ABOUT CARDAQ
Cardaq is a London-based Electronic Money Institution (EMI) authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Operating since 2011, we deliver end-to-end card processing and acquiring solutions for low- and medium-risk merchants globally. As a Principal Member of Visa, Mastercard, and China UnionPay, we offer a full suite of card issuing and acquiring products and we’re growing fast.
THE ROLE
Reporting directly to the COO, the Project Manager will own the delivery of strategic initiatives across both business operations and product programmes. You’ll sit at the intersection of our commercial, technical, and compliance functions, keeping projects on time, on budget, and aligned with our obligations as an FCA-regulated EMI.
This is a hands-on role that requires someone comfortable managing multiple workstreams simultaneously in a fast-paced fintech environment.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lead end-to-end delivery of cross-functional projects spanning payments operations, product launches, and regulatory change programmes.
- Build and maintain detailed project plans, RAID logs, and status reporting for the COO and senior leadership.
- Manage stakeholder relationships across internal teams (product, tech, compliance, finance) and external partners including card scheme representatives.
- Drive delivery of card scheme-related projects including Mastercard, Visa, and UnionPay, compliance updates, and scheme rule changes.
- Coordinate with acquiring and issuing programme teams to ensure scheme mandates (e.g. PCI DSS, 3DS, tokenisation) are met within agreed timelines.
- Track project budgets, resource allocation, and vendor commitments.
- Run project governance — steering groups, sprint reviews, post-implementation reviews (PIRs).
- Support the COO in operational process improvement initiatives across the business.
- Identify and escalate risks and blockers proactively, with mitigation plans.
REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
- 3–5 years of project management experience, ideally within payments, fintech, or financial services.
- Strong working knowledge of card scheme products and operations – Visa, Mastercard, and/or UnionPay scheme rules, certification processes, and compliance requirements.
- Proven track record delivering projects in regulated environments (FCA, PCI DSS, AML/KYC frameworks an advantage).
- Experience managing both technical (IT/integration) and non-technical (ops/compliance) project workstreams.
- Proficiency with project management tooling – Jira, Monday.com, or equivalent.
- Strong communication skills able to translate complexity for both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Formal PM qualification desirable: PMP, PRINCE2, or APM PMQ.
DESIRABLE
- Experience working at a card scheme, acquirer, issuer, or PSP.
- Familiarity with acquiring and issuing programme delivery (onboarding, scheme connectivity, settlement).
- Understanding of EMI regulatory obligations in the UK.
- Exposure to white-label payment product builds or third-party integrations.
Location London (5 days in-office)
Reporting To Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Employment Type Permanent, Full-Time
Notice Period 1 months
WHY CARDAQ
- Direct access and visibility to the COO, a genuine opportunity to shape how we operate.
- Work on cutting-edge payment infrastructure used by merchants and PSPs globally.
- Small, high-performance team where your impact is visible and valued.
- FCA-regulated environment with strong compliance culture and career progression.
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