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 Chief Operation Officer

Location: Dubai, UAE (on-site / hybrid)
Employment Type: Full-Time
Industry: Fintech (Payments, DeFi, Blockchain)
Stage: Transitioning from Startup to Scale-Up


About Our Client

Our client is a blockchain-native financial platform designed to bring real ownership, real utility, and real yield to users. The product combines elements of traditional finance with the power of blockchain, enabling users to onboard into the crypto ecosystem effortlessly.

The company is experiencing rapid growth, supported by large user adoption, global community engagement, and a mission-driven team scaling into the next operational phase.


Key Responsibilities

1. Operations & Execution

  • Oversee day-to-day operations across compliance, support, customer success, finance ops, technology, product, and HR.

  • Assume operational ownership previously managed by founders.

  • Develop and enforce internal policies to ensure consistency, compliance, and efficiency.

2. Strategy Execution

  • Convert CEO vision and goals into actionable roadmaps with clear timelines.

  • Ensure cross-department alignment on strategic priorities.

  • Track execution via KPIs, reviews, and data-driven improvements.

3. Team Leadership

  • Lead departmental heads toward unified operational goals.

  • Establish performance standards, KPIs, and compensation structures.

  • Build a culture rooted in accountability, excellence, and ownership.

  • Hire, retain, and develop top-level management talent.

4. Financial Oversight

  • Collaborate closely with the CFO on cash flow, treasury, cost control, and settlements.

  • Manage budgeting, financial planning, and resource allocation.

  • Optimize cost structures and operational scalability.

  • Maintain liquidity controls, risk monitoring systems, and escalation protocols.

5. Process Optimization

  • Streamline workflows to increase productivity and eliminate operational redundancy.

  • Standardize procedures for scalability and quality assurance.

  • Implement automation and technology to reduce manual inefficiencies.

  • Continuously evaluate and enhance internal processes.

6. Risk, Security & Compliance

  • Collaborate with legal teams on licensing, audits, regulatory obligations, and reporting.

  • Oversee KYC, AML, MLRO-related functions through respective department heads.

  • Ensure physical security of personnel and offices.

  • Lead crisis response in case of breaches or data incidents.

  • Implement real-time liquidity and risk-tracking systems.

7. Cross-Department Coordination

  • Maintain operational alignment between product, finance, support, marketing, and tech.

  • Rapidly resolve inter-department conflicts to protect execution velocity.

  • Strengthen communication channels and prevent siloed work.

  • Align project timelines and priorities across teams.

8. Growth & Partnership Enablement

  • Manage relationships with banks, processors, and core financial infrastructure partners.

  • Support global expansion, ensuring market-level compliance readiness.

  • Scale onboarding and support systems for high-volume user growth.

  • Lead external representation during community, conference, and ecosystem events.

9. Reporting & Governance

  • Deliver operational reporting to the CEO on performance, risks, and delivery progress.

  • Implement governance frameworks and inter-department reporting structures.

  • Ensure accountability through transparent performance measurement.


Candidate Profile

Must-Have

  • Proven executive-level operational leadership (CEO/COO/VP Ops or similar).

  • Background in both regulated financial institutions and high-growth startups.

  • Experience scaling operations for global user bases.

  • Strong command of compliance, risk, finance, and support operations.

  • Excellence in strategy execution, KPI-driven leadership, and organizational alignment.

  • Advanced stakeholder communication skills.

  • Fluency in Russian and English.

Nice-to-Have

  • Hands-on crypto/DeFi experience in treasury, on-chain operations, or blockchain-native products.


What Our Client Offers

  • Work closely with founders and leaders from top fintech and crypto organizations.

  • A key leadership role shaping the future of the financial platform.

  • High impact, high ownership, and direct influence on company growth.

  • Competitive compensation + optional relocation to Dubai.

  • Fast-paced, mission-driven culture with a global team.

vp@vpteam.io