Junior Operations Officer

Our client a start up payments company are seeking to recruit for a Junior Operations Officer. The Junior Operations Officer supports the daily operational processes of the payment institution, ensuring that all financial transactions, settlements, and reconciliations across banks, payment schemes, and internal systems are executed accurately and efficiently. The role involves monitoring payment flows, maintaining operational records, and assisting in resolving discrepancies in a regulated financial services environment under the MFSA framework.

Duties include: 

• Process and monitor incoming and outgoing payments (SEPA, SWIFT, card transactions, instant payments, etc.)
• Assist in daily transaction processing across multiple payment channels and currencies.
• Maintain and update internal records of payment activities and system logs.
• support the management of client accounts, balances, and fund movements in the institution’s core banking or payment platform
• Perform daily, weekly, and monthly reconciliations between Core system and bank accounts., Core system and payment scheme ledgers (e.g., SEPA, VISA/Mastercard, SWIFT), Client accounts and internal ledgers
• Investigate and resolve reconciliation breaks or discrepancies promptly.
• Prepare and submit operational reports to internal management and regulators as required.
• Liaise with finance teams for end-of-month and year-end reporting processes.
• Coordinate with partner banks and payment scheme operators to ensure smooth settlement operation
• Monitor settlement files, payment cut-off times, and scheme returns or rejects.
• Escalate issues relating to delayed settlements or system anomalies to senior staff.
• Maintain a clear understanding of scheme rules (SEPA Instant, SEPA Credit Transfer, etc.) and regulatory obligations.
• Follow all operational risk management and compliance policies as set by the MFSA and FIAU guidelines.
• Assist in implementing internal controls to prevent and detect errors or fraud.
• Ensure compliance with AML/CFT procedures during transactional reviews.
• Participate in periodic internal and external audits.
• Monitoring and Continuous Improvement
• Support daily health checks of the core payment systems, ensuring uptime and data integrity.
• Collaborate with IT on system testing, upgrades, and incident management.
• Suggest process improvements and automation opportunities within operational workflows.
• Maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all key tasks.

Requirements

• Experience: 1–2 years in an operational, back-office, or payments-related role in a financial institution.
• Experience with reconciliations or payment platforms is an asset.
• Exposure to SEPA, SWIFT, or card settlement operations is advantageous.
• Familiarity with payment and banking systems.
• Basic understanding of APIs and data file formats (CSV, XML, ISO20022) is a plus.
• High attention to detail

Job Reference: XZ736