.
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Analyse decline reasons and identify opportunities to increase successful transactions.
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Monitor initial and rebill performance and report on results weekly.
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Demonstrate measurable improvements through data and before-and-after performance.
Chargebacks, Fraud & Scheme Monitoring
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Manage chargeback and fraud ratios across individual MIDs and brands.
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Monitor payment operations against relevant Visa and Mastercard monitoring programmes, including VAMP and ECP.
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Manage disputes, alerts and reserves.
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Take preventative action where MIDs are approaching monitoring thresholds.
Banking, Acquirers & PSP Relationships
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Build and maintain strong relationships with acquirers, PSPs, brokers and banks.
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Manage payment applications, underwriting processes and renewals.
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Negotiate reserves, settlement arrangements and commercial terms.
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Maintain a strong network of payment-industry contacts who can be activated when required.
Entity & MID Strategy
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Determine how processing should be distributed across entities, jurisdictions and MIDs.
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Build sufficient redundancy into the payment structure so the loss of one processor or MID does not materially interrupt the business.
CANDIDATE PROFILE
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This position requires genuine, demonstrable experience operating high-risk payments at scale.
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Ownership of at least $4M per month in high-risk payment processing.
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Experience managing at least 10 live MIDs across 3 or more legal entities simultaneously.
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Experience within high-risk verticals such as adult, dating, iGaming, FX or high-risk e-commerce.
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Hands-on management of a multi-PSP environment with at least 4 processors.
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Experience operating live routing and cascading rules.
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Evidence of improving approval rates, including measurable before-and-after results.
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Experience managing MIDs within Visa/Mastercard monitoring requirements.
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A track record of protecting a MID from closure or successfully bringing one out of a monitoring programme.
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Experience replacing a MID or processor quickly following a closure.
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Established relationships with acquirers and PSPs.
It would be particularly beneficial if you have:
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Negotiated rolling reserves, settlement terms and reserve requirements.
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Strong working knowledge of network tokens, account updater, 3DS2, MIT and CIT flows.
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Experience preparing PSP applications and underwriting documentation.
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Knowledge of PCI DSS requirements, including SAQ D, ASV scans and penetration testing.
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Experience with chargeback alerts and representment processes, including Compelling Evidence 3.0.
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Previously built or managed a small payments team.
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Enough technical payments knowledge to work effectively with senior payments engineers and developers.
SALARY AND BENEFITS
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Salary will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and skills. The advertised salary range is indicative, any offer will reflect the successful candidate’s suitability.
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Fully remote
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Candidates based in Cyprus are particularly welcome, although location is flexible.
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Competitive base salary
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Additional performance-related upside, with exact terms agreed individually and potentially structured around improvements in payment and processing performance.
Due to the high volume of applications received at GRS Recruitment, only candidates matching the specified criteria will be contacted.
To apply for this position, please email your CV to
Hayley Buckle, hayley@grsrecruitment.com quoting the above job reference or call +357 25 342 724 for further information.