Operations Manager
City of London
Permanent
£60,000 - £70,000
cer Financial are working alongside an international bank, who are based in the City of London. They are seeking an Operations Manager to work with them on a permanent basis.
The responsibilities of the Operations Manager will include:
- Oversee processing of all domestic and international payments
- Ensure payment instructions are verified, authorised, and released per policy
- Review and improve operational processes
- Ensure tasks meet SLAs with high accuracy and control standards
- Maintain strong controls (segregation of duties, maker-checker, policy adherence)
- Lead, mentor, and develop team performance and succession planning
- Support internal and external audits
- Manage resourcing, staff engagement, performance reviews, and training
- Promote accountability, operational excellence, and continuous improvement
- Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, AML/KYC, and segregation of duties
- Lead quality control across operations and client service delivery
- Coordinate priorities through regular meetings with department heads
- Authorise payments and operational messages as required
- Approve invoices and contribute to budgeting with COO
- Identify and implement process improvements, automation, and system enhancements
- Lead/support change initiatives, system upgrades, and SWIFT-related projects
- Strengthen operational resilience, business continuity, and disaster recovery
- Support COO with planning and key business decisions
- Oversee implementation of new/updated products and processes
- Act as authorised signatory where required
- Identify, manage, and escalate risks appropriately
- Manage operational business contracts
- Produce regular management information (MI) reports
- Ensure compliance with laws, policies, training, and reporting obligations
- Support operational resilience training and incident response
- Lead, motivate, and develop team through reviews and 1-1s
- Support recruitment, onboarding, and staff development
- Ensure continuous training and development for staff
The candidate will have:
- Degree-level education or equivalent experience in banking/financial services
- Minimum 5+ years’ banking experience
- Strong background in banking operations and payments processing in regulated environments
- Knowledge of payment schemes (SWIFT, BACS, Direct Debits) and operational requirements
- Familiarity with Equation Banking system (advantageous)
- Understanding of AML, sanctions, PSRs, and financial crime risks in payments
- Experience managing teams in fast-paced operational settings
- Knowledge of operations, third-party vendor management, private banking, treasury, risk, and compliance