Senior Director, Head of International Payments Network Compliance (EMEA)

The Ark (95988) (inactive), United Kingdom, London,

Senior Director, Head of International Payments Network Compliance (EMEA)

Job Title: Head of International Payments Network Compliance (Senior Director)

Location: London - Hybrid (Hammersmith)

Working Pattern: 3 days in-office (Tuesday-Thursday) and 2 days remote.

Our Mission

We’re on a mission to be a force for good in lending. Throughout our almost 30-year history, we’ve consistently been recognised as a great place to work; in 2026, Capital One was officially ranked 9th in the UK’s Best Workplaces™ list. Hear from our team about what it’s like working at Capital One UK.

About the Role

Capital One’s new business offerings as a result of the Discover Financial acquisition is a rare and valuable global payments network with 70 million merchant acceptance points in more than 200 countries and territories. Even so, it is the smallest of the four US-based global payments networks. This acquisition adds scale and investment, enabling the Discover network to be more competitive with the largest payments’ networks and payments companies. This is a key foundation in Capital One's quest to build a global payments company. It will accelerate the company's long-standing journey to work directly with merchants to leverage its customer base, technology, and data ecosystem to drive more sales for the merchant and great deals for consumers and small businesses. 

The Senior Director, International Network Compliance role will report to the Vice President, International Network Compliance Officer, who in turn reports to the Chief Compliance Officer for the Network. The successful candidate will have experience with the global payments schemes and demonstrate payments industry expertise. This role is ideal for someone with strong leadership skills, who is capable of driving transformational change and delivering game-changing value with a high level of exposure to senior executives across the company as well as direct interaction with Capital One’s international regulators.    

What You'll Do

• Lead the maintenance, evolution, and continuous improvement of the compliance risk management function for the international network business operations by providing support, advice, and counsel on complex compliance risk issues 

• Serve as an authority within the international network and merchant services business for relevant and evolving compliance expectations, laws, and regulations and the impact of changes on the business

• Actively promote a culture of compliance risk management and balanced risk taking by, for example, ensuring the business has appropriate monitoring in place to identify process breakdowns and advising the business to ensure comprehensive corrective action when issues arise

• Building relationships and work collaboratively with business partners and other support groups to ensure the network and merchant products, practices, and services all remain within Capital One's Compliance risk appetite

• With the Chief Compliance Officer for the Network and the International Network Compliance Officer interface with regulators and also support interactions between regulatory bodies across the globe

• Monitor work plans for remediation of any internal or regulatory findings within the business area of responsibility

• Build a small team of talented compliance professionals and industry experts to support implement and manage the international compliance program; lead and oversee the management of people processes, including recruiting, promotions, performance management, training, and development

• Display a passion for coaching and developing others through their leadership style and presence, whether as direct reports or extended team members

• Display a high degree of emotional intelligence, foster good team dynamics, respond effectively to employee concerns, and maximize the potential of team members

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the business and internal subject matter expert on the payments ecosystem generally, including with respect to emerging technologies and industry trends/development

• Oversee the Front Line's execution and challenges appropriately on compliance related decisions

The skills and experience you need

• Payments Risk Experience : Possesses an understanding of existing and emerging global payment networks, regulations and risk, and responsibilities relative to third party payment processors.

• Team Leadership : Experience building, motivating and developing high-performing teams, with a track record of attracting and leading top talent.

• Regulatory Experience : Experience managing regulatory requirements in a complex finance organization and maintaining relationships with relevant regulatory bodies.

• Innovation Leadership : Experience providing creative solutions and focused on important success drivers. Experience facilitating teams to innovate, create and be open to change.

• Strategic Leadership: Demonstrated ability to formulate a strategic vision for a compliance risk management organization while providing meaning, context, and motivation to execute strategic priorities

• Strong Business Judgment: Passion for payments and a deep understanding of payments schemes, associated regulation and industry trends

• Strong business judgment and the analytical acumen to evaluate complex, multi-dimensional risks and formulate appropriate compliance recommendations and advice

• Proven capability to influence and build consensus among peers and senior leadership, leveraging sound logic, analysis, and intellectual rigor

• Intellectually curious and highly self-motivated

• Communication: Excellent communication and partnership skills which are essential for interacting and communicating with key stakeholders at all levels across the company, as well as external stakeholders and regulatory agencies, to manage, inform and influence outcomes

• Highly developed interpersonal, presentation, and communications skills (both verbal and written)

• Ability to communicate effectively at all levels of the organization, as well as with external parties (such as regulators and consultants)

Highly desirable candidates would have a combined experience in legal, compliance, risk management, or regulatory experience in payments on the merchant or network side and established experience in leadership. Exposure or experience in a financial regulator role would be a bonus!

Capital One is committed to diversity in the workplace.

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Capital One Financial is made up of several different entities. Please note that any position posted in Canada is for Capital One Canada, any position posted in the United Kingdom is for Capital One Europe and any position posted in the Philippines is for Capital One Philippines Service Corp. (COPSSC).

Who We Are

At Capital One, we're building a leading information-based technology company. Still founder-led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard Fairbank, Capital One is on a mission to help our customers succeed by bringing ingenuity, simplicity, and humanity to banking. We measure our efforts by the success our customers enjoy and the advocacy they exhibit. We are succeeding because they are succeeding.

Guided by our shared values, we thrive in an environment where collaboration and openness are valued. We believe that innovation is powered by perspective and that teamwork and respect for each other lead to superior results. We elevate each other and obsess about doing the right thing. Our associates serve with humility and a deep respect for their responsibility in helping our customers achieve their goals and realize their dreams. Together, we are on a quest to change banking for good.