Head of Risk

Head of Risk (Ukraine)

Ukrainka

ZEN.COM is a smart financial app designed for your everyday life – at home and on the go. We make payments, online shopping, and personal finance management fast, secure, and effortless. With ZEN, you can enjoy cashback on purchases, full control over your spending, and peace of mind thanks to purchase protection. A built-in multi-currency account lets you spend abroad or shop internationally with great exchange rates and no hidden fees. About the Role

We are seeking a Head of Risk - Ukraine to establish and lead the risk management framework for ZEN.COM's neobanking and payments operations in Ukraine. The CRO will design and oversee all aspects of risk governance, including operational, financial, regulatory, and technology risk, ensuring alignment with both National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) requirements and international best practices.

This role requires a hands-on leader capable of building a robust risk culture, implementing effective controls, and ensuring compliance with all regulatory standards for NeoBanking, payments, e-money, and card issuing/acquiring services.

Key Responsibilities
Risk Governance and Strategy

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive risk management framework in line with NBU and EU guidelines.
• Lead the implementation of risk appetite, policies, and procedures across all business units.
• Establish risk committees and reporting structures for executive and board-level oversight.
• Provide strategic guidance to senior management on emerging risks, regulatory changes, and capital adequacy.

Operational and Financial Risk Management

• Identify, assess, and monitor operational, liquidity, credit, and market risks relevant to neobanking and payments activities.
• Implement effective controls and risk mitigation measures for transaction processing, customer onboarding, and partner integrations.
• Oversee incident management and business continuity plans, ensuring resilience and rapid recovery.

Regulatory and Compliance Alignment

• Liaise with the NBU and other regulators on risk and compliance matters.
• Support the licensing process by providing risk-related documentation and frameworks.
• Ensure adherence to Banking, PSD2-equivalent regulatory requirements applicable to Ukrainian and EU operations.
• Conduct regular stress testing, scenario analysis, and internal risk reviews.

Leadership and Culture

• Build and lead a high-performing risk and compliance team.
• Foster a strong risk-aware culture across all departments.
• Collaborate closely with legal, compliance, finance, product and IT teams to maintain consistent governance and accountability.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in risk management within banking, fintech, or payments sectors.
• Strong familiarity with NBU regulations and international standards.
• Proven success in building or leading risk frameworks for Banks and other licensed financial institutions.
• Solid understanding of operational resilience, cybersecurity, and regulatory capital.
• Exceptional analytical, communication, and leadership skills.
• Advanced degree in finance, risk or a related field preferred.
• Fluency in Ukrainian and English required.

---