Senior Card Payment Operations Specialist

Location: South East London

We are seeking an experienced Senior Payment Operations Specialist (Cards) to support operational continuity across card and payment schemes, with a primary focus on Visa and Mastercard activity. This role combines scheme compliance oversight, BAU payment operations, and card-scheme change delivery, ensuring controls are robust and updates are implemented safely and effectively.

Skills & Experience:

Proven experience delivering card scheme implementations and mandatory change (e.g., scheme updates, BIN configuration, validations/certifications). Strong understanding of card and payment scheme rules, controls, and BAU readiness planning. Experience managing compliance checks, investigations, and operational issue resolution with external partners. Solid governance and delivery discipline (planning, RAID/action tracking, stakeholder coordination). Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret data and drive practical improvements.

High attention to detail in complex, high-volume operational environments. Confident communicator, comfortable presenting to stakeholders and senior audiences.

Key Responsibilities:

Card Scheme Operations Monitor and implement scheme bulletins and regulatory updates. Manage ICA/BIN registrations, programme configuration, certifications, and validations. Perform compliance checks and liaise with networks and processors to resolve issues. Payment Scheme BAU Provide operational coverage across payment rails, monitoring processing, and triaging issues. Ensure timely processing of payments and escalate exceptions where required. Support reconciliations and resolve discrepancies with Finance and operational partners.

Change & Continuous Improvement Act as SME for scheme-driven change, translating requirements into clear actions and controls. Coordinate readiness and BAU handover for scheme updates and implementations. Produce reporting, identify trends, reduce manual friction, and strengthen operational resilience. Support and mentor junior team members to promote consistent ways of working. Spectrum IT Recruitment (South) Limited is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.