Senior Compliance Officer

Adyen; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Adyen is seeking a Senior Compliance Officer to oversee compliance for card issuing and banking products, partnering across teams to address complex regulatory and financial crime risks. The role emphasizes proactive risk-based solutions, cross-functional collaboration, and ownership of regulatory obligations.

Ideal candidates bring 8–15 years in compliance or risk within financial services, deep product knowledge for merchant/platform customers, and strong communication skills to engage

Qualifications

• 8–15 years of experience in compliance, regulatory, or risk roles within financial institutions, fintechs or banks.
• Deep knowledge of card issuing and/or banking products for merchant/platform customers.
• Solid understanding of financial crime, scheme, and regulatory risks in payments and banking sectors.
• Familiarity with fintech regulatory/licensing requirements in North America.

Responsibilities

• Drive compliance considerations with Commercial, Sales, Strategy, and Product to unlock and grow financial products.
• Provide senior-level advice to resolve complex compliance matters related to acquiring, banking, issuing and other financial services.
• Collaborate with legal, risk, scheme and operations to analyze AML/CFT and regulatory risks.

Skills

8-15 years experience

card issuing knowledge

banking products knowledge

AML/CFT expertise

regulatory risk

analytical thinking

clear communication

Job description

Adyen provides payments, data, and financial products in a single solution for customers like Meta, Uber, H&M, and Microsoft - making us the financial technology platform of choice. At Adyen, everything we do is engineered for ambition.

For our teams, we create an environment with opportunities for our people to succeed, backed by the culture and support to ensure they are enabled to truly own their careers. We are motivated individuals who tackle unique technical challenges at scale and solve them as a team. Together, we deliver innovative and ethical solutions that help businesses achieve their ambitions faster.

Senior Compliance Officer

Our fast-paced Compliance Advisory team is looking for a Senior Compliance Officer with an expert understanding of risks applicable to card issuing and/or banking products offered by regulated financial institutions, including FinTechs. A successful candidate has deep domain knowledge of card issuing for merchant and platform customers, and/or of FBO account set-ups and Banking-as-a-Service for platform sub-customers, along with expertise in applying nuanced compliance frameworks that differentiate between business and consumer users.

We are looking for a proactive, detail-oriented individual who communicates effectively with stakeholders, exercises sound judgment, takes ownership of tasks, and thrives in a dynamic environment. The ideal candidate is structured, organized, solution-oriented and eager to partner across teams to identify sound risk-based solutions that advance business objectives.

What you’ll do

• Work closely with Commercial teams (Sales, Account Management, Strategy, Product) to drive the unlocking and growth of financial products from a compliance lens.
• Provide senior-level advice and support to resolve complex compliance matters related to acquiring, banking, issuing and/or other financial services products, ensuring timely and effective follow-up.
• Work with internal teams—including legal, risk, scheme, and operations—to understand and analyze compliance risks related to AML/CFT, integrity, regulatory, and scheme obligations.
• Support the expansion and maintenance of Adyen’s Prohibited and Restricted List for issuing and banking products.
• Identify opportunities for automation and process improvements, including leveraging AI tools, to optimize compliance workflows.
• Contribute to the enhancement of escalation frameworks and procedures to improve the team’s effectiveness.
• Support cross-functional collaboration with global colleagues across time zones to ensure seamless communication and execution of compliance initiatives.

Who you are

• You have 8 - 15 years of experience in a compliance, regulatory, or risk function within a financial institution, fintech, regulatory body, payments company, audit firm, or financial crime investigation unit.
• You have deep compliance-related knowledge of card issuing and/or banking products, with a focus on merchant and platform customers.
• You have a solid understanding of financial crime, scheme, and/or regulatory risks in the payments and banking sector and how to manage these risks effectively.
• You are familiar with regulatory and licensing requirements governing fintechs and/or financial institutions, with a focus on North America.
• You have experience partnering with commercial and/or onboarding teams to evaluate business opportunities. You bring creative compliance solutions to address complex challenges.
• You have strong analytical and problem-solving skills, breaking down compliance challenges into clear, actionable insights.
• You exercise good judgment, proactively seek guidance when needed, and are eager to take on increasing responsibility.
• You are organized and detail-oriented, able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• You have strong verbal and written communication skills—clear, direct, and concise.
• You work well in collaborative environments, engaging with different teams while maintaining a solution-oriented mindset.

The annual base salary range for this role is $180,000.00- $230,000.00. The total compensation package also includes equity (RSUs).

Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Commitments

We actively seek different perspectives to sharpen our ideas. Our unique culture is a product of our diverse backgrounds and experiences. No matter who you are or where you’re from, you’re welcome to be your true self at Adyen.

If you need accommodations or support during the recruitment process to perform at your best, you’ll have the opportunity to let our team know in your application. We encourage people from all backgrounds and abilities to apply.

Studies show that women and members of underrepresented communities apply for jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Do you recognise yourself in this statement? If so, Adyen encourages you to reconsider and apply. We look forward to your application.

What's next?

Ensuring a smooth and enjoyable candidate experience is critical for us. We aim to get back to you regarding your application within 7 business days. Our interview process tends to take between 3 or 4 weeks to complete. Don’t be afraid to let us know if you need more flexibility.

Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion commitments

Our unique approach is a product of our diverse perspectives. This diversity of backgrounds and cultures is essential in helping us maintain our momentum. Our business and technical challenges are unique, and we need as many different voices as possible to join us in solving them - voices like yours. No matter who you are or where you’re from, we welcome you to be your true self at Adyen.

Studies show that women and members of underrepresented communities apply for jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Does this sound like you? If so, Adyen encourages you to reconsider and apply. We look forward to your application!

What’s next?

Ensuring a smooth and enjoyable candidate experience is critical for us. We aim to get back to you regarding your application within 5 business days. Our interview process tends to take about 4 weeks to complete, but may fluctuate depending on the role. Learn more about our hiring process here . Don’t be afraid to let us know if you need more flexibility.

Adyen is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, marital status or any legally protected status.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

This role is based out of our San Francisco or NYC office. We are an office-first company and value in-person collaboration; we do not offer remote-only roles.

At Adyen, we strive to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates.Please let our team know if you need any adjustments to the recruitment process to make it more accessible and/or inclusive to your needs.