Chief Operating Officer - FinTech (Lending)

About This Role

Sanabil Studio is a venture builder that blends industry expertise, technology, and startup know-how to turn bold ideas into real businesses. We take concepts from zero to launch, and when a venture proves its potential, we back it with seed funding and hands on support to help it scale.

This venture is one of those bets an open banking consumer micro-lending platform in Saudi Arabia that uses real-time financial data and a smart decision engine to offer fast, personalized micro-loans to consumers who are priced out or passed over by traditional lenders.

We are looking for a Chief Operations Officer to lead Finance, Accounting, HR, Collections, and Customer Care and to build the operational backbone that takes this venture from early stage to scale.

THE ROLE What you'll own here.

• Lead Finance, Accounting, HR, Collections, and Customer Care as one integrated operational function
• Build annual operating plans, monthly performance targets, and the financial controls to back them up
• Strengthen accounting accuracy, closing discipline, and full compliance with SAMA guidelines and NBFI requirements
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, liquidity planning, and cost management across the business
• Drive collections strategy, workflow automation, agency management, and portfolio health
• Improve HR systems — hiring, onboarding, compensation, and performance management
• Raise customer care quality, SLAs, and resolution times to a standard that earns trust
• Embed digital tools across all functions to reduce manual work and accelerate execution
• Manage vendors, outsourcing partners, and core system providers
• Support audits, regulatory reviews, and board reporting
• Coordinate closely with credit, product, technology, and compliance to keep everything aligned

THE PROFILE You're probably a fit if…

• You have 10–15 years in consumer or micro-finance in Saudi Arabia, with a deep Finance and Accounting background
• You've led multiple functions simultaneously Finance, HR, Collections, Customer Care and kept them all performing
• You know SAMA regulations and NBFI operations well enough to advise, not just comply
• You have a proven track record of scaling operations through digital tools, dashboards, and workflow automation
• You make clear decisions under pressure and hold teams accountable with structure and KPIs, not just instinct
• You're a strong coach and team leader who builds capability, not dependency
• You're fluent in both Arabic and English you can operate seamlessly across internal teams, regulators, and partners
• Bonus: experience in early-stage or fast-paced lending environments where you had to build structure from scratch

THE ENVIRONMENT What working here actually looks like.

• Operational Ownership This is not a governance role. You'll be in the business building systems, setting standards, and driving performance across every function you lead
• Compliance Without Compromise We operate in a regulated environment and take that seriously. You'll have the support and mandate to do things right, not just fast.
• Early Stage, Real Scale We're at the beginning of something with significant ambition. The operational infrastructure you build now will define how this company runs at scale.

What You Get From Us Competitive pay: A package that reflects your seniority and the market, not a lowball with "equity upside" as the excuse. Meaningful equity: Real upside tied to the long-term value you help create. Premium gear, day one: Everything you need to hit the ground running, set up and ready before your first morning. Mentorship that matters: Individual career development from people who've actually built and scaled ventures. An accelerated curve: You'll learn more here in 12 months than most roles offer in three years.