FinXP is a profitable Electronic Money Institution, licensed in the EU and headquartered in Malta. The company provides payment accounts, SEPA payments, and card solutions to regulated B2B clients across Europe. It holds principal membership with a major international card scheme and operates offices in four EU countries. The client is preparing to launch its own card-issuing programmes, starting with virtual cards and expanding to physical cards, and is hiring a senior leader to lead this initiative.
The client’s identity, scheme membership details and programme specifics will be shared with candidates who pass initial screening and sign a confidentiality undertaking.
This is a strategic ownership and leadership role focused on building, not maintaining, the card issuing business. The successful candidate will serve as the main point of contact with card schemes, own these relationships, and lead the design, launch and ongoing management of the card programmes. The role is supported by established internal functions, including Product, Technology, Operations, Compliance, Risk and Finance; the successful candidate will lead delivery across these functions rather than personally execute each area. The role works directly with C-level leadership and carries clear accountability for programme milestones, dependencies and outcomes. For an experienced card issuing specialist in a larger organisation, this is an opportunity to build a scheme-member issuing business from the ground up, with executive support and an approved business plan.
Key Responsibilities
• Act as the primary point of contact with the card scheme, owning the day-to-day relationship, including account planning, business reviews, mandatory reporting and mandate implementation.
• Lead the strategy and application for a potential second scheme membership, establishing the client as a dual-scheme issuer, and support BIN sponsorship opportunities in other geographies.
• Own the end-to-end card programme roadmap and requirements, and coordinate delivery across Product, Technology, Operations, Compliance, Risk, Finance, processors and external partners.
• Act as programme owner, accountable for requirements, prioritisation, sign-off and launch readiness, across proposition and commercial model, processor and partner relationships, BIN and product configuration, tokenisation, digital wallet enablement, scheme certification and go-live. Technical implementation is delivered by the Technology and IT functions.
• Lead the cross-functional delivery and ongoing management of card programmes, coordinating Product, Technology, Operations, Compliance, Risk, Finance and external partners, with clear ownership of programme milestones, dependencies and outcomes.
• Establish and maintain the operational and commercial governance framework for sponsored and partner card programmes, coordinating with Compliance, Risk and other control functions in relation to due diligence, approval and ongoing regulatory oversight.
• Own scheme commercial management, including monitoring scheme fees, billing, incentives and cost optimisation, in coordination with Finance.
• Remain accountable for programme performance, including growth against plan and board-level reporting. Monitor programme fraud and chargeback performance against applicable scheme thresholds and coordinate corrective actions with the relevant operational, risk and compliance functions.
Must-Have Profile
• Typically, at least five years of experience in card issuing within an EMI, bank, fintech, issuer processor, or programme manager, including at least one role with direct scheme-facing responsibility.
• Demonstrable, referenceable experience of leading the design, implementation and launch of card programmes end to end.
• Proven cross-functional leadership: has led programme delivery through Product, Technology, Operations, Compliance, Risk and external partners, including teams outside their direct line management.
• Strong working knowledge of Mastercard and/or Visa rules, mandates, reporting, and fee structures. Experience with both is a strong advantage.
• Thorough understanding of the issuing value chain and card programme economics, including interchange, scheme fees, and unit economics.
• Credible at the executive level, with the ability to engage scheme leadership, partners, and boards.
• Fluent in business English, based in or willing to relocate to Malta, and eligible to work in the EU.