Team Lead - Merchant Operations

About Us

Tamara is the leading fintech platform in Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC region with a mission to help people make their dreams come true by building the most customer-centric financial super-app on earth. The company serves millions of users in the region and partners with leading global and regional brands such as SHEIN, Jarir, noon, IKEA and Amazon, as well as small and medium businesses.

Tamara is Saudi Arabia’s first fintech unicorn and is backed by Sanabil Investments, a wholly owned company by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), SNB Capital, Checkout.com, amongst others. The company operates from its headquarters in Riyadh, with additional regional and global support offices. 

Your role

We're seeking a Team Leader for our Merchant Operations Team. As Team Leader, you will be crucial in overseeing and assessing the activities of our partner care service representatives, as well as providing frequent performance feedback.

Drawing on your proficiency in leading, providing coaching, feedback, and development opportunities to help them reach their full potential, you will be responsible for developing and monitoring the everyday activities of customer service operations, assisting customer service representatives with duties as needed to create unique experiences only Tamara can provide. 

With a proven track record of success in leading and motivating teams, excellent communication, interpersonal, problem-solving skills, and ultimately revolutionize the way millions of users shop, pay, and bank.

You are a driven, determined, curious team player, knowing that collective strength means we all win. With a positive outlook, you are solution-oriented–persevering regardless of circumstances, always finding a way through, no matter the challenges. 

You will effectively find a way to work with everyone through empathy and respect. You will be driven and comfortable with responding quickly with urgency, with the ability to change course without losing momentum and energy, resulting in great success.

This is a voice support role based onsite in our Riyadh offices.

Your responsibilities

• Overseeing and assessing customer service staff activities, and providing them with regular performance-related feedback.
• Strategizing and monitoring the daily activities of customer service operations.
• Assisting customer service staff with duties where required.
• Training staff in areas of customer service and company policies.
• Assess AML/CFT risk factors (industry, geography, payment flow, behavior) and assign onboarding risk ratings in line with internal policy.
• Ensure all findings, approvals, and supporting evidence are accurately logged and auditable in Salesforce in real time.
• Escalate high-risk or suspicious cases to Compliance for enhanced due diligence (EDD) or SAR filing, following defined escalation paths.
• Monitor regulatory changes (e.g., SAMA, CBUAE, FATF) and update screening rules, checklists, and playbooks accordingly.
• Liaise daily with Commercial, Compliance, Product, and Risk teams to resolve onboarding blockers and clarify documentation requirements.
• Identify process gaps and propose workflow or automation enhancements (e.g., data integrations, rules engines, reporting dashboards).
• Support periodic internal and external audits by compiling evidence packs and answering examiner queries.
• Track and report key onboarding KPIs (turnaround time, pass/fail rates, false-positive ratios) to help drive continuous improvement.
• Uphold Tamara’s “compliance-by-design” culture, ensuring every merchant is onboarded safely, efficiently, and in full regulatory adherence.

Your expertise

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in business administration, management studies, or in a related discipline.
• Prior experience (up to 3 years) in the field of customer service or contact center is also necessary for this position. Must have atleast 1 years of experience as supervisor or team lead
• Leadership Skills: Customer experience managers are able to organize and direct the activities of customer experience representatives to ensure the delivery of high quality service to customers.
• Communication Skills: They are well versed in effectively interacting with clients to identify and process their requirements.
• Customer Service Skills: They are able to courteously interact with clients to ensure positive customer experience
• 1–3 years of hands-on experience in KYB due diligence, AML/CFT screening, or merchant onboarding within a fintech, payments, or other regulated financial institution in UAE and KSA.
• Proficiency in case management on Salesforce (or a similar workflow tool), including documenting reviews, attaching evidence, and maintaining audit-ready records.
• Solid grasp of KYB fundamentals: validating trade licenses, analyzing UBO/shareholder structures, and applying risk-based onboarding decisions.
• Working knowledge of sanctions, PEP, and adverse-media screening (UN, OFAC, EU, GCC) using tools such as Dow Jones, Focal, World-Check, or LexisNexis.
• Familiarity with GCC regulations—especially CBUAE KYC/AML Rulebook, SAMA AML Rules, and FATF recommendations—and the ability to interpret regulatory updates.
• Experience supporting audits or regulatory exams, assembling evidence packs, and answering follow-up queries.
• Attention to detail and a proactive approach to spotting process gaps, proposing improvements, and meeting tight onboarding SLAs.
• Professional certifications such as ICA Certificate in KYC & CDD, CAMS, ACAMS, or equivalent are advantageous but not mandatory.