[Hiring] Head of Fraud @Cleo

Role Description

We’re hiring a Head of Fraud to lead Cleo’s fraud strategy across debit, credit, identity, and operational risk - starting in the US and expanding globally. You’ll set the direction and lead hands-on execution, partnering with Credit, Product, Engineering, and Operations to build scalable controls that reduce loss while protecting customer experience. Key responsibilities for this role include:

• Own Cleo’s end-to-end fraud strategy across transaction, identity, and operational fraud.
• Set fraud risk frameworks, guardrails, and performance targets, balancing loss, approval rates, and customer friction.
• Partner across teams to design, measure, and continuously improve fraud controls and workflows.
• Lead fraud investigations, incident reviews, chargeback operations, and dispute management.
• Evaluate and manage fraud and KYC vendors, informing buy-vs-build decisions.
• Ensure compliance with relevant US card, KYC, and financial-crime requirements, with UK scope to follow.
• Report fraud performance and risk posture to senior leadership and contribute to board-level risk discussions.

Qualifications

• First-line-of-defense fraud experience - you've done the thing, not just overseen it.
• Experience across both debit and credit transaction fraud.
• Identity fraud expertise: ATO, synthetic identities, KYC platform management.
• Operational fraud experience: chargeback investigation and management.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills - comfortable defending a guardrail or threshold with data, not just intuition.
• Track record of working closely with credit risk teams and aligning on shared metrics, definitions, and trade-offs.
• US market fraud experience - familiar with US card regulations, CFPB, and the regulatory differences vs. UK.
• Background in fintech with lending or credit products (not just pure payments).
• Vendor evaluation experience - you know the fraud tooling landscape and can make strong buy vs. build decisions.
• Track record of shaping fraud strategy and frameworks at scale.
• Senior gravitas and consensus-building ability - you can align product, ops, credit, and compliance teams.
• 8+ years in fraud or financial crime.
• Nice to have: UK fraud and FCA regulatory knowledge; disputes and chargeback management experience in a card-oriented business; relevant certifications (CFE, CAMS, CFCS).

Benefits

• Meaningful equity.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Mental health support.
• A paid one-month sabbatical after four years.
• A learning and development platform.
• Pension or retirement contributions.
• Location-specific leave entitlements.