Head of Fraud

About the Position

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.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Requirements

• 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)

We Offer

We offer a benefits package built to support you in and out of work. Benefits vary by country and include 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, and location-specific leave entitlements. For the full breakdown on what's available in your location, visit our Candidate Hub.

About the Company

Most money apps talk at you. Cleo talks back ✨

We're not building another finance app. We're building the world's first AI financial assistant, one that actually understands your money and makes you better at it, and we're changing the world's relationship with money in the process 💰 For everyone, whatever their background or balance.

The proof: profitable, fast-growing, a unicorn with over $300M in ARR, and millions of people who now feel differently about their money.

We love original thinkers who challenge the status quo. We move fast, tell the truth, and there's nowhere to hide from good work here. If that excites you more than it scares you, you'll fit right in.

Follow us on LinkedIn for new features and the occasional roast 🔥