Manager, Know Your Customer (KYC)

Circle; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 145,000 - 192,500; Full time

Job summary

Circle is seeking a Manager, Know Your Customer (KYC) to lead the Compliance Operations team and oversee daily KYC onboarding, enhanced due diligence, and periodic reviews. You will manage a regional team, drive policy documentation, and ensure timely, compliant decisions in a fast-moving crypto-fintech environment.

Ideal candidates have 7+ years in AML/KYC, 1+ year of team leadership, 2+ years in crypto, and a track record with AI-enabled compliance tools, with a strong focus on governance and

Qualifications

• 7+ years of AML and KYC reviews for corporate customers; scalable KYC governance experience.
• 1+ years of experience managing teams of analysts; driving performance and quality.
• 2+ years of relevant crypto experience.
• Experience leveraging AI-enabled tools within compliance; implement responsible AI-driven enhancements with strong controls.
• Passion for digital currency, blockchain tech, and emerging tech to modernize financial crime compliance.
• Innovative, solution-oriented mindset with track record of tech-driven improvements.
• Ability to collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, and Business stakeholders.
• Experience in dynamic regulatory/tech environments; agile to change and upskilling.
• Strong leadership, relationship management, and project management skills; executive presence in stakeholder discussions.
• Experience in RegTech, FinTech, consulting, or digital asset environments preferred.
• Certifications: CAMS, CFCS, CFE, or similar preferred.
• Proficiency in Google Workspace, Slack; familiarity with AI-assisted research/tools preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required; quantitative/technical or data-oriented degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee customer KYC, onboarding and periodic review processes with specialized due diligence; document policies and procedures.
• Manage case volumes across workflows to ensure timely execution and adherence to SLAs.
• Oversee drafting quality of Customer Risk Acceptance memos; provide feedback for risk identification and mitigations.
• Lead and develop a team of KYC analysts; drive quality and risk-based decisions.
• Lead customer compliance walkthroughs and reviews; identify gaps and partner with stakeholders for strong experience.
• Identify, design, and implement AI-driven enhancements to KYC workflows for efficiency and scale.
• Collaborate with Commercial teams; act as escalation point for complex issues.
• Ensure documentation, audit readiness and QA across onboarding and reviews.
• Partner with Engineering and Product to equip Compliance Operations with effective tools.
• Monitor regulatory developments; adapt KYC/AML processes accordingly.
• Build cross-functional partnerships with QA, Monitoring & Testing, Audit and exam teams.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Regulatory knowledge

Analytical thinking

AI-enabled tools familiarity

Crypto/FinTech domain knowledge

Team management

Education

Bachelor’s degree required

Quantitative/technical or data-oriented degree preferred

Tools

Google Workspace

Slack

Mac environment

AI-assisted research tools

Job description

Circle (NYSE: CRCL) is one of the world’s leading internet financial platform companies, building the foundation of a more open, global economy through digital assets, payment applications, and programmable blockchain infrastructure. Circle’s platform includes the world’s largest regulated stablecoin network anchored by USDC, Circle Payments Network for global money movement, and Arc, an enterprise-grade blockchain designed to become the Economic OS for the internet. Enterprises, financial institutions, and developers use Circle to power trusted, internet-scale financial innovation. Learn more at circle.com.

What You’ll Be Part Of

Circle is committed to visibility and stability in everything we do. As we grow as an organization, we’re expanding into some of the world’s strongest jurisdictions. Speed and efficiency are motivators for our success and our employees live by our company values: High Integrity, Future Forward, Multistakeholder, Mindful, and Driven by Excellence. We have built a flexible work environment where new ideas are encouraged and everyone is a stakeholder.

Circle is looking for a Manager, Know Your Customer (KYC) to join its Compliance Operations team and oversee the day-to-day management and operation of Circle’s KYC team. The team is responsible for leading a regional team conducting all aspects of B2B customer onboarding, including enhanced due diligence, and periodic reviews.

What You’ll Work On

• Overseeing customer KYC, onboarding and periodic review processes specialized due diligence, including the documentation of policies, procedures.
• Manage case volumes across workflows to ensure timely execution and consistent adherence to service-level agreements (SLAs)
• Oversee the drafting quality of Customer Risk Acceptance memos by delivering constructive feedback that drives comprehensive risk identification, sound mitigations, and crisp, decision-ready writeups
• Lead and develop a team of KYC analysts, driving quality, consistency, and risk-based decision-making across onboarding and review activities.
• Lead customer compliance walkthroughs and reviews of clients’ programs and controls, identify gaps/deficiencies, while partnering constructively with stakeholders to deliver a strong customer experience.
• Identify, design, and implement AI-driven enhancements to KYC workflows to improve efficiency, scalability, and analytical rigor
• Collaborating with Commercial teams and acting as a point of escalation for complex issues.
• Ensure the highest standards of documentation, audit readiness, and quality assurance across all onboarding and periodic review processes
• Partnering with Circle’s engineering and product teams to ensure Compliance Operations is supported with the most effective tools and technological support.
• Monitor regulatory, enforcement, and industry developments in the digital asset ecosystem, proactively adapting KYC and AML processes
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships with QA, Monitoring & Testing, Audit, and exam teams.

What You’ll Bring To Circle

• 7+ years of relevant experience in AML and KYC reviews for corporate customers, including designing, managing, and implementing scalable KYC processes and governance frameworks.
• 1+ years of experience managing teams of analysts, driving performance, quality, and operational excellence.
• 2+ years of relevant crypto experience
• Demonstrated experience leveraging AI-enabled tools within compliance or KYC workflows, with the ability to implement responsible AI-driven enhancements while maintaining regulatory defensibility and strong internal controls.
• A passion for harnessing the power of digital currency, blockchain technology, and emerging technologies — including AI — to modernize financial crime compliance operations.
• An innovative and solution-oriented mindset, with a track record of identifying inefficiencies and implementing practical, technology-driven improvements.
• Proven ability to collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, and Business stakeholders to operationalize compliance requirements into scalable systems.
• Experience and comfort operating in a rapidly evolving regulatory and technological environment, with the agility to adapt to change and continuously upskill.
• Strong leadership, relationship management, and project management skills, with the ability to drive initiatives from concept through implementation.
• Strong executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience in RegTech, FinTech, consulting, or digital asset environments preferred.
• CAMS, CFCS, CFE, or similar certification preferred.
• Proficiency in Google Workspace, Slack, and Mac environment; familiarity with AI-assisted research or workflow tools strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required; quantitative, technical, or data-oriented degree preferred.

Circle is on a mission to create an inclusive financial future, with transparency at our core. We consider a wide variety of elements when crafting our compensation ranges and total compensation packages. Starting pay is determined by various factors, including but not limited to: relevant experience, skill set, qualifications, and other business and organizational needs. Please note that compensation ranges may differ for candidates in other locations.

Base Pay Range: $145,000 - $192,500

Equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, or any other protected status required by the laws in the locations where we hire. Additionally, Circle participates in the E-Verify Program in certain locations, as required by law.

Should you require accommodations or assistance in our interview process because of a disability, please reach out to [e-mail] for support. We respect your privacy and will connect with you separately from our interview process to accommodate your needs.