Compliance Director, High-Risk

Finix•San Francisco, CA

4d•$140,000 - $220,000

About The Position

Finix is hiring a Compliance Director to partner with business teams on new merchants, partners, and sectors. Reporting to the Head of Compliance & Regulatory Counsel, this role works closely with Sales, Partnerships, Underwriting, and Payment Operations to onboard new business efficiently while adhering to applicable law, card network rules, and sponsor bank requirements. The initial focus is gaming and gambling, followed by other high-risk sectors such as nutraceuticals, wellness, CBD, and digital products and services. The Compliance Director will shape underwriting standards, develop procedures and guides for high-risk sectors, and give business teams timely guidance on permitted activities and applicable conditions. The role also supports the Head of Compliance in guiding and developing the Compliance Operations team.

Requirements

7+ years of experience in compliance, risk, or regulatory roles within payments, fintech, banking, or similar regulated environments.
Hands-on experience with merchant underwriting and onboarding, including KYC/KYB and risk-based approval frameworks.
Experience with high-risk merchant verticals such as gaming and gambling, nutraceuticals, CBD, or similar, and knowledge of applicable card network and sponsor bank requirements.
Ability to interpret regulatory and card network requirements and apply them to merchants, products, and business models.
Strong understanding of risk management, controls, and sponsor bank oversight expectations.
Experience working directly with sales, business development, or product teams on deals and new market entry.
Experience drafting policies, procedures, and guides for business teams.
Experience leading complex cross-functional work involving multiple dependencies and senior stakeholders.
Exceptional written and verbal communication, including the ability to turn ambiguity into clear plans, trade-offs, and decisions.
Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint or Google equivalents.
Business-minded and solutions-oriented, with the ability to identify compliant paths forward and communicate when an approach is not permissible.
Comfort operating in ambiguous sectors where rules are unsettled.
Proactive, detail-oriented, collaborative, and able to coach and improve the work of others.

Nice To Haves

Juris Doctor or law degree, with bar admission in good standing.
Experience with gaming and gambling regulation, including state licensing, vendor registration, and eSweepstakes or similar emerging frameworks.
Familiarity with US frameworks including FinCEN, state money transmission, and CCPA, and Canadian frameworks including FINTRAC, RPAA, PIPEDA, and Quebec Law 25.
Experience with payment networks such as Visa, Mastercard, Interac, and Discover, and with sponsor banks.
Knowledge of the fintech-bank partnership model and bank third-party risk expectations.
Experience at a card network, processor, acquirer, or sponsor bank.
Certifications such as CAMS or CFE.
Prior experience supporting a BSA Officer, CAMLO, or compliance leadership.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary compliance partner to Sales, Partnerships, and Underwriting, providing timely, practical, and documented guidance on prospects and deals.
Lead compliance strategy for gaming and gambling, including iGaming, sports wagering, sweepstakes, and predictive markets; assess state and provincial regulations, licensing and registration requirements, and merchant and vendor eligibility.
Develop and maintain underwriting standards, risk tiers, approval gates, and escalation paths for high-risk sectors, including nutraceuticals, wellness, CBD, and digital products and services.
Lead compliance evaluations of new sectors, business models, and structures, including ISV, marketplace, and merchant-of-record models; conduct market and regulatory research and establish minimum requirements before launch.
Write and maintain procedures, onboarding guides, and underwriting playbooks for high-risk and restricted verticals.
Translate laws, card network rules, and sponsor bank requirements into clear guidance for Product, Sales, Technology, and Operations teams.
Work with Payment Operations, including Underwriting and Partnerships, to streamline onboarding workflows and remove bottlenecks without weakening controls.
Guide and develop the Compliance Operations team through coaching, work-product review, and clear quality and documentation standards.
Support sponsor bank and network relationships on onboarding and sector-related matters, including approvals, due diligence requests, and program reviews.
Support AML/BSA, sanctions, and fraud programs from the business side, including KYC/KYB standards and escalation of onboarding and monitoring risk signals.
Contribute to audit and regulatory exam readiness, policy and procedure updates, and remediation of findings related to onboarding and merchant risk.
Monitor US, Canadian, state, provincial, and network rule changes affecting target sectors and update guidance, working with external counsel when appropriate.
Prepare clear, decision-ready summaries for senior management, sponsor banks, and partners.