Senior Compliance Risk Manager

About the role

Mercury is looking for a Senior Compliance Risk Manager to help strengthen and scale its compliance infrastructure as the company continues to grow. This role sits at the intersection of regulatory oversight and business operations, ensuring that Mercury meets all applicable legal and regulatory obligations. The Senior Compliance Risk Manager will take ownership of the company's risk assessment processes and work directly with leadership to shape the compliance agenda. You will be responsible for building scalable frameworks that can evolve alongside Mercury's expanding product offerings and geographic footprint.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Lead the design and ongoing maintenance of enterprise-wide compliance risk assessment frameworks and methodologies across all business units.
• Partner closely with legal, operations, and product teams to evaluate regulatory exposure and identify areas of potential vulnerability.
• Monitor changes in financial services regulations and assess their direct impact on Mercury's current operations and future policy decisions.
• Develop and deliver targeted training programs to ensure company-wide awareness of compliance obligations and emerging regulatory expectations.
• Conduct in-depth risk analyses and produce clear, actionable reports for senior leadership and board-level governance stakeholders.
• Oversee the remediation of identified compliance gaps and track progress against defined action plans with regular status updates.
• Collaborate with external auditors and regulatory bodies during formal examinations, assessments, and periodic compliance review processes.
• Build and maintain a structured risk register that captures, categorizes, prioritizes, and escalates compliance concerns in a timely manner.
• Advise product and engineering teams on embedding compliance considerations into new initiatives from the earliest planning stages.
• Drive continuous improvement in compliance processes, tools, and reporting capabilities to increase efficiency and reduce organizational risk exposure.

Requirements

• Minimum of seven years of progressive experience in compliance, risk management, or a related regulatory field within a professional services or corporate environment.
• Demonstrated track record of managing compliance risk programs within financial services, technology companies, or similarly regulated industries.
• Strong working knowledge of applicable regulations including AML, KYC, BSA, and relevant data privacy and protection frameworks.
• Bachelor's degree in finance, law, business administration, or a related discipline from an accredited four-year institution.
• Proven ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into clear, practical guidance for non-technical and cross-functional audiences.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and influencing stakeholders at multiple organizational levels to achieve shared compliance objectives.
• Familiarity with risk modeling techniques and quantitative assessment methods used to evaluate and prioritize compliance exposure.
• Demonstrated track record of building, enhancing, or restructuring compliance programs either from the ground up or during periods of significant organizational growth.

Nice to have

• Advanced degree such as an MBA, JD, or a relevant master's-level academic credential in a related field.
• Professional certifications including CPA, CFA, CFE, or CRCM are strongly valued and considered a differentiator.
• Prior experience working within a high-growth startup or venture-backed company environment under tight timelines and shifting priorities.
• Knowledge of international regulatory frameworks and multi-jurisdictional compliance operations across multiple countries and legal systems.
• Experience with privacy regulations such as GDPR or CCPA in a commercial or enterprise setting is a plus.

Skills & tools

• Proficiency with risk management platforms and GRC software solutions for tracking, reporting, and managing compliance activities.
• Experience with data analysis tools and spreadsheets for monitoring compliance metrics, identifying trends, and supporting decision-making.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for drafting internal policies, procedures, and presenting findings to diverse audiences.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams in a fast-paced and evolving environment while maintaining attention to detail.
• Familiarity with workflow automation and document management systems to streamline compliance operations and reduce manual overhead.
• Comfort with ambiguity and the ability to prioritize competing regulatory demands while maintaining a structured approach.

Practical notes

• This role offers flexibility with office locations in San Francisco, New York, Portland, or remote work within Canada and the United States.
• The position reports to the head of compliance or a similarly senior executive within the organization's leadership team.
• Candidates should expect a hybrid work model with a mix of on-site and remote arrangements depending on the chosen location.
• Mercury values diverse perspectives and encourages applicants from all backgrounds to submit their materials for consideration.
• The hiring process includes multiple rounds of interviews with both compliance team members and senior leadership stakeholders.
• This is a full-time position with standard business hours, though some flexibility may be available based on team needs.