Head of Risk & Compliance

Head of Risk & Compliance – Global Payments Network
Sunnyvale, CA (Hybrid)
Competitive Base + Bonus + Equity

The Company

Storm2’s client is a global payments infrastructure company building technology that enables cross-border payment interoperability between regulated financial institutions and payment providers. As the network expands into new markets, settlement models, and payment corridors, they’re investing in the governance, compliance, and risk framework required to support long-term growth.

The business is entering a phase where regulatory strategy, network governance, and financial crime prevention are becoming critical enablers of market expansion.

The Role

This is a rare opportunity to build a network-level risk and compliance function rather than operate within a single regulated entity.

You’ll be responsible for defining how risk, compliance, and regulatory obligations are managed across a growing global payments ecosystem. That means making practical decisions about what sits with the network, what sits with participating institutions, and how those responsibilities are enforced through governance, controls, and operational processes.

You’ve likely spent time navigating the realities of cross-border payments, sanctions compliance, AML programs, partner oversight, licensing requirements, and regulatory engagement. You’ve built frameworks from the ground up, not simply maintained existing programs, and you’re comfortable balancing commercial growth with regulatory expectations.

The role sits at the intersection of product, legal, operations, external partners, and regulators, making it highly visible with significant influence over the company’s ability to enter new markets and launch new capabilities.

What you’ll be working on:

• Build and lead the network-wide compliance, regulatory, and risk management program
• Develop and maintain compliance policies, governance frameworks, participant obligations, and network operating rules
• Design and oversee sanctions screening, AML/CTF controls, fraud prevention programs, monitoring frameworks, and escalation processes
• Lead participant onboarding, due diligence reviews, risk assessments, periodic audits, and ongoing monitoring programs
• Establish reciprocal partner assessment processes, including evidence collection, risk ratings, remediation tracking, and enforcement actions
• Assess regulatory requirements for new products, payment corridors, settlement structures, and market expansion initiatives
• Partner with external counsel to determine licensing, registration, approval, or exemption requirements across multiple jurisdictions
• Lead regulatory applications, supervisory interactions, compliance reporting, and ongoing regulatory obligations
• Build and operate the network risk framework covering financial crime, sanctions, fraud, settlement, operational, technology, third-party, data, and reputational risk
• Implement and optimize transaction monitoring, screening systems, case management workflows, dashboards, and reporting tools
• Lead investigations relating to suspicious activity, sanctions concerns, fraud events, operational incidents, and material risk exposures
• Embed compliance and risk requirements into product development, APIs, settlement workflows, foreign exchange processes, and emerging payment initiatives
• Coordinate internal and external audits, examinations, control testing programs, and remediation efforts
• Establish governance forums, executive reporting, risk metrics, and accountability structures across internal teams and network participants

What you’ll bring:

• 7-10+ years of experience in compliance, payments risk, financial crime, regulatory affairs, or related functions
• Strong experience within payments, banking, fintech, financial infrastructure, consulting, or regulatory environments
• Deep understanding of cross-border payments, transaction monitoring, settlement models, sanctions compliance, AML/CTF frameworks, and fraud controls
• Experience assessing licensing requirements and managing regulatory applications across one or more jurisdictions
• Hands-on background leading regulatory engagements, audits, examinations, supervisory interactions
• Expertise conducting partner due diligence, third-party assessments, audits, and ongoing risk reviews
• Experience implementing financial crime, sanctions screening, or transaction monitoring platforms
• Ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into practical policies, controls, operating procedures, and system requirements
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence executives, regulators, external partners, and legal counsel
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline
• Professional certifications such as CAMS, CFCS, CFE, CRCM, CIPP, CISA, CRCMP, or PCIP are advantageous

What Success Looks Like

• The network operates under a scalable, auditable, and well-governed compliance framework
• New markets are entered through informed licensing and regulatory decisions
• Participant onboarding and partner assessments are completed efficiently without compromising standards
• Financial crime, fraud, sanctions, and operational risks are effectively identified, monitored, and managed
• Regulatory obligations are met consistently across jurisdictions
• Stakeholders have clear visibility into risk exposures, remediation efforts, and compliance performance