Director of Compliance & Operations

Director of Compliance & Operations

American Estate & Trust | Las Vegas, NV (On-site) | Full-time

About AET

American Estate & Trust is a Nevada-chartered trust company and IRS-approved nonbank trustee specializing in self-directed IRA custody for alternative assets. Since 2007, we’ve grown to roughly $2.5B in assets under custody, serving RIAs, family offices, fintech platforms, and deal sponsors through our investor portal, business portal, and API.

The role

We’re looking for a thoughtful, technically savvy compliance leader to own our compliance program end to end and lead the Operations team that reviews investments. You’ll serve as our board-appointed BSA/AML Officer and report directly to the CEO.

This isn’t a “just say no” compliance role. We want someone who protects the company, helps the business find a compliant path to yes, and brings well-reasoned, documented positions to conversations with auditors and regulators.

What you’ll own

• Our compliance program, including all written policies and procedures
• Our relationship with the Nevada Financial Institutions Division, plus regulatory filings, licenses, and renewals
• Annual FID and BSA audits, and remediation of any findings
• Fraud and BSA/AML monitoring, including modernizing it with automation and AI
• SAR and other FinCEN reporting
• Investment review standards, and leadership of the Operations team that performs reviews
• Risk evaluations of new partners and periodic re-reviews of onboarded businesses
• Board reporting on the BSA program, risk assessments, and policies
• Company insurance policies

Your first 90 days

We want you to understand our business before you change it. Your first three months move from learning, to assessing, to building.

First 30 days: Learn and take ownership.

You’ll meet leadership, the Operations team, and key partners to understand our business, products, and risk profile. You’ll take ownership of the compliance calendar, including every filing, license, renewal, audit, and training obligation. You’ll review our BSA/AML program and recent exam and audit results, introduce yourself to our regulatory and audit contacts, and sit in on investment reviews to see how decisions are made today.

Days 31 to 60: Assess and baseline.

With that foundation, you’ll set a baseline for review turnaround and consistency, start an inventory of our policies and procedures, and note where written policy and actual practice differ. You’ll assess our fraud and BSA monitoring and outline a plan to modernize it with automation and AI. You’ll set clear standards for the Operations team and deliver your first written risk evaluation on a new partner or business opportunity.

Days 61 to 90: Build and deliver.

By day 90, every compliance obligation will have an owner, a documented procedure, and a due date. A senior team lead will run day-to-day review oversight, freeing you to focus on the program. You’ll draft written investment review standards by asset type, set a regular compliance reporting rhythm with leadership, and share a prioritized roadmap with the CEO for the rest of the year.

What success looks like in year one

That roadmap carries you into the rest of your first year, where success means:

• Clean regulatory exams and audits with no repeat findings
• A documented, risk-based fraud monitoring program with AI-assisted detection
• Faster, more consistent investment reviews against written standards
• Current policies that match how we actually work
• Decision-ready risk recommendations for leadership within days, not weeks
• A high-performing Operations team with clear standards and strong day-to-day leadership

What we’re looking for

• Experience as the named BSA/AML officer at a trust company, bank, or MSB
• Direct experience leading regulatory exams and audits
• Strong analytical judgment on novel assets and business models
• People leadership experience
• Daily use of Claude or similar AI tools, with real examples of how they make your work better
• Clear, concise writing
• CAMS or equivalent certification preferred
• Familiarity with self-directed IRAs, prohibited transactions, UBTI, or precious metals is a plus

Benefits and Compensation

Salary range: 140k - 180k + bonus based on hitting the above targets.

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

10 PTO days + 5 sick days

Paid US Holidays

Equal Employment Opportunity

American Estate & Trust is an equal opportunity employer. We make employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, national origin, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We do not discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their wages. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact us.