Group Head of Compliance & Regulatory Strategy

Looking for a Senior Payments and Treasury Specialist to manage global payments, liquidity, and treasury operations.

Role Overview

The Company is seeking a senior, commercially minded Group Head of Compliance & Regulatory Strategy to lead the global compliance function and manage, embed, and continuously enhance the Group's regulatory operating model. This is a group-level orchestration role, not a local execution role. The position owns group compliance policy, frameworks, standards, methodologies, and regulatory strategy, while overseeing and coordinating local compliance teams embedded within regulated entities.

This role ensures that:

• Local compliance teams operate effectively within group-defined frameworks
• Regulatory obligations are met consistently and pragmatically
• Compliance enables growth, product innovation, and a seamless client experience across jurisdictions
• The Group remains ahead of regulatory change, particularly in digital assets, trading, payments, and emerging regimes

The Group Head of Compliance & Regulatory Strategy provides assurance to senior management and boards that all group entities comply with applicable local and international laws, regulations, sanctions, and internal standards.


Group Compliance Operating Model
The Group operates a hub-and-spoke compliance model:

• Group Compliance (this role):
  • Owns global compliance strategy, policies, standards, methodologies, and compliance systems governance and regulatory requirements
  • Sets minimum controls, escalation standards, and risk appetite
  • Leads regulatory horizon scanning and product impact assessments
  • Ensures consistency of regulatory posture and client experience
  • Arbitrates regulatory interpretation and approves exceptions
• Local Compliance Teams:
  • Execute day-to-day compliance activities
  • Interface with local regulators
  • Operate within group-defined frameworks and controls

The Group Head of Compliance & Regulatory Strategy provides central leadership and oversight of this model, ensuring alignment, discipline, and scalability across jurisdictions.


Key Responsibilities
1. Group Compliance Strategy & Leadership

• Define, evolve and execute the Group's compliance and regulatory strategy in line with business growth and product expansion
• Ensure effective operation, governance, and ongoing improvement of the group compliance operating model
• Lead and coordinate the global compliance function, including functional management of local compliance heads
• Build a compliance culture of integrity, accountability, collaboration, and commercial awareness
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, training and performance management across the compliance function
• Act as a senior advisor to executive management and boards on regulatory risk and strategy
• Represent the Group in engagements with regulators, counterparties, partners, and other external stakeholders where required

2. Governance, Policy & Framework Ownership

• Own and maintain group-wide compliance frameworks, policies, processes, procedures, and standards within which local entities operate
• Ensure consistent interpretation and application across all entities, avoiding fragmentation or local deviation
• Oversee compliance programs covering:
  • AML / CFT
  • Sanctions
  • Customer due diligence
  • Market conduct
  • Regulatory reporting
• Monitor regulatory and legal developments globally and translate them into actionable guidance for the Group
• Provide structured, forward-looking compliance reporting to senior management and, if required, entity boards

3. Technology, Surveillance & Regulatory Change

• Act as a senior functional partner to the Group's RegTech and Technology teams, contributing regulatory expertise to the design, development, and implementation of compliance technology across the Group
• Lead regulatory input into the design and implementation of new compliance capabilities, including transaction monitoring and trade surveillance, as the Group expands into new products and markets
• Ensure effective, consistent, and regulator-ready use of existing sanctions screening and client onboarding / KYC tools across the Group, contributing to their ongoing enhancement in line with regulatory and market developments
• Partner with technology, product, and operations teams to embed compliance into platforms and workflows
• Lead regulatory readiness for new regimes and products, including:
  • MiCA
  • VASP / VARA frameworks
  • Digital assets and tokenised products
  • New market entry and licensing
• Ensure the Group remains proactive rather than reactive to regulatory change

4. Commercial Partnership & Product Enablement

• Act as a strategic partner to Business Development, Product, and Commercial teams
• Advise on regulatory feasibility and structuring of new products and services before launch
• Balance regulatory integrity with speed to market and commercial objectives
• Ensure regulatory considerations are addressed early, reducing late-stage rework and time-to-market risk
• Reduce unnecessary friction for low-risk clients while maintaining robust controls
• Ensure clients experience a consistent, high-quality onboarding and servicing journey, regardless of booking entity or jurisdiction

Qualifications and Experience

• Degree in Finance, Law, Business Administration or a related discipline
• Professional certifications (ICA, ACAMS or equivalent): strong familiarity with FATF standards required
• Senior level experience in international financial services compliance within a multi-entity, multi-jurisdictional group
• Strong knowledge of:
  • AML / CFT frameworks
  • Sanctions regimes (EU, US, UN, UK)
  • Financial services regulations
  • Risk-based compliance approaches
• Experience with digital assets, trading, payments, or Fintech environments is highly desirable
• Demonstrated ability to work closely with technology and product teams
• Proven track record of building, leading, and managing distributed teams across jurisdictions
• Commercially pragmatic mindset with the confidence to exercise judgement in complex situations
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills

What We Offer

• A senior leadership role within a fast growing, international financial services group
• Direct influence over group strategy, operating model and product expansion
• Exposure to evolving regulatory regimes and innovative financial products
• Competitive compensation, performance incentives and flexible working arrangements
• A collaborative, execution-focused culture with strong senior sponsorship