Sector Practices
Payments Executive Search in Dublin
Leadership hires for Irish payment and e-money institutions
Phoenix Search runs retained executive search for payment institutions, e-money institutions and fintech firms hiring senior leaders in Dublin and across Ireland. We hire the executives who hold a Central Bank of Ireland authorised business together: chief executives, compliance and risk leaders, finance heads, safeguarding owners and the commercial leaders who scale the business.
Ireland has become a primary EU base for payment institutions, e-money institutions and crypto asset service providers. Every one of those firms needs a credible local leadership team, and the Central Bank expects real substance. The pool of executives who have built and run an authorised entity in Ireland is small, and every new entrant is competing for it.
Why the Dublin payments brief has changed
Anyone proposed for a pre-approval controlled function (PCF) must be approved by the Central Bank before taking up the role, through an individual questionnaire and, for some roles, an interview. For a payment or e-money institution, that usually covers the directors, the chair, the chief executive, the heads of finance, compliance, risk and internal audit, and the head of anti-money laundering compliance. The approval step sits on top of notice periods, and the expectations behind it keep rising.
- Safeguarding is now a PCF role. Head of Safeguarding became a pre-approval controlled function for payment and e-money institutions on 10 February 2026 (PCF-56).
- Operational resilience is a board issue. DORA has applied across the EU since January 2025, which makes technology and security leadership a regulated concern, not just an engineering one.
- Stablecoins are entering the mainstream. MiCA is in force in the EU, creating demand for leaders who understand both payments and digital assets.
- Fraud liability is moving onto providers. The EU’s Payment Services Regulation and PSD3, provisionally agreed in November 2025, put more of the cost of impersonation fraud on payment firms and will change authorisation.
- Individual accountability applies. The Senior Executive Accountability Regime does not yet cover payment and e-money institutions, but the Conduct Standards under the Individual Accountability Framework apply across regulated firms.
How we run a Dublin payments search
We map the regulated market. We track the leadership of Central Bank authorised payment, e-money and crypto firms in Ireland, so we know who has run an authorised entity, who has taken a firm through authorisation and who is likely to move.
We assess for regulatory credibility. For PCF roles we test candidates against fitness and probity expectations before they reach your shortlist, and we build approval timelines into the plan.
We understand the commercial model. Payments businesses live on volume, partnerships and unit economics. We hire leaders who understand the numbers as well as the rulebook.
We plan around notice periods and approval. A candidate cannot start in a PCF role until approved, and notice periods for senior roles are commonly three to six months. We start the conversation about timing early, so an accepted offer becomes a realistic start date.
Payments roles we search for in Dublin
- Chief executives and Country Heads of authorised payment and e-money institutions
- Heads of Compliance, MLROs and Chief Risk Officers, including PCF roles
- CFOs and Heads of Finance, with capital, safeguarding and regulatory reporting experience
- Heads of Safeguarding, now a PCF role in its own right
- COOs and Heads of Payment Operations
- Chief technology and information security leads with DORA and resilience experience
- Chief Commercial Officers, Heads of Partnerships and Business Development leaders
- Independent non-executive directors and chairs for regulated boards
Where the Dublin talent is
Ireland’s payments leaders sit in the EU hubs of global payments and technology firms, the payments and cards businesses of the domestic banks, and the regulatory and risk teams of the Big 4. Irish executives in London or the US who want to come home are another strong source, and UK payments leaders are increasingly open to EU roles based in Dublin.
We search across Ireland, the UK and the US, so a Dublin shortlist can be tested against the wider market. See our payments and fintech executive search practice, payments executive search in London, PCF executive search in Ireland, our risk and compliance practice and our board appointments work.
Frequently asked questions
Which payments roles are PCF roles in Ireland?
For a payment or e-money institution, PCF roles typically include the executive and non-executive directors, the chair, the chief executive, the heads of finance, compliance, risk and internal audit, the head of anti-money laundering compliance and, since February 2026, the Head of Safeguarding. Check the current PCF list against your own business model before you write the briefs, as the list changes.
How long does a payments executive search in Dublin take?
Plan for the search itself, a notice period that is commonly three to six months for senior roles, and Central Bank approval for PCF roles before the person can start. We build each of those steps into the timetable from the first conversation.
Do you recruit Heads of Safeguarding?
Yes. Head of Safeguarding is now a PCF role for Irish payment and e-money institutions, and firms that once combined finance, safeguarding and compliance in one role are separating them. We search for safeguarding leaders with reconciliation, reporting and audit experience.
Can you help a firm going through Central Bank authorisation?
Yes. Applicants need credible, approvable people in key PCF roles before authorisation is granted, and the Central Bank expects real decision-making in Ireland. We help firms identify and secure those leaders early in the process.
Do you hire for London and the US as well as Dublin?
Yes. We search across Ireland, the UK and the US, and often work with US firms hiring their first Irish leadership team.
