Head of Compliance

Tenzing Search Ltd; Greater London; Remote; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Our client, a growth-stage fintech, is building a regulated virtual card programme and seeks a compliance leader to own all regulatory, AML/CFT and risk obligations across UK/EU markets. You will design a scalable compliance framework, partner with BIN sponsors, issuer processors and card schemes, and report to the Head of Payments & Banking.

This hands-on role starts as an IC but evolves into a strategic function, balancing governance with commercial enablement while enabling rapid market

Qualifications

• 6-10+ years in compliance, regulatory affairs or financial crime within financial services, fintech or payments.
• Deep working knowledge of UK FCA regulation and EEA e-money / payment institution frameworks (PSD2, EMD2).
• Hands-on AML, KYB and CFT experience in a payments or card issuance context.
• Track record of building compliance frameworks from scratch in a start-up or scale-up, not just maintaining inherited systems.
• Experience managing multi-party obligations with third-party regulated entities (BIN sponsors, processors, card schemes).
• Commercial instincts: compliance as a competitive advantage, not a cost centre.
• Ability to translate regulatory complexity into clear, actionable guidance for non-specialists.
• Builder mindset: robust, scalable processes from day one.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end compliance framework for the virtual card programme across planned markets.
• Regulatory relationship with BIN sponsor and compliance with e-money/regulation.
• KYB and CFT onboarding for card clients, including AML controls.
• Develop compliance policies, procedures and controls across the client lifecycle.
• Liaise with issuer processor and card scheme on rules, regulations and audits.
• Lead licence and registration workstreams as entering new markets.
• Maintain the compliance risk register, escalation framework and incident response; participate in Risk Management Committee.
• Regulatory reporting and responses to queries from authorities.
• Provide horizon-scanning regulatory guidance to internal teams.

Skills

Regulatory compliance

AML/KYB/CFT

PSD2/EMD2

Financial crime controls

Start-up scale-up

Commercial mindset

Vendor management

Regulatory reporting

Translate regulatory guidance

Job description

My client is a growth-stage fintech that finances and equips mobile gaming and consumer app companies. They support with user-acquisition financing, cohort intelligence, AI marketing copilots, payments and banking. They ensure their clients can run a lean team, focus on real product with every person owning a surface area that matters.

They're also launching a regulated virtual credit card proposition, and they're hiring a compliance leader to build the function from zero.

The role

You'll own every regulatory, compliance and risk obligation for the card programme, working across their BIN sponsor, issuer processor and card scheme so they operate within the rules of every market they enter.

You'll report directly to the Head of Payments & Banking, initially starting as a hands-on as an individual contributor, to design the compliance framework that scales with them across the UK and European Union. This isn't a governance-only role: compliance here is a commercial enabler, not a brake.

What you'll own

• The end-to-end compliance framework for their virtual credit card programme across all planned markets
• The regulatory relationship with their BIN sponsor (FCA and EEA licensed), and compliance with applicable e-money and consumer credit regulation
• KYB and credit onboarding for card clients, including AML, CFT and financial crime controls
• Compliance policies, procedures and controls across the full client lifecycle, onboarding through credit management and card operations
• The compliance relationship with their issuer processor and card scheme: scheme rules, operating regulations and audit requirements
• Licence and registration workstreams as they enter new markets, with external counsel where needed
• The compliance risk register, escalation framework and incident response, plus a seat on the Risk Management Committee
• Regulatory reporting and responses to queries from relevant authorities
• Day-to-day internal legal and regulatory guidance, including horizon-scanning across priority markets

What you'll bring

• 6-10+ years in compliance, regulatory affairs or financial crime within financial services, fintech or payments
• Deep working knowledge of UK FCA regulation and EEA e-money / payment institution frameworks (PSD2, EMD2)
• Hands-on AML, KYB and CFT experience in a payments or card issuance context
• A track record of building compliance frameworks from scratch in a start-up or scale-up, not just maintaining inherited systems
• Experience managing multi-party obligations with third-party regulated entities (BIN sponsors, processors, card schemes)
• Commercial instincts, you treat compliance done well as a competitive advantage, not a cost centre
• The ability to translate regulatory complexity into clear, actionable guidance for non-specialists
• A builder mindset: robust, proportionate, scalable processes from day one

Nice to have

• Commercial or virtual card programme compliance, including Visa or Mastercard scheme rules
• Familiarity with open-ended credit and working capital products under UK or EEA consumer/commercial credit regulation
• Compliance experience at a BIN sponsor, issuer processor or card programme manager
• Operating across multiple European jurisdictions simultaneously
• Exposure to mobile gaming, the app economy or B2B SaaS client onboarding

Why this role

• Build a compliance function from zero at a fintech with a real product, real regulatory obligations
• Report directly to the Head of Payments & Banking, with full visibility into strategy, compliance is a board-level priority here
• Work at the intersection of fintech, payments regulation and the mobile app economy
• Unlock markets, not just manage risk, your work is a direct input to commercial growth
• Remote role with travel occasionally to meet the leadership team