Senior Counsel, Ethics and Compliance

Circle; United States; Remote; USD 170,000 - 235,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative financial technology company is seeking a seasoned legal professional to lead its ethics program. This role involves developing a global ethics function, advising on compliance matters, and implementing public company policies. The ideal candidate will have extensive legal experience, particularly in ethics and compliance, and a passion for the evolving landscape of financial technology. Join a forward-thinking organization that values transparency and inclusion, and be a part of shaping the future of finance while working in a collaborative and dynamic environment.

Benefits

Equity

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) Plan

Discretionary Vacation Policy

Paid Sick Leave

Paid Holidays

Qualifications

• 10+ years of legal experience with strong ethics and compliance knowledge.
• Experience in public company policies and governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the global ethics function and compliance program.
• Advise on public company policies and conduct training.

Skills

Legal Expertise

Ethics Program Management

Compliance Knowledge

Public Company Policies

Risk Management

Communication Skills

Team Collaboration

Problem Solving

Education

JD or Foreign Equivalent

Tools

Slack

Apple MacOS

GSuite

Job description

Circle is a financial technology company at the epicenter of the emerging internet of money, where value can finally travel like other digital data — globally, nearly instantly and less expensively than legacy settlement systems. This ground-breaking new internet layer opens up previously unimaginable possibilities for payments, commerce and markets that can help raise global economic prosperity and enhance inclusion. Our infrastructure – including USDC, a blockchain-based dollar – helps businesses, institutions and developers harness these breakthroughs and capitalize on this major turning point in the evolution of money and technology.

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: Multistakeholder, Mindfulness, Driven by Excellence and High Integrity. Circlers are consistently evolving in a remote world where strength in numbers fuels team success. We have built a flexible and diverse work environment where new ideas are encouraged and everyone is a stakeholder.

What you’ll be responsible for:

Under the direction of the Assistant General Counsel, Corporate Governance & Employment, you will play an immediate and direct role in our ethics program, advising the company on a wide-range of ethics matters, overseeing the design, implementation and operation, driving ethics and compliance goal setting and performance, and aligning and coordinating priorities and activities with functional stakeholders. In relation to becoming a public company, you will advise and implement public company policies, including an ESG program.

What you'll work on:

1. Developing, leading and managing a world class global ethics function, including owning and managing the Circle Ethics HelpLine, the Circle Code of Conduct and the Whistleblower Policy and the supporting internal ethics case management system and supplier relationship; fielding and providing guidance in response to policy inquiries, fielding reported and escalated allegations and assigning for investigation or conducting the investigation; and driving program objectives, milestones, metrics and reporting to continually enhance and scale the ethics program.
2. Partnering with and providing counsel to our Risk, Compliance and Talent teams, preparing, maintaining and regularly assessing policies, procedures, and controls to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including anti-corruption, competition, conflicts of interest, insider trading, and gifts, meals & entertainment.
3. Advising Company stakeholders on comprehensive public company policies, including the Code of Conduct, Whistleblower Policy, Anti-Corruption Policy, Insider Trading Policy and the ESG program, and supporting the implementation and maintenance thereof.
4. Developing and implementing company-wide training on Corporate Compliance and Legal policies; providing targeted training and mentoring worldwide on compliance with the Company’s ethics program, Code of Conduct, and other related policies/procedures; and developing and managing a communications plan, preparing and periodically rolling out with the Communications and Talent Training teams effective and impactful communications.
5. Conducting, overseeing and providing support in connection with internal investigations.
6. Proactively identifying ethics and compliance risk, assessing, monitoring and managing corporate compliance risk, including internal fraud and developing strategies to mitigate them.

You will aspire to our four core values:

1. Multistakeholder - you have dedication and commitment to our customers, shareholders, employees and families and local communities.
2. Mindful - you seek to be respectful, an active listener and to pay attention to detail.
3. Driven by Excellence - you are driven by our mission and our passion for customer success which means you relentlessly pursue excellence, that you do not tolerate mediocrity and you work intensely to achieve your goals.
4. High Integrity - you seek open and honest communication, and you hold yourself to very high moral and ethical standards. You reject manipulation, dishonesty and intolerance.

What you’ll bring to Circle:

1. 10+ years of legal experience with a strong knowledge of:
2. Development and management of an effective ethics program, including relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards; and
3. Broad policy-making and compliance experience, including implementation of Governance, Risk and Compliance.
4. Public company policy and compliance matters, including ESG programs.
5. Prior in-house experience for at least 5 years a must, including publicly traded companies.
6. Experience working with and presenting to SVP-level leadership and board of directors.
7. You are passionate about financial technology and the disruptive potential of cryptocurrency and blockchains, are a team player with a sense of humor, and enjoy learning but also mentoring.
8. You are comfortable working in an evolving and growing environment that is prone to changes, and managing multiple projects simultaneously.
9. You apply sound, practical business judgment to your legal recommendations, and are creative at solving problems while balancing important legal risks for the business.
10. You can work autonomously and independently with minimal guidance but are also comfortable working collaboratively as part of a team.
11. You have a JD (or foreign equivalent degree) and active membership in at least one US State Bar.
12. Experience/familiarity with Slack, Apple MacOS and GSuite.

Additional Information:

• This position is eligible for day-one PERM sponsorship for qualified candidates.

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.

The compensation range below is specific to Chicago, IL. Actual 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: $170,000 - $235,000

Also Included: Equity & Benefits (including medical, dental, vision and 401(k)). Circle has a discretionary vacation policy. We also provide 10 days of paid sick leave per year and 11 paid holidays per year in the U.S.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at Circle. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Additionally, Circle participates in the E-Verify Program in certain locations, as required by law.

About the company

Circle helps businesses and developers harness the power of digital dollar stablecoins for payments and internet commerce worldwide.