Head of UK Compliance

We are seeking a highly accomplished, commercially savvy and strategically-minded leader to serve as the Head of Compliance, UK & Group Senior Compliance Advisory Executive to lead on BCB's products and global expansion compliance journey. This is a unique and pivotal dual-mandate role. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring full regulatory adherence of our two regulated UK entities while simultaneously driving the global compliance strategy for products and new licences across the entire Group business. This position necessarily requires deep expertise in UK regulation (FCA), specifically for a payments and e-money institution, but uniquely combined with a proactive approach, excitement and flair for embedding compliance into the global product development lifecycle and expansion of our regulatory footprint.

UK Compliance Team & Functional Leadership

UK Head of Compliance for BCB Payments UK Ltd and BCB Markets UK Ltd. Oversight of the UK Compliance Function and compliance risks in the UK. Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements for our UK business. Ownership for the following responsibilities:-

• Regulatory affairs, reporting and engagement including licensing 
• Policy & Standards (Policy Governance) 
• Compliance & Regulatory Risk 
• Safeguarding & Custody 
• Marketing & Communications
• Compliance Risk Assessments
• Compliance Monitoring & Assurance
• Compliance Audits
• Horizon Scanning & Regulatory Intelligence 
• Training & Awareness
• Whistleblowing 
• Complaints.

An internal and external ambassador for BCB on all matters of compliance and an ambitious and visionary leader for your team. Ensure your team has clear top-down performance objectives linked to company-wide objectives. 

Global Product & Expansion Compliance Advisory

Additionally this role has a global Compliance Advisory remit on all aspects of BCB's product development and governance journey, plus global expansion efforts as we increase our regulatory footprint with new jurisdictions and new licences.

Provide strategic direction and expert compliance advice to Product, collaborating with other functional stakeholders, ensuring all new and existing products meet applicable regulatory requirements (in particular, UK/EU). Undertake compliance gap analyses and risk assessments for New Product Approvals ensuring that new products meet applicable regulatory standards.  Oversee the identification and design of compliance controls, standards, and requirements from the initial concept phase through the entire product development lifecycle, applying a 'Compliance-by-Design' approach.

Business Partner, Governance & Reporting

Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with stakeholders across all levels of the organisation, including senior management, legal, risk, audit, and various business lines. Provide general Compliance advice to business stakeholders in a clear, concise, and tailored manner. Represent the Compliance function in various internal committees and working groups. Continue to improve and strengthen our compliance framework, identify emerging risks, and embed a strong culture of compliance across the firm.

Provide comprehensive, regular reporting on the status of UK compliance risks, regulatory changes, and remedial actions to the UK Board, relevant governance committees. Create and develop compliance management information (MI) & Key Risk Indicators (KRIs).  

Experience & Requirements 

• You will have worked in the FCA-regulated payments, e-money, crypto or banking sectors in the UK previously where you have gained at least 10  years proven experience in a broad compliance role, including providing 2nd line Compliance advisory support for product development and expansion. Ideally at least 3-5 years in a senior leadership or Head of Compliance role. Proven experience managing, motivating, and developing compliance professionals and leading cross-functional strategic initiatives.
• Expert level knowledge and understanding is required of all applicable regulations for a payments or e-money business (PSRs, EMRs and Approach Document), including the rules on safeguarding, the FCA handbook and associated guidance.  Additionally you will have experience or familiarity around those rules, regulations and expectations in the crypto assets sector and the emerging regulatory landscape in the UK and globally. Expert level knowledge and understanding of the UK AML, CTF, and Sanctions rules  and regulations is expected.
• Experience of hands-on regulatory engagement with the FCA and ideally other regulators.
• Extensive experience advising on the legal and regulatory implications of launching and operating financial products in the UK and other jurisdictions.
• Ability to analyse and synthesise complex information and distill into readily comprehensible and practical advice relevant to the commercial, strategic and financial context, applying a risk-based approach to development of management information insights, business solutions and decision-making. 
• Demonstrate a creative and innovative approach by finding different ways to look at problems and design novel solutions. Capacity to interpret complex rules and regulations and provide commercially viable and actionable advice that balances innovation with risk management.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Comfortable interacting and influencing C-level executives and external regulatory bodies.
• Autonomous, pro-active and hands-on with the ability to prioritise and manage own work effectively, apply a breadth of technical, business, product and customer domain knowledge, own the outcome and make an impact.
• Used to working in a diverse, international, fast-moving business and fast evolving regulatory environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. 
• Relevant Compliance certifications or recognized professional certifications in Compliance.

BCB Group is a leading provider of regulated payment and trading services in crypto and fiat for the digital asset economy. We provide accounts, cryptocurrency and foreign exchange market liquidity for some of the world's largest, crypto-engaged businesses, including crypto exchanges, liquidity providers, market makers, investment firms, custodians, payment processors and wallet providers.

Our end-to-end suite of products are accessible through our Client Console UI and API. We offer more than 40 fiat and cryptocurrencies, deep trading liquidity, 24/7 instant payments through our instant settlements network, BLINC, and secure crypto services. Our strong focus on compliance matches our technical and business expertise, and we are regulated by some of the world's most respected regulators. Authorised in the UK, France and Switzerland, we place the utmost importance on our regulatory-first institutional principles.

Our leadership team boasts years of relevant, high-level experience at globally-renowned institutions. They combine finance, law, regulatory and technology skills in traditional and crypto financial services with a deep understanding of the new digital asset economy.

Our mission is to create the trusted platform to pay, store, trade and earn fiat and digital assets, globally 24/7