Head of Compliance

Zeal Group; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 1,800,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Zeal Group seeks a Head of Compliance to architect and execute a global regulatory strategy as the company expands internationally. You will spearhead licensing across jurisdictions, build a scalable compliance framework, and partner with product, legal, technology, and operations to ensure multi-jurisdictional adherence for CFD and brokerage activities.

Ideal candidates will have 10+ years in compliance leadership within FinTech/CFD sectors, strong licensing experience, and fluency in English

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Law, Finance, Economics or related field.
• 10+ years of relevant experience with strong preference for blended risk advisory/consultancy and in-house compliance leadership in FinTech, Payments, or CFD/Derivatives.
• Proven licensing expertise with international financial license applications (e.g., FCA, ASIC, CySEC, SCB).
• Excellent command of English and Mandarin (written and spoken).

Responsibilities

• Lead Global Regulatory Strategy & Expansion evaluating frameworks in target jurisdictions and guide expansion roadmap.
• Direct end-to-end licensing processes for international financial licenses and liaise with regulators and external counsel.
• Re-engineer compliance, AML/CTF, and risk management frameworks with scalable automated workflows.
• Provide proactive insights to the C-suite on evolving regulations affecting CFD/brokerage models.
• Bridge product, legal, tech, and operations to ensure multi-jurisdictional compliance in new trading products and onboarding.

Skills

Leadership

Regulatory strategy

AML oversight

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree or above in Law, Finance, Economics

Job description

Role Overview

We are seeking a high-caliber leadership professional to join our team as the Head of Compliance. As we accelerate our international expansion, you will play a pivotal role in architecting and executing our global regulatory strategy. Your primary focus will be on spearheading new market entries, securing and managing overseas financial licenses, and building a world-class compliance framework to ensure robust risk mitigation and operational excellence as we scale globally.

Key Responsibilities

• Global Regulatory Strategy & Expansion: Lead the strategic evaluation of regulatory frameworks in target jurisdictions (e.g., MENA, Indonesia). Assess capital requirements, licensing costs, and operational obligations to guide the firm's global expansion roadmap.
• Licensing & Regulatory Relations: Direct the end-to-end application processes for international financial licenses. Act as the primary liaison and relationship manager with external legal counsel and local regulatory bodies (e.g., FCA, ASIC, CySEC, SCB), ensuring the firm maintains excellent regulatory standing.
• Compliance Framework & AML Oversight: Re-engineer and oversee the firm's overarching compliance, AML/CTF, and risk management frameworks. Design and implement scalable, automated compliance workflows to enhance operational efficiency across all global entities.
• Executive Advisory: Provide proactive, actionable insights to the C-suite regarding the impact of evolving global regulations on the firm's CFD and brokerage business models.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Act as the ultimate bridge between the product, legal, technology, and operational teams. Ensure that all new trading products, marketing materials, and client onboarding processes strictly adhere to multi-jurisdictional standards.

Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree or above in Law, Finance, Economics, or a related discipline.
• Targeted Experience: 10+ years of relevant experience. Strong preference will be given to candidates with a blended professional background: hands-on risk advisory/consultancy experience coupled with in-house compliance leadership within the FinTech, Payments, or CFD/Derivatives sectors.
• Background Note: We are seeking an agile, business-enabling compliance partner.
• Licensing Expertise: Proven track record and hands-on experience in international financial license applications and maintenance (e.g., FCA, ASIC, CySEC, SCB, or similar regulatory bodies).
• Language: Excellent command of both written and spoken English and Mandarin is required to effectively liaise with global stakeholders.

Ideal Mindset & Behavioral Profile

• Business-Enabling Compliance: You view compliance not as a rigid roadblock, but as a strategic enabler. You are skilled at finding legally sound, innovative solutions that support aggressive business growth.
• Strategic Vision in Ambiguity: You thrive in fast-paced, high-growth environments. You possess the executive capability to transform complex, ill-defined regulatory challenges into concrete, executable business pathways.
• Decisive Leadership & Ownership: You exhibit a high degree of ownership and self-discipline. As a leader, you can drive large-scale, cross-border projects from inception to completion with autonomy, setting the highest benchmarks for your team and the organization.
• Adaptive Resilience: You demonstrate remarkable agility in the face of shifting global regulatory landscapes. Rather than being deterred by setbacks, you pivot strategies rapidly to maintain business momentum and achieve corporate objectives.