Head of Risk, Fraud and Payments Operations

iTalent PLUS•Malta, MT

130d

About The Position

Our client is seeking a Head of Risk, Fraud and Payments Operations to join their super dynamic and fast-paced iGaming environment. This role is responsible for leading a high-performing team while ensuring the delivery of fast, reliable, and low-friction payment experiences, all while protecting the business against fraud, abuse, and regulatory threats. The successful candidate will take full ownership of the risk, fraud, and payments operations function, driving execution with a strong focus on leadership, collaboration, and accountability. Working closely with the Risk Strategy team, they will design automated rules, streamline payment flows, and implement operational frameworks that establish clear processes, ensure compliance, and balance risk control with seamless withdrawals and a smooth customer journey. This position requires a strong leader who understands the challenges of online casino, live casino, and sportsbook operations, and thrives on creating solutions that combine automation, efficiency, and a customer-first mindset.

Requirements

Minimum 3+ years managing Risk, Fraud, and Payments Operations and at least 6 years’ experience in the iGaming industry.
Proven experience in leading and motivating teams, with strong leadership skills and the ability to build a high-performance culture.
Deep knowledge of fraud and abuse patterns in iGaming (casino, live casino, sportsbook).
Hands-on experience with fraud detection tools, payments platforms, and rules engines for both fraud prevention and payment automation.
Experience delivering detailed performance reports (KPIs, SLAs, risk metrics) to senior leadership.
Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, particularly with risk strategy, compliance, AML, and product teams.
Clear understanding of Customer Excellence, ensuring all player-impacting decisions prioritize customer experience.
Strong leadership, ownership, and accountability.
Deep technical and operational knowledge of fraud rules, abuse detection, and automated payment rule execution.
Analytical and detail-oriented, with excellent problem-solving abilities.
Strong communication and influencing skills across departments and senior stakeholders.
Ability to thrive under pressure, viewing challenges as opportunities for solutions.
Commercial awareness balanced with compliance obligations.
Target-driven, passionate, and highly motivated to achieve business goals.

Responsibilities

Lead and mentor the risk, fraud, and payments operations team, fostering a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.
Take full responsibility for fraud, abuse, and payments operations, ensuring alignment with company goals and industry best practices.
Collaborate with the Risk Strategy team to translate strategy into executable operational processes, fraud detection rules, and automated payment rules.
Own and manage fraud detection and prevention measures, including chargebacks, bonus abuse, account takeover, identity theft, and payment fraud.
Ensure payments are processed within business expectations, meeting efficiency, accuracy, and SLA standards.
Provide clear, detailed reporting on team performance, SLAs, KPIs, fraud trends, and payment efficiency to senior management and stakeholders.
Work cross-functionally with Customer Support, VIP, and Payments Product teams to deliver safe, fast, compliant, and customer-focused operations.
Oversee incident response and resolution of fraud, payment, and operational risks, approaching problems as challenges to be solved effectively.
Support new market entries and licensing requirements by ensuring fraud, payments, and risk processes meet jurisdictional obligations.
Identify opportunities for process automation and system enhancements, with strong technical understanding of fraud rules engines and payment configurations.