Lead - Operations

Description About the role We are looking for a dynamic and execution-focused Lead Operations to drive the core operational engine of our fintech business as we scale and pursue Payment Aggregator (PA) and Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPI). This is a high-impact leadership role where you will oversee a team of 56 professionals spanning Payment Operations, Merchant Operations, Customer Operations & Support (L2), Escrow & Banking Operations, and Business Operations Support. The ideal candidate combines deep fintech operations expertise with the ability to build scalable processes, manage cross-functional teams, and ensure seamless day-to-day operations in a fast-moving startup environment. What you'll do Payment & Merchant Operations Oversee the payment processing lifecycletransaction monitoring, settlements, reconciliation, refunds, chargebacks, and dispute resolutionensuring accuracy and SLA adherence. Manage the merchant onboarding process including due diligence, KYC/KYB checks, risk profiling, and activation, ensuring compliance with RBI PA guidelines. Drive operational efficiency across payment flows by identifying bottlenecks, implementing process improvements, and leveraging automation wherever possible. Maintain robust monitoring dashboards for transaction success rates, failure analysis, and settlement cycles; escalate anomalies proactively.Escrow & Banking Operations Oversee the management of escrow accounts as mandated by RBI for PA operations, ensuring funds are held, reconciled, and released in strict compliance with regulatory timelines. Manage relationships with nodal and escrow banks, coordinate for account setups, limit enhancements, and resolve banking escalations. Ensure daily reconciliation of escrow positions, settlement payouts, and float management with zero tolerance for discrepancies. Regulatory financial reportingCustomer Operations & Support Own the customer support function (L2 and above), establishing SOPs, escalation matrices, and quality benchmarks for efficient grievance redressal. Ensure the customer grievance redressal mechanism complies with RBI's requirements, including turnaround times and escalation to the RBI Ombudsman where applicable. Track and analyse support trends, CSAT scores, and dispute rates to feed insights back into product and operations teams.Business Operations Support & Cross-Functional Coordination Act as the central coordinator between technology, product, finance, legal, and business teams to ensure operational readiness for new product launches, integrations, and regulatory changes. Define and maintain operational playbooks, process documentation, and standard operating procedures across all functions under purview. Support internal and external audits by preparing required operational documentation and coordinating cross-team responses.Team Leadership Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 56 professionals across all operational sub-functions, setting clear KRAs, OKRs, and performance benchmarks. Build a culture of operational excellence, continuous improvement, and accountability within the team. Recruit and onboard talent as the team scales in line with business growth and regulatory requirements.What we're looking for Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business Administration, Finance, or a related field; MBA or professional certifications are a plus. 69 years of progressive experience in fintech, payments, or banking operations, with at least 23 years managing a team. Hands-on experience at a payment aggregator, payment gateway, wallet company, or RBI-regulated fintech is strongly preferred. Working knowledge of RBI PA/PPI frameworks, KYC/KYB requirements, and NPCI products (UPI, IMPS, NACH) sufficient to run compliant operationswithout needing to own the compliance function. Proven experience managing escrow accounts, nodal bank relationships, and end-to-end payment settlement operations. Strong process orientation with the ability to design SOPs, build dashboards, and drive operational metrics. Excellent problem-solving and stakeholder management skills; comfortable working across technology, product, finance, and business teams. Strong written and verbal communication .