Remote Compliance Director, High‑Risk FinTech

Finix; San Francisco (CA); Remote; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Finix is seeking a Compliance Director to lead high‑risk regulatory programs across gaming, nutraceuticals, CBD, and digital products. You will partner with Sales, Partnerships and Underwriting to shape underwriting standards and practical guidance while keeping within laws, network rules, and sponsor bank requirements.

Based in San Francisco or remotely, you will develop policies, playbooks and escalation paths, translate complex rules into actionable guidance for Product, Tech and Operations,

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in compliance, risk, or regulatory roles within payments, fintech, banking, or similar regulated environments.
• Hands-on experience with merchant underwriting and onboarding, including KYC/KYB and risk-based approval frameworks.
• Experience with high-risk merchant verticals such as gaming and gambling, nutraceuticals, CBD, or similar, and with the card network and sponsor bank requirements that apply to them.
• Proven ability to interpret regulatory and card network requirements and apply them to real merchants, products, and business models.
• Strong understanding of risk management and controls, and of sponsor bank oversight expectations.
• Experience working directly with sales, business development, or product teams on deals and new market entry.
• Experience drafting policies, procedures, and guides that business teams actually use.
• Experience leading complex, cross-functional work with multiple dependencies and senior stakeholders.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication, with the ability to turn ambiguity into clear plans, trade-offs, and decisions.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (or Google equivalents).

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary compliance partner to Sales, Partnerships, and Underwriting, giving fast, practical, well-documented guidance on prospects and deals.
• Lead compliance strategy for our gaming and gambling vertical, including iGaming, sports wagering, sweepstakes, and predictive markets, with state-by-state and provincial regulatory analysis, licensing and registration requirements, and merchant and vendor eligibility standards.
• Develop and maintain underwriting standards, risk-tiering, approval gates, and escalation paths for high-risk sectors such as nutraceuticals, wellness, CBD, and digital products and services, so that low-risk applicants move quickly and higher-risk applicants receive appropriate scrutiny.
• Lead compliance evaluation of new sectors, business models, and structures (e.g., ISV, marketplace, and merchant-of-record models), performing market and regulatory research and setting minimum requirements before launch.
• Write and maintain procedures, onboarding guides, and underwriting playbooks for high-risk and restricted verticals.
• Translate laws, card network rules, and sponsor bank requirements into clear guidance for Product, Sales, Technology, and Operations teams.
• Work closely with Payment Operations, including Underwriting and Partnerships, to streamline onboarding workflows and remove bottlenecks without weakening controls.
• Guide and develop the Compliance Operations team through coaching, review of work product, and clear standards for quality and documentation.
• Support sponsor bank and network relationships on onboarding and sector-related matters, including approvals, due diligence requests, and program reviews.
• Support the AML/BSA, sanctions, and fraud programs from the business side, including KYC/KYB standards and escalation of risk signals from onboarding and monitoring.
• Contribute to audit and regulatory exam readiness, policy and procedure updates, and remediation of findings tied to onboarding and merchant risk.
• Monitor regulatory and network rule changes (US, Canada, state and provincial) that affect target sectors and update guidance accordingly, working with external counsel where appropriate.
• Prepare clear, decision‑ready summaries for senior management, sponsor banks, and partners

Skills

Compliance

Risk management

Regulatory analysis

KYC/KYB

Underwriting

Cross-functional collaboration

Policy drafting

Communication

Project management

Mentoring/coaching

Education

Juris Doctor

CAMS

CFE

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Finix is seeking a Compliance Director to lead high‑risk regulatory programs across gaming, nutraceuticals, CBD, and digital products. You will partner with Sales, Partnerships and Underwriting to shape underwriting standards and practical guidance while keeping within laws, network rules, and sponsor bank requirements.

Based in San Francisco or remotely, you will develop policies, playbooks and escalation paths, translate complex rules into actionable guidance for Product, Tech and Operations,