Digital Bank Director

About the role

Freedom24, a brokerage and investment company with offices across Europe, is launching a new digital bank in France. This is a greenfield project with no product, team, license or infrastructure yet, and the company is looking for a director to take full end-to-end ownership, from strategy and licensing through to the first customers and scaling. The workplace is on site in Paris.

Key responsibilities

• Define product and operating strategy: retail products, SME, payment services, cards and online channels.
• Design the fintech architecture and manage development of the bank's digital platform.
• Manage the banking license application, liaising with the regulator, consultants and auditors.
• Build risk management, compliance, KYC/AML and customer service processes.
• Build and lead the team, hiring key executives and experts.
• Handle financial and strategic planning, budget formation and execution control.
• Represent the company to regulators, partners and investors, and negotiate with vendors, fintech providers and payment systems.

Required profile

• Proven experience launching a bank, neobank or 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.
• Senior management background in digital banking or fintech (e.g. COO, startup CEO, Head of Digital Banking, Country Manager).
• Fluent French and English; French is critical for working with the regulator and hiring the local team.
• Entrepreneurial mindset, ready to work in startup mode.

Required skills

• Core banking systems, BaaS providers and payment infrastructure.
• Mobile development (product and architecture understanding, not necessarily hands-on technical expertise).
• Nice to have: contacts at ACPR/Banque de France or licensing consultants, experience with BaaS platforms or partner banks in France, and experience raising investment for a fintech project.

What we offer

• Competitive salary and bonus scheme, finalised at later stages.
• Operational and business support from the operating hub.
• A key leadership role in a strategically important project, with backing of an established international investment group.
• The chance to build a bank and a team from a blank slate.