Head of Compliance - Platforms
Nium · San Francisco, United States · 15h ago
Director & ExecutiveHybridRisk & Compliance$184k – $230k
Nium, Global Leader in Payments
Nium, the global leader in real-time, cross-border payments, was founded on the mission to deliver the global payments infrastructure of tomorrow, today. With the onset of the global economy, its payments infrastructure is shaping how banks, fintechs, and businesses everywhere collect, convert, and disburse funds instantly across borders.
Its payout network supports 100 currencies and spans 220+ markets, 100 of which in real-time. Funds can be disbursed to accounts, wallets, and cards and collected locally in 35 markets. Nium's growing card issuance business is already available in 34 countries. Nium holds regulatory licenses and authorizations in more than 40 countries, enabling seamless onboarding, rapid integration, and compliance – independent of geography. The company is co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore.
About the Role
Nium is seeking a Head of Compliance - Platforms to serve as the senior Compliance partner to the Platforms business. This role will work closely with Sales, Business Development, Partnerships, Account Management, Product, Legal, and Nium's country compliance teams to identify regulatory considerations early, incorporate local requirements into commercial strategy, and enable compliant opportunities across the Platforms vertical.
The successful candidate will provide practical guidance on complex enterprise relationships, particularly platforms and marketplaces that use Nium's solutions to serve their own merchants or customers. This is a commercially focused Compliance role centered on structuring deals, supporting new platform models and use cases, and enabling responsible growth. The role will also own Compliance outcomes for relationships with bank partners, card networks, stablecoin networks, and other payment infrastructure partners.
While this role does not directly own regulatory relationships or license-protection responsibilities, the successful candidate will bring a deep understanding of these areas and apply that knowledge to provide practical guidance to commercial teams. They will also work closely with Nium's country Compliance teams.
Key Responsibilities
- Serve as the senior Compliance advisor to the Platforms vertical's commercial leadership and go-to-market teams.
- Engage early in the sales and business-development process to identify compliance considerations and help structure viable solutions.
- Partner closely with Sales, Business Development, Partnerships, Account Management, Product, Legal, Financial Crime Compliance, and country Compliance teams.
- Act as the primary bridge between commercial teams and country compliance teams, connecting commercial priorities with local regulatory requirements, risk appetite, and compliance guidance.
- Advise on strategic opportunities involving platforms, marketplaces, enterprise clients, bank partners, and other complex commercial relationships.
- Own Compliance outcomes for relationships with bank partners, card networks, stablecoin networks, and other payment infrastructure partners.
- Evaluate the compliance implications of two-tier business models in which Nium provides payment capabilities to a platform that serves underlying merchants, sellers, or customers.
- Support the development of compliant solutions for new platform models, customer segments, use cases, products, and payment flows.
- Provide practical guidance on AML/CTF, sanctions, KYC/KYB, customer and partner due diligence, acceptable-use requirements, licensing considerations, and payment regulations.
- Participate in customer and partner discussions when senior Compliance involvement is needed to explain Nium's requirements, controls, or proposed solutions.
- Assess higher-risk or nonstandard opportunities and recommend appropriate controls, conditions, or risk-mitigation measures.
- Coordinate the resolution of compliance questions and escalations that could affect commercial negotiations, onboarding, implementation, or launch.
- Help commercial teams understand Nium's risk appetite and identify potential compliance obstacles before significant time or resources are committed.
- Translate regulatory requirements into clear, actionable guidance for commercial and business stakeholders.
- Maintain a deep understanding of Nium's regulatory relationships and license-protection obligations, leveraging that knowledge to guide commercial decisions without directly owning those responsibilities.
- Develop scalable commercial compliance frameworks, playbooks, and decision-making standards for the Platforms vertical.
- Identify recurring barriers within the commercial process and partner with relevant teams to improve policies, controls, and workflows.
- Deliver targeted training to Sales, Business Development, Partnerships, Account Management, and other customer-facing teams.
- Provide senior leadership with visibility into material commercial compliance risks, emerging trends, significant decisions, and unresolved issues.
- Represent the Platforms vertical within Nium's broader global Compliance organization and commercial advisory framework.
Qualifications
- 12+ years of progressive experience in compliance, regulatory risk, financial crime, legal, or a related function within payments, fintech, banking, or financial services.
- Significant experience advising commercial, sales, business-development, partnership, or account-management teams.
- Experience supporting or managing compliance matters involving bank partners, card networks, stablecoin networks, or other payment infrastructure partners.
- Strong knowledge of cross-border payments, money movement, payment platforms, bank partnerships, and complex B2B customer relationships.
- Experience supporting platforms, marketplaces, embedded-finance providers, payment facilitators, or other businesses with underlying merchants, sellers, or customers.
- Deep understanding of relevant compliance areas, including AML/CTF, sanctions, KYC/KYB, customer due diligence, licensing, and payments regulation.
- Experience serving as - or working closely with - an MLRO, BSA Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, or country compliance leader.
- Demonstrated ability to connect commercial teams with country compliance, regulatory, or licensing stakeholders in a global organization.
- Demonstrated ability to apply regulatory knowledge to commercial opportunities and develop practical, risk-based solutions.
- Strong understanding of the regulatory and licensing considerations relevant to global payment platforms and cross-border payment activity.
- Experience supporting new products, market expansion, customer onboarding, or complex payment solutions.
- Strong executive presence and the ability to influence senior commercial and cross-functional stakeholders.
- Ability to balance commercial objectives with regulatory obligations and constructively challenge proposed activity when necessary.
- Excellent judgment, communication, and stakeholder-management skills.
- Experience operating within a global, matrixed, and fast-paced organization.
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience with enterprise payments, marketplaces, embedded finance, payment APIs, payment facilitation, or banking-as-a-service models.
• Experience supporting large enterprise customers, financial institutions, payment partners, or complex distribution models.
• Familiarity with regulatory and licensing frameworks relevant to cross-border payments, money transmission, card programs, stablecoin networks, and platform-based payment models.
• Experience engaging directly with external customers, bank partners, auditors, or regulators.
• CAMS, CRCM, legal qualification, or another relevant compliance certification.
What we offer at Nium
We Value Performance: Through competitive salaries, performance bonuses, sales commissions, equity for specific roles and recognition programs, we ensure that all our employees are well rewarded and incentivized for their hard work.
We Care: The wellness of Nium’ers is our #1 priority. We offer medical coverage along with 24/7 employee assistance program, generous vacation programs including our year-end shut down. We also provide a flexible hybrid working environment (3 days per week in the office).
We Upskill Ourselves: We are curious, and always want to learn more with a focus on upskilling ourselves. We provide role-specific training, internal workshops, and a learning stipend.
We Constantly Innovate: Since our inception, Nium has received constant recognition and awards for how we approach both our business and talent opportunities. Check out CNBC World’s Top Fintech Companies 2024.
We Celebrate Together: We recognize that work is also about creating great relationships with each other. We celebrate together with company-wide social events, team bonding activities, happy hours, team offsites, and much more!
We Thrive With Diversity: Nium is truly a global company, with more than 33 nationalities, based in 18+ countries and more than 10 office locations. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.
For more detailed region-specific benefits: https://www.nium.com/careers#careers-perks
For more information, visit www.nium.com.
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Nium provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status. In addition to federal law requirements, Nium complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company operates. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. Nium expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status.