Digital Assets Compliance Manager

About Us
Visa is a world leader in payments technology, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories, dedicated to uplifting everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.

At Visa, you'll have the opportunity to create impact at scale — tackling meaningful challenges, growing your skills and seeing your contributions impact lives around the world.

Join Visa and do work that matters – to you, to your community, and to the world. Progress starts with you.

Job Description

What’s it all about?

The Digital Assets Compliance Manager reports directly into Visa Direct’s Group Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) and sits within Visa Payments Limited (VPL) Compliance as a specialist second line of defence (2LoD) role.

The role supports the MLRO, the business and first line of defence (1LoD) across digital asset matters, with a particular focus on cryptocurrency, stablecoin and blockchain-based products. It provides independent advice, oversight and challenge throughout the product lifecycle, from strategy and design through pilot operation, launch, commercial scaling and ongoing management.

The role will support existing initiatives and pilot programmes, as well as the licensing, regulatory engagement and control development required to build and further develop Visa Direct’s stablecoin and blockchain control framework. This includes helping the MLRO assess regulatory requirements, prepare for discussions and submissions to regulators, define the required controls and governance, and support implementation across relevant business and control functions.

The successful candidate will bring practical experience of crypto and stablecoin products, blockchain-based payment flows and the associated financial crime and regulatory control environment. They will support the MLRO in translating evolving risks and regulatory expectations into proportionate product requirements, risk appetite positions, controls, governance and assurance, while enabling innovation in cross-border money movement.

A core responsibility is the independent oversight and testing of material digital asset controls operated by third parties within and outside VPL’s ecosystem. The role will assess whether those controls remain effective throughout the relationship, report outcomes to the MLRO and senior management, and drive remediation where weaknesses are identified.

The role also requires practical experience using generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to support research, analysis, drafting and reporting. A general understanding of agentic AI and the governance considerations associated with its use within Compliance would be beneficial.

What we expect of you, day to day:

Digital Assets Advisory & Product Leadership:

• Act as VPL Compliance’s principal 2LoD adviser on cryptocurrency, stablecoin and blockchain-based products, providing clear, practical and authoritative advice to the MLRO, senior management, Product, Technology, Commercial and 1LoD teams from concept through launch, scale and ongoing lifecycle management.
• Lead the compliance assessment of new and changing digital asset products and business models, translating complex payment flows, regulatory requirements and financial crime risks into proportionate product conditions, risk appetite recommendations and control requirements.
• Build strong relationships across the business, control functions, regulated entities and external partners, influencing senior stakeholders, resolving competing priorities and enabling responsible innovation while maintaining independent 2LoD judgement and challenge.

Technical Framework, Risk & Control Oversight:

• Support the MLRO in building and further developing Visa Direct’s stablecoin and blockchain control framework, defining the governance, policies, risk assessments, control standards and evidence required to support licensing, regulatory expectations and the expansion of digital asset products.
• Provide technical advice and challenge on digital asset controls, including due diligence, blockchain analytics, wallet and sanctions screening, transaction monitoring, the Travel Rule, investigations, information sharing, record keeping and the interfaces between fiat and on-chain activity.
• Work with the business and 1LoD to translate licensing conditions, regulatory feedback and product risks into clear control requirements, implementation plans and ongoing monitoring.
• Lead risk-based oversight and testing of material digital asset and stablecoin controls operated by partners and other third parties outside the VPL ecosystem, assessing design and operating effectiveness throughout the relationship and ensuring reliance is supported by appropriate evidence, transparency, access and assurance.
• Evaluate findings, incidents, exceptions and control weaknesses; agree proportionate remediation; track actions through to closure; and escalate material concerns to the MLRO and relevant governance forums.

Governance, Reporting & Capability Building:

• Provide concise reporting to the MLRO, senior management, committees and the Board on digital asset risks, product readiness, partner reliance, control effectiveness and remediation.
• Liaise with Compliance teams across other Visa regulated entities to share relevant intelligence, align approaches to digital asset risks and controls, coordinate advice on cross-entity products and ensure clear ownership and escalation where activities involve more than one regulated entity.
• Use GenAI appropriately to improve the quality and efficiency of compliance research, analysis, drafting, reporting and knowledge management, while applying judgement, protecting confidential information and checking outputs before use.
• Support the responsible use of agentic AI within Compliance by helping identify suitable use cases, control requirements, human review points, data and access restrictions, record-keeping expectations and escalation routes.
• Strengthen VPL’s digital asset capability through clear guidance and training, keeping stakeholders informed of relevant market, technology and regulatory developments and promoting consistent standards across 1LoD and 2LoD.

Visa requires at least 3 days in office, expectations of these days will be confirmed by your Hiring Manager.

Qualifications

What we are seeking:

Education & Professional Qualifications:

• Relevant graduate degree or equivalent professional experience in Law, Finance, Economics, Risk, Compliance, Technology or a related discipline.
• Professional financial crime or compliance qualification preferred, such as ICA, ACAMS or equivalent.
• Recognised cryptocurrency, blockchain or digital asset compliance qualification is desirable.
• Evidence of continued professional development in digital assets, financial crime, payments, artificial intelligence and regulatory change.

Knowledge & Experience:

• Significant 2LoD financial crime or regulatory compliance experience within payments, cross-border money movement, banking, fintech or a regulated digital asset business.
• Demonstrable hands-on experience of cryptocurrency and stablecoin products, blockchain-based payment flows and the controls required to manage their risks.
• Experience advising Product and Technology teams through product design, product risk assessment, launch readiness and ongoing lifecycle governance.
• Strong knowledge of digital asset financial crime risks and controls, including blockchain analytics, wallet screening, transaction monitoring, sanctions, Travel Rule, customer and partner due diligence, investigations and regulatory reporting.
• Experience designing, executing or overseeing risk-based testing and assurance of third-party or outsourced controls, including sampling, findings assessment and remediation tracking.
• Ability to analyse end-to-end fiat and on-chain flows, complex partner models, custody and wallet arrangements, and control hand-offs across multiple entities.
• Working knowledge of relevant UK requirements and international digital asset standards, together with the ability to assess regulatory change across jurisdictions.
• Practical experience using GenAI tools in day-to-day professional work, with an understanding of their limitations and the importance of accuracy, confidentiality, data protection and human review.
• Baseline understanding of agentic AI, including how AI agents may support compliance workflows and the governance, access, oversight and audit considerations that should be addressed before use.
• Experience producing clear senior-management, committee or Board reporting on emerging risks, control effectiveness and product readiness.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the credibility to influence Product, Technology, Commercial and operational teams while maintaining independent 2LoD challenge.

Key Personal Attributes:

• Independent judgement and integrity: makes defensible recommendations, provides credible challenge and escalates promptly.
• Digital asset expertise and curiosity: understands crypto and stablecoin products in practical depth and keeps pace with market and technology change.
• AI fluency: uses GenAI confidently and responsibly, understands where human judgement remains essential and is interested in practical applications of agentic AI within Compliance.
• Commercial judgement: enables responsible innovation through clear, proportionate and workable compliance requirements.
• Analytical discipline: connects product flows, legal-entity responsibilities, data and controls to identify gaps and unintended risk.
• Executive communication: explains complex technical and regulatory matters clearly and concisely to senior stakeholders.
• Delivery mindset: works independently, manages competing priorities and drives actions through to closure.
• Collaboration and influence: builds trust across functions, partners and regulated entities while preserving 2LoD independence.

Visa is an EEO Employer

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Visa will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with EEOC guidelines and applicable local law.