In-House FinTech Counsel, VP or SVP of Compliance

FairSquare•San Diego, CA

10d•$245,000 - $288,000•Hybrid

About The Position

FairSquare, Inc. has an exciting opportunity for an experienced compliance attorney to grow with an established well-respected 25-year-old privately owned online national commercial small business lending company that has funded over $6 billion to 100,000 businesses. The company has 5 offices, with the main offices in San Diego (La Jolla area), California and Atlanta (Cumberland/Galleria Area), Georgia. The company is growing its market penetration and product list. We are looking for a head of Compliance. The position would report directly to the Chief Legal Officer. The position is responsible for running an existing compliance management system with an in-house counsel, 2 support people, and supporting outside counsels. The candidate will work with the CLO to stand up and maintain a bank sponsorship origination program in Q4 2026 which will include additional FTEs to the compliance team. We are looking for an intelligent, proactive, and structured compliance leader. This person has the opportunity to independently run and lead a growing compliance team. The selected person will be a critical partner of the Chief Legal Officer. The ideal candidate will function independently, have exceptional judgment, and a strong sense of ownership who can bring clarity to complexity, build trust with business stakeholders and regulators, and strike the right balance between risk management and business enablement.

Requirements

JD (Juris Doctor) degree.
Minimum of 6 years of experience at a law firm, government regulatory agency, and/or in-house counsel setting. FinTech experience preferred.
Working knowledge of relevant laws, regulations and industry standards, including those related to KYC, KYB, commercial protection laws, financial regulatory frameworks, BSA/AML, California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), ECOA, EFTA/Reg E, FCRA, ID Theft/Red Flags, OFAC, TCPA, TILA/Reg Z, and UDAAP.
Ability to analyze a variety of legal issues, synthesize complex information and assess legal risks.
Demonstrated ability to self-start and work independently, and the desire/ability to work with a highly motivated team in a fast-paced environment.
Strong executive presence and ability to influence business stakeholders.
Excellent analytical, problem solving, advising, organizational and communication.
Prior compliance leadership roles and a lead from the front leadership style. Fintech experience preferred.
Comfortable working with technology systems as part of day-to-day execution
Ability to own decisions, communicate clearly, and bring structure to ambiguity.

Nice To Haves

FinTech experience preferred.
Fintech experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership: Provide strategic guidance and leadership on compliance matters. Develop long-term compliance plans to align business with compliance needs while fostering a companywide culture of integrity and compliance. Be the compliance subject matter expert.
CMS Program Maintenance & Further Development: Maintain, enhance, and enforce compliance policies, procedures, and internal controls.
Risk Management: Design and execute robust monitoring and testing programs, risk assessments, internal audits, and design/implement corrective actions.
Regulatory Liaison: Manage relationships, reporting, and state licensing affairs with regulatory authorities (including company’s primary regulator, California Department of Financial Protection/DFPI) and track/react to state/federal regulatory changes.
Training: Oversee compliance training programs, testing, and corrective education.
Investigating and Resolving Compliance Issues: Lead investigations/analysis of compliance issues and implement effective corrective actions.
Policy Management: Oversee the entire corporate policies life cycle and company adherence.
Reporting: Periodic reporting to CLO and other senior management regarding compliance issues, corrective actions, emerging risks, and regulatory changes.
Complaint Management: Oversee the review and resolution of complaints and notify senior management where appropriate.
Vendor Risk Management: Oversee vendor risk due diligence/management.
Compliance Officer: Serve as the company’s Compliance Officer.
Business Line Coordination: Evaluate and review various business units’ existing or proposed products/processes (including marketing) for compliance with applicable laws/regulations.
Product & Business Integration: Work with product, IT, and business teams to embed compliance by design during product development and expansions.
Sponsorship Bank Partnership: Standup and manage a sponsor bank partnership wherein the bank originates and the company buys the loans.
Quarterly Compliance Committee Meetings: Lead quarterly C Level compliance committee meetings.
Partnering with CLO: Partner and work closely with CLO on legal, strategic planning, and general corporate legal projects.
Champion: Act as the champion for a culture of compliance and ethical conduct.
AI: Ability to use AI to assist/accelerate/add efficiencies.
Contract Forms/Templates: Provide support and assistance in designing/responding to commercial transactions that have compliance aspects or consequences.
Support Commercial Transactions: Support CLO and company transactions counsels when needed in various commercial transactions.
Compliance Advice: Advise business teams on potential compliance risks/structuring to minimize exposure.