License Operations & Strategy Manager

BUILDING THE FUTURE OF OPEN FINANCE

Payward - the parent company behind Kraken, NinjaTrader, Breakout, xStocks, Payward Services and CF Benchmarks - has spent the last 15 years building one of the most modern and globally accessible financial infrastructure platforms in the industry, built to advance an open, global financial system.

Before you apply, we encourage you to explore our culture page https://www.kraken.com/culture to understand what drives us and how we work.

THE TEAM

Founded in 2011, Kraken is one of the world's longest-standing crypto platforms, trusted by over 10 million individuals and institutions across the globe. It offers spot trading, margin, futures, staking, and OTC services, with products built for both individual investors and institutional clients.

As the global crypto market transforms under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR) and many more regulatory frameworks, Kraken is building the blueprint for how a global exchange scales compliantly - while unlocking new growth across products, markets, and partnerships.

We are seeking a License Operations and Strategy Manager to help steer that evolution - a commercial, strategic operator who can connect regulatory compliance with business opportunity.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Strategic & Commercial Leadership

- Partner with the License Operations & Entity leadership team to define and execute Kraken's license operations strategy - balancing operational excellence with commercial outcomes and product launches.

- Build business and operational models that support and maintain new product launches, market entries, and licensing pathways.

- Translate regulatory milestones into tangible business opportunities (e.g., new services, expanded client offerings, or passporting advantages).

- Identify and evaluate strategic partnerships and outsourcing arrangements that enhance scalability or regulatory efficiency.

Operational & Regulatory Execution

- Execute operational model across EU MiCAR, and other Payward/Kraken Legal Entities including product launches, regulatory examinations, MI generation and commercial initiatives.

- Drive end-to-end execution of EU MiCAR, and other entities regulatory projects and Product Launches, coordinating across Product, Legal, Risk, Compliance, and Finance.

- Identify, deploy, and leverage generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude) to streamline workflows, automate operational processes, and enhance efficiency, decision-making, and scalability across regulatory and commercial initiatives.

- Analyze and research developing regulatory regimes and provide strategic recommendations with cross-functional input.

- Support regulatory deliverables, submissions, and communications with supervisors.

- Support the preparation of Board and Committee materials, including regulatory updates, operational MI, outsourcing oversight reporting, and strategic initiatives for regulated entities.

- Coordinate governance cycles across large CBI-regulated entities, ensuring timely escalation, approvals, action tracking, and alignment with Board, Risk, Compliance, and Audit Committee requirements.

- Drive effective governance and stakeholder engagement by maintaining governance calendars, supporting Board reporting processes, and ensuring regulatory obligations and decision-making forums operate efficiently across multiple jurisdictions.

- Prepare executive and Board-level reporting that translates regulatory, operational, and commercial developments into clear risk, performance, and strategic insights for senior leadership and non-executive directors.

Outsourcing & Third Party Management

- Oversee, advise and support all parties in the performance of all ongoing monitoring and periodic reviews of Outsourcing arrangements to include Third Party engagements.

- Measure performance of outsourced service providers to agreed SLA, key performance indicators and track on a regular basis and maintain records of these outsourcing oversight activities.

- Ensure accurate and timely assessment reports, trend analysis and feedback is provided to the Compliance and Risk Committee.

- Assist in ensuring third-party risk management and outsourcing policies and procedures adhere to regulatory standards. Responsible for keeping up to date with changing regulations in relevant jurisdictions and application of knowledge to the role. Coordinate with Compliance, Operational Risk and internal /external audit to meet group and regulatory requirements.

- Act as point of contact for outsourcing related queries and provide guidance and training in line with third party management and outsourcing policy, procedures and regulations to the internal clients and stakeholders;

- Assess proposed new engagements and maintain records of these outsourcing oversight activities, and participate in client due diligence, RFPs or external third-party provider assessments as required.

Cross-Functional Influence