COO, Head of Operations

BUILDING THE FUTURE OF OPEN FINANCE

Payward - the parent company behind Kraken, NinjaTrader, Breakout, xStocks, Payward Services and CF Benchmarks - has spent the last 15 years building one of the most modern and globally accessible financial infrastructure platforms in the industry, built to advance an open, global financial system.

Before you apply, we encourage you to explore our culture page https://www.kraken.com/culture to understand what drives us and how we work.

THE TEAM

Founded in 2011, Kraken is one of the world's longest-standing crypto platforms, trusted by over 10 million individuals and institutions across the globe. It offers spot trading, margin, futures, staking, and OTC services, with products built for both individual investors and institutional clients.

You will be responsible for overseeing the daily operations, ensuring operational efficiency, and managing the strategic implementation of Kraken's European E-money Institution ("EMI') goals. This role plays a critical role in ensuring compliance with the E-money and Payment Services Regulations, and works closely with other senior executives to achieve Kraken EMI's objectives.

The ideal candidate should have experience working in an EMI or Payments Services Regulations ("PSRs" business, with a deep understanding of global business operating models and crypto exchanges.

This role is based in Ireland and is subject to approval by the Central Bank of Ireland as PCF-42 (COO).

THE OPPORTUNITY

- Operational Management:

- Oversee the daily operations of the EMI, ensuring all processes run smoothly and efficiently

- Develop and implement operational strategies to support Kraken's EMI growth and scalability

- Identify areas for process improvement and implement changes to increase efficiency and effectiveness

- Oversee all outsourcing to Kraken group service providers

- Regulatory Compliance:

- Ensure that Kraken EMI operations comply with all EMI/PSR requirements and other relevant regulatory frameworks

- Establish and maintain robust internal controls to ensure regulatory compliance and operational integrity

- Collaborate with the regional compliance officer to prepare for regulatory audits, and to ensure accurate reporting

- Risk Management:

- Identify, assess, and manage operational risks

- Develop and implement strategies to mitigate operational risks, ensuring business continuity

- Oversee crisis and incident management plans and procedures, ensuring that Kraken EMI is prepared for potential disruptions

- Outsourcing Oversight

- Act as PIL's nominated senior executive accountable for outsourcing, in line with the CBI Cross-Industry Guidance on Outsourcing, including oversight of Payward Inc. (PINC) as PIL's material outsourced service provider;

- Oversee ongoing monitoring and performance management of outsourced service providers, including PINC, against agreed service levels and risk indicators;

- Ensure outsourcing arrangements comply with applicable CBI outsourcing requirements and, where relevant, DORA ICT third-party risk management requirements;

- Act as the primary point of contact for outsourcing-related regulatory queries, including notifying the CBI of new or materially changed outsourcing arrangements as required;

- Report on outsourcing risk, concentration, and performance to the CEO, Board, and relevant risk/outsourcing committees.

- Fraud Oversight

- Have overall responsibility for the Fraud function running through PIL, including fraud prevention, detection, and case management outcomes;

- Oversee the outsourced Fraud Operations service provided by Payward Inc. (PINC) as PIL's material outsourced service provider, monitoring performance against agreed SLAs/KPIs;

- Ensure Fraud risk appetite, controls, and management information align with PIL's Risk Appetite Statement (RAS) and applicable CBI outsourcing/operational resilience requirements;

- Escalate material fraud incidents, thematic trends, and control gaps to the CEO, Board, and relevant risk committees on a timely basis.

- Technology & Security:

- Oversee Kraken EMI's technology infrastructure to ensure it meets operational needs and regulatory requirements

- Work with technology leadership to ensure the security of Kraken EMIS's data and systems

- Promote technological innovation to enhance Kraken EMI's operations and user experience

- Customer Experience:

- Ensure that Kraken EMI provides excellent, secure customer service and support

- Implement mechanisms to gather and act on customer feedback to improve service delivery

- Oversee processes for resolving customer complaints and disputes effectively

- Ensure that the EMI has operational processes in place that ensure compliance with Consumer Protection Code 2025

- Strategic Planning:

- Support