Global Head of Commercial Compliance - Financial Institutions

About the role

You will architect and own the end-to-end compliance strategy for Nium's Financial Institutions vertical, setting the standard for integrity and excellence across all commercial activities. In this capacity, you will partner closely with senior leadership to translate global business ambitions into region-specific, compliant execution plans that mitigate risk without stifling growth. You will design, implement, and continuously evolve a robust compliance framework that proactively identifies, assesses, and controls emerging threats across the customer lifecycle. You will serve as the primary internal advisor to commercial, product, and engineering teams, ensuring that every initiative is evaluated through a rigorous compliance lens from inception. You will foster a culture of accountability and transparency, driving consistent policy adoption and demonstrable adherence to regulatory expectations across all operating markets. You will lead cross-functional initiatives to strengthen controls, leveraging deep expertise to protect the business while enabling responsible and scalable commercial expansion. You will act as the critical bridge between commercial leadership and the broader compliance organization, aligning strategic objectives with regulatory obligations.

Key facts

What you'll do

Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive compliance framework tailored specifically for Financial Institutions business lines, ensuring alignment with Nium's strategic commercial objectives.

Define and own the global standards, policies, and procedures for commercial compliance within the Financial Institutions vertical, translating complex regulatory requirements into practical, scalable controls.

Partner with commercial leadership to assess the compliance risk of new business initiatives, providing strategic guidance that enables growth within clearly defined risk appetite and regulatory boundaries.

Establish and manage a robust risk assessment process for commercial programs, identifying, evaluating, and monitoring risks to ensure effective mitigation strategies are in place.

Serve as the central point of contact for regulatory inquiries and audits related to the Financial Institutions segment, coordinating responses and ensuring timely, accurate, and complete information delivery.

Develop and oversee the delivery of compliance training and communications, fostering a deep understanding of obligations and ethical standards across commercial teams and key stakeholders.

Collaborate with Legal, Risk, and Product teams to ensure that new products, features, and commercial campaigns are designed and launched in strict adherence to applicable laws and internal policies.

Monitor the commercial landscape and regulatory environment, anticipating changes and driving the adaptation of compliance frameworks to address new risks and opportunities proactively.

Lead investigations into potential commercial compliance incidents, driving root cause analysis and the implementation of corrective actions to prevent recurrence and strengthen controls.

Provide expert guidance and interpretation of relevant regulations to commercial stakeholders, ensuring that commercial strategies are both ambitious and fully defensible within the regulatory context.

Champion the use of data and analytics to enhance compliance oversight, identifying trends, anomalies, and areas for improvement within commercial practices and controls.

Act as a thought leader in commercial compliance for financial services, contributing to the development of industry best practices and enhancing Nium's reputation as a trusted and compliant partner.

Support the maturation of the compliance function by developing frameworks, tools, and reporting mechanisms that improve efficiency, transparency, and decision-making.

Ensure that all commercial activities and partner engagements are conducted in accordance with Nium's global code of conduct, anti-corruption policies, and sanctions compliance programs.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience in compliance within financial services, particularly focusing on commercial banking, payments, or financial infrastructure, with a proven track record of managing complex compliance programs.

Possess a thorough understanding of relevant financial regulations, anti-money laundering (AML) frameworks, know your customer (KYC) requirements, sanctions regimes, and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) obligations applicable to cross-border transactions.

Show a strong history of developing, implementing, and enforcing compliance policies and procedures that are both effective and aligned with evolving regulatory expectations.

Bring a background in leading and managing compliance teams, demonstrating the ability to mentor, develop, and inspire professionals in a fast-paced, international environment.

Exhibit exceptional judgment and the ability to interpret complex regulations, applying them pragmatically to support business objectives while ensuring robust risk mitigation.

Have a proven ability to build strong relationships with senior stakeholders, communicating complex regulatory concepts clearly and influencing decision-making at the highest levels of the organization.

Display a high degree of integrity, discretion, and professionalism, with the ability to operate confidently in ambiguous and rapidly changing environments.

Nice to have

Experience with cross-border payments infrastructure and the specific compliance challenges associated with real-time transaction processing.

Knowledge of regulatory frameworks in key financial centers, including but not limited to the UK, Singapore, and the United States.

Exposure to transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, and fraud prevention technologies and methodologies.

Practical notes

This is a full-time position based in London.

Travel may be required as part of the role.

Visa sponsorship may be considered for eligible candidates.