Chief Compliance Officer

Finalsite; Glastonbury (CT); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Finalsite is seeking a Chief Compliance Officer to lead global compliance, ethics, regulatory, and enterprise risk programs. The role reports to the CEO with a dotted line to the Chief Legal Officer, focusing on PayFac compliance and scalable controls.

This executive will partner with banks, processors, regulators, and cross‑functional teams to implement policies, onboarding, KYC/KYB, AML, and monitoring, ensuring strong governance while enabling growth.

Qualifications

• Deep hands-on PayFac compliance experience.
• Extensive payments, merchant acquiring, and banking knowledge.
• Expertise in AML/KYC/KYB, fraud controls, and regulatory governance.
• PCI-DSS, NACHA, OFAC, and related standards knowledge.
• Experience with regulator and bank examinations and audits.

Responsibilities

• Owns and leads enterprise-wide compliance and ethics strategy and governance.
• Builds and evolves PayFac compliance program from the ground up.
• Advises CEO and Board on regulatory developments and risk.
• Oversees audits, examinations, investigations, and remediation.
• Collaborates with Legal, Finance, HR, Product, Security, and Ops teams.

Skills

PayFac experience

Payments & fintech

Regulatory governance

AML/KYC/KYB

PCI-DSS knowledge

Sponsor banks & card networks

Executive leadership

Board reporting & communications

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business/Finance/Legal Studies

Juris Doctor (JD)

MBA or advanced degree (preferred)

CRC(M)/CAMS/CIPP (certifications)

Job description

WHO WE ARE

Finalsite is the most valued partner for K–12 schools to build trust, strengthen community, and grow enrollment. Ranked among the best EdTech Companies in America, Finalsite supports more than 7,000 schools and districts worldwide with an integrated platform for websites, communications, mobile apps, enrollment, and marketing services.

Headquartered in Glastonbury, Connecticut, Finalsite is a global company with employees working remotely across nearly every U.S. state, as well as throughout Europe, South America, and Asia.

We believe people do their best work when they feel supported, connected, and empowered to grow. That’s why we invest in our employees through competitive benefits, professional development opportunities, and a collaborative culture built on partnership and purpose. Whether you’re looking to expand your skills, take on new challenges, or make a meaningful impact in education, Finalsite offers the opportunity to grow your career while helping schools thrive.

At Finalsite, every interaction matters — with our clients, with each other, and with the schools and families we serve. Join us and help shape stronger school communities around the world

SUMMARY

The Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) is the senior executive responsible for building, leading, and overseeing Finalsite’s global compliance, ethics, regulatory, and enterprise risk programs. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer with a dotted line to the Chief Legal Officer, the CCO will serve as the company’s primary compliance authority and a strategic advisor to the executive team and Board of Directors. A critical requirement for this role is deep, hands‑on Payment Facilitator (PayFac) experience, including having built and operationalized a PayFac compliance program from the ground up. The successful candidate will bring extensive experience across payments, merchant acquiring, sponsor/acquiring bank relationships, card network requirements, AML/KYC/KYB, transaction monitoring, fraud and financial crime controls, and regulatory governance. This leader must be able to design a scalable compliance infrastructure that supports Finalsite’s continued growth while maintaining strong regulatory, financial, operational, and reputational risk controls.

LOCATION

100% Remote - Anywhere within the US

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Owns and leads Finalsite’s enterprise-wide compliance and ethics strategy, establishing the governance structure, risk framework, policies, controls, monitoring, and reporting required for a scaled, regulated organization.


• Establishes and maintains policies, procedures, governance frameworks, and internal controls to ensure regulatory and operational compliance.


• Builds, implements, and continuously evolves the company’s Payment Facilitator (PayFac) compliance program from the ground up, including merchant onboarding and underwriting, KYC/KYB, AML, sanctions screening, transaction monitoring, fraud controls, ongoing merchant monitoring, and escalation protocols.


• Ensures compliance with applicable payment and financial regulatory requirements, including PCI-DSS, NACHA, BSA/AML, OFAC, money transmission requirements, card network rules, sponsor/acquiring bank requirements, GDPR, SOC controls, and other relevant standards.


• Serves as the senior compliance executive and primary liaison with sponsor/acquiring banks, payment processors, card networks, regulators, auditors, and external legal counsel, including ownership of examinations, reviews, certifications, and remediation plans.


• Advises the CEO, executive leadership team, and Board on compliance strategy, PayFac risk, regulatory developments, and material legal, operational, financial, and reputational risks.


• Leads enterprise compliance audits, regulatory and bank examinations, investigations, monitoring activities, issue management, and remediation initiatives.


• Owns the compliance framework for AML, KYC/KYB, sanctions screening, fraud prevention, transaction monitoring, merchant risk, and financial crime controls.


• Oversees compliance training and awareness programs to promote a culture of integrity, accountability, and ethical conduct.


• Proactively advises leadership on emerging PayFac, payments, fintech, card network, banking, and regulatory developments and translates those changes into business requirements and scalable controls.


• Collaborates cross-functionally with Legal, Finance, HR, Product, Security, Technology, and Operations teams to ensure compliant business practices and scalable operational processes.


• Oversees third-party risk management and vendor compliance programs, particularly related to financial systems, payment providers, and technology platforms.


• Provides regular reporting to the executive team and Board of Directors on compliance program effectiveness, PayFac and merchant risk, regulatory matters, audit findings, key risk indicators, and remediation progress.


• Partners with Product, Technology, Security, Finance, Legal, Operations, and commercial teams to embed compliance into new products, payment capabilities, strategic partnerships, acquisitions, and expansion initiatives.

OTHER FUNCTIONS

• Participates in enterprise risk management and business continuity planning initiatives.


• Represents the organization in industry groups, regulatory discussions, and compliance-related forums.


• Assists with corporate governance initiatives and policy development as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Legal Studies, Accounting, or related field.


• Minimum 12+ years of progressive compliance, regulatory, risk, payments, fintech, banking, or financial services experience, with significant executive-level leadership responsibility.


• Minimum 5+ years leading enterprise compliance programs in a senior executive or comparable leadership role.


• Required: Demonstrated experience building and operationalizing a Payment Facilitator (PayFac) compliance program from the ground up. Candidates must have direct, hands‑on experience establishing the policies, governance, controls, monitoring, merchant risk processes, and operating model required to launch and scale a PayFac program.


• Extensive direct experience within PayFac, payments, fintech, merchant acquiring, sponsor/acquiring banking, payment processing, or similarly regulated financial transaction environments.


• Deep expertise in PayFac operations, merchant onboarding and underwriting, KYC/KYB, payment network rules, transaction risk management, fraud and financial crime controls, and financial regulatory compliance.


• Expert working knowledge of PCI-DSS, NACHA, AML/KYC/KYB, OFAC, money transmission requirements, card network compliance, merchant monitoring, fraud prevention, transaction monitoring, and financial controls.


• Proven experience partnering directly with sponsor/acquiring banks, payment processors, card networks, financial institutions, regulators, and auditors, with the ability to independently manage these relationships at the executive level.


• Proven experience leading sponsor bank/card network reviews, regulatory examinations, compliance audits, investigations, and remediation efforts within PayFac, payments, fintech, or financial services environments.


• Demonstrated ability to build and scale compliance infrastructure in a high-growth technology organization while balancing regulatory requirements, customer experience, and business growth.


• Executive presence and the ability to communicate effectively with the CEO, Board of Directors, investors, regulators, banking partners, and cross-functional senior leadership.


• Exceptional analytical, strategic thinking, and decision-making capabilities.

PREFERRED

• Juris Doctor (JD), MBA, or other advanced degree.


• Professional certifications such as CRCM, CAMS, CIPP, CIA, or equivalent.


• Experience serving as a Chief Compliance Officer or senior compliance executive within a SaaS, fintech, PayFac, or payment-enabled technology organization.


• Experience supporting global payment operations, international regulatory frameworks, and scaled technology platforms.

COMPETENCIES

• Executive & Board Leadership


• PayFac, Payments & Regulatory Expertise


• Enterprise & Merchant Risk Management


• Ethical Judgment & Integrity


• Executive Communication


• Operational Excellence


• Cross-Functional Collaboration


• Change Management


• Decision Making


• Problem Solving

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT

Finalsite offers 100% fully remote employment opportunities, however, these opportunities are limited to permanent residents of the United States. Current residency, as well as continued residency, within the United States is required to obtain (and retain) employment with Finalsite.

DISCLOSURES

Finalsite is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. EEO is the Law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact Finalsite's People Operations Team. Finalsite is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Finalsite will ensure that persons with disabilities or special needs are provided a reasonable accommodation.