Head of Product Compliance

Head of Product Compliance

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Law, Finance, Business, Engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in compliance, product compliance, or regulatory advisory roles, preferably within crypto, fintech, or traditional financial services.
• Strong understanding of global financial regulations impacting crypto products.
• Proven experience advising on regulatory compliance throughout the product development lifecycle.
• In-depth knowledge of crypto products, including spot trading, derivatives, staking, lending/borrowing, NFTs, DeFi, and stablecoins.
• Ability to analyze complex regulations and translate them into practical compliance strategies.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with experience engaging product, legal, risk, compliance advisory, and regulatory compliance teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a risk-based mindset.
• Familiarity with compliance risk assessment frameworks and control testing methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement the firm’s product compliance framework, ensuring end-to-end coverage of compliance risks across all products.
• Develop clear policies and procedures governing product development, including regulatory reviews and approval processes.
• Conduct pre-launch compliance assessments for new products and material changes AML/CFT, sanctions, market abuse, investor protection, and consumer safeguards.
• Ensure products meet the requirements of applicable global regulations(e.g., US CFTC, US FinCEN, MFSA MiCA, UK FCA, SG MAS, Dubai VARA, etc.).
• Evaluate cross-border regulatory impacts and guide product localization strategies where required.
• Serve as the primary compliance advisor to product managers during the product development lifecycle.
• Partner with compliance advisory functions, regulatory compliance, legal, and risk teams to interpret complex regulations and apply them pragmatically to new product features.
• Review technical documentation, user journeys, and product flows to ensure compliance risks are addressed.
• Oversee post-launch monitoring of product performance against compliance obligations.
• Work with the compliance assurance team to design and execute testing programs specific to product compliance.
• Identify, escalate, and remediate compliance issues, ensuring continuous improvement of controls.
• Act as a subject matter expert during regulatory exams or audits focusing on product compliance.
• Collaborate with regulatory compliance to stay abreast of global regulatory changes and emerging risks affecting crypto products, providing proactive guidance to stakeholders.
• Develop and deliver training programs for product and engineering teams to enhance awareness of compliance requirements and expectations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional certifications (e.g., CAMS, ICA).
• Direct experience working in a crypto exchange, fintech, or technology-led financial services company.
• Knowledge of blockchain technology, DeFi protocols, and smart contracts.
• Experience working on global product launches, with a focus on multi-jurisdictional compliance.
• Familiarity with AML/CFT, market surveillance, sanctions, and consumer protection frameworks as they apply to digital assets.
• Knowledge of emerging risks in digital assets, including AML/CFT, sanctions, and market abuse.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, agile environment while maintaining a strong compliance posture.