Head of Risk & Compliance (Contract) in London

Payments Recruitment; London; Hybrid; GBP 200,000 +; Part time

Job summary

A leading financial services company is seeking a Head of Compliance and Risk to oversee FCA compliance for its operations. The ideal candidate has over 5 years of experience in compliance within the fintech industry, strong knowledge of e-money regulations, and the ability to thrive in a dynamic environment. This role offers a contract rate of £500-650 per day and is based in Canary Wharf, London (Hybrid).

Qualifications

• 5+ years as a Head of Compliance or similar position.
• Experience building relationships with the FCA and FOS.
• Knowledge of regulatory frameworks and risk management systems.

Responsibilities

• Design and oversee the regulatory risk and compliance monitoring programme.
• Advise Board on complex regulatory issues.
• Maintain positive relationships with the FCA.

Skills

Knowledge of EMI/PSP/card issuing activities

Expertise in Electronic Money Regulations

Experience in Payment Services Regulations

Understanding of Money Laundering Regulations

Strong communication skills

Education

University-level education

Job description

Role: Head of Compliance and Risk (Neo-Bank)

Office: Canary Wharf, London (Hybrid)

Rate: £500-650/day (outside IR35, contract, 3-6 months)

Role details: Our client is one of the world’s leading trading networks, providing millions of users from around the world with a one-stop-shop solution for their trading and investing needs. As a Fintech leader, pioneering revolutionary practices such as social trading, blockchain and machine-learning-based investment products, they have developed a regulated and secure platform, operating in full transparency with its clients’ interest in mind. As part of our proposition, we operate neo-banking services for our customers, providing them with a smarter and more cost-efficient way to manage their money, moving funds into and out of their trading account instantly and at better exchange rates than other available deposit and redemption methods.

Job Description / Responsibilities: To support our rapid growth, we are looking for a hands-on candidate who will be responsible for providing Compliance and Risk oversight for our FCA authorised and regulated entity. The candidate will support our program in general (globally) and will act as a senior domain expert for e-Money regulation subjects within the business. You will specifically be responsible for:

• The design and oversight of the regulatory risk and compliance monitoring programme.
• Advising the Board and broader Group on complex regulatory issues.
• Advising the Board on the regulatory landscape, including new and emerging developments.
• Maintaining a positive and transparent relationship with the FCA.
• Overseeing the drafting and ongoing maintenance of robust policies and procedures across the entire regulatory compliance domain.
• Clients’ funds safeguarding and wind-down planning.
• The submission of ad hoc & routine reporting to the FCA, including formal notifications (where required).
• The review and approval of financial promotions / marketing campaigns.
• Supporting product development, including advising the Board on the use of the Firm’s EMI license to develop product and services.
• Giving general compliance opinions/support.
• Participating in Board of Directors meetings.
• Advising the group on the development of e-money services in other geographies.
• Working on compliance subjects with 3rd parties, such as VISA, Mastercard and others.
• Being a designated FCA approved EMD Individual.
• Managing a small team of compliance professionals.

About you: The person taking on this role will be someone who has worked with one of the larger banks, electronic money, or payments institutions before and has a good understanding of what an optimal regulatory/risk framework looks like in today’s regulatory environment, particularly in the context of innovative business models.

The preferred candidate is articulate, numerate and can grasp complex concepts with ease, all of which whilst working within a fast-paced and dynamic environment. Priorities often change at the last minute and sometimes, information is required at short notice. You must be comfortable working within this kind of environment.

In summary, the requirements are as follows:

• Strong knowledge of EMI/PSP/card issuing activities. Must have worked in such environments previously.
• A subject matter expert in Electronic Money Regulations, Payment Services Regulations, Money laundering Regulations and PSD2.
• Previous experience (>5 years) as a Head of Compliance or equivalent senior-level position.
• Experienced in building working relationships with the FCA and FOS.
• Possess a deep understanding of regulatory frameworks, risk and risk management systems.
• In general, be able to command respect and be seen as a source of knowledge in his/her particular discipline.
• Experienced in filing regulatory reports.
• Organised and articulate.
• Be capable of showing an impressive track record of having performed under similar situations in a fast-paced, multi-regulated, multi-asset environment.
• Knowledge and experience in Operational Resilience and Conduct Risk management frameworks and best practice.
• Strong communication and presentation skills; must be comfortable communicating with senior management and external advisers.
• University-level education.
• Ability to work under pressure in a constantly changing environment.