Head of Financial Operations, Japan (Fintech)

Location: Tokyo, Japan; hybrid

Company

hirify.global builds financial technology products and services, including Square, Cash App, Afterpay, TIDAL, Bitkey, and Proto, focused on expanding access to the global economy.

What you will do

• Lead Square Japan’s Financial Operations strategy and translate regional and global priorities into measurable market outcomes.
• Own operational performance for incoming and outgoing payments, including reliability, settlement, incident management, controls, cost efficiency, and seller experience.
• Build and manage senior relationships with banks, acquirers, card networks, payment providers, regulators, industry bodies, and strategic partners.
• Lead commercial and operational negotiations with payment and banking partners to support growth, product capabilities, risk requirements, and cost objectives.
• Partner with Product, Engineering, Risk, Compliance, Legal, Policy, Finance, Marketing, and Operations on launches and market-specific challenges.
• Establish governance, reporting, operating rhythms, escalation paths, and coordinated responses to regulatory, network, and partner changes.

Requirements

• 15+ years of experience in fintech, payments, banking, card networks, acquiring, issuing, payment operations, or related financial services.
• Deep expertise in Japan’s payments ecosystem, including card networks, acquirers, issuers, processors, banks, regulators, government bodies, and industry associations.
• Proven experience building senior stakeholder relationships, negotiating complex agreements, and representing a company externally.
• Experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives across business, product, operational, regulatory, and technical domains.
• Executive-level communication and presentation skills in English.
• Native or business-level Japanese proficiency required for negotiating with and influencing Japan-based partners and regulators.

Nice to have

• Direct experience with Japanese regulators or government bodies, including METI or JFSA.
• Understanding of Payment Facilitator, acquiring, issuing, settlement, clearing, reconciliation, and card network operating models.
• Experience at a US-headquartered fintech, technology, payments, or financial services company.
• Media training or experience as an external spokesperson, industry representative, or senior market leader.

Culture & Benefits

• Inclusive workplace and equal opportunity employment practices.
• Reasonable accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process.
• Remote work options, medical insurance, flexible time off, retirement savings plans, and modern family planning benefits.
• AI tools may be used in the hiring process in compliance with local regulations and privacy requirements.

Hiring process

• Candidates may maintain up to nine active applications within a 60-day period.
• Reapplication to the same role is accepted 90 days after a previous application has been reviewed.