Digital Bank Director

Freedom24 is a brokerage and investment company headquartered in Cyprus, with representative offices in France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Poland. The company is currently launching a new strategic project: a digital bank in France. This is a greenfield project: there is no product, team, license, or infrastructure yet. The director will take full end-to-end ownership of the project: from strategy, licensing and team building to the first customer and scaling.

Responsibilities

Leading the turnkey launch of a digital bank: from concept to operational go-live; Product and operating strategy: retail products, SME, payment services, cards, online channels; Fintech architecture: designing the architecture and managing development of the bank's digital platform; Licensing: managing the banking license application process, liaising with the regulator, consultants, and auditors; Operating model: building risk management, compliance, KYC/AML, and customer service processes; Team: building and leading the team, hiring key executives and experts; Finance and planning: financial and strategic planning, budget formation and execution control; Representation: representing the company to regulators, partners, and investors; Negotiations and partnerships: negotiating with vendors, fintech providers, and payment systems

Requirements

Proven experience launching a bank/neobank/fintech product from scratch, preferably in Europe; Understanding of French or European banking regulation (ACPR, ECB, PSD2, AML5/6, GDPR); experience obtaining a banking or EMI license is a strong plus; Experience building a team from the ground up (hiring key executives, organizational structure); Background in digital banking/fintech in a senior management role (COO, startup CEO, Head of Digital Banking, Country Manager, etc.); Understanding of technology: core banking systems, BaaS providers, payment infrastructure, mobile development (deep understanding of product and architecture, not necessarily hands-on technical expertise); Fluent in French and English (French is critical for working with the regulator and hiring the local team); Entrepreneurial mindset: ready to work in startup mode, from strategy to operational details

Nice to have

Personal network of contacts at ACPR/Banque de France or among licensing consultants; Experience working with BaaS platforms or partner banks in France; Experience raising investment/capital for a fintech project

Benefits

Competitive salary and bonus scheme (exact figure to be finalized at the final stages); Operational and business support from the operating hub in achieving the project's goals; A key leadership role in a strategically important project for the group, with real influence over architecture, product, and launch outcomes; Backing and resources of an established international investment group: the holding's legal, financial, HR, and IT infrastructure; The chance to build a bank and a team from a blank slate, a rare full-cycle launch experience for a professional at this level