VP / SVP, Head of Legal, Compliance & Regulation — Americas

zerohash • Chicago, IL

7d • Remote

About The Position

zerohash is seeking a VP / SVP, Head of Legal, Compliance & Regulation — Americas to serve as the company’s senior-most legal, compliance, and regulatory leader across the Western Hemisphere. Reporting directly to the Chief Legal Officer, this executive will own end-to-end accountability for zerohash’s compliance programs, licensing strategy, and regulatory relationships across Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Bermuda, and the United States. This is a high-impact, highly visible role that sits at the intersection of law, regulation, and business growth. The successful candidate will be a practitioner’s practitioner: someone who can craft risk-based compliance frameworks that operate across multiple regulatory regimes, earn the confidence of regulators, and enable zerohash’s partners to move fast without compromising on compliance. The role is both strategic and hands-on — you will set direction, manage local MLROs and heads of compliance, and be personally accountable for licensing milestones and program outcomes. You will work closely with the senior compliance and regulatory leadership in the U.S., including the Chief AML Officer and the SVP of Global Regulation, and will partner with zerohash’s internal legal team to achieve licensing and registration outcomes. Travel to regulatory bodies, key partners, and company offices will be required. This fully remote role is open to candidates in the U.S.

Requirements

• J.D. or equivalent legal degree from an accredited institution; active bar membership preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in legal, compliance, and/or regulatory roles at a regulated financial institution, fintech, or financial services firm.
• Demonstrated experience owning or leading licensing and registration processes across multiple U.S. states and/or international jurisdictions.
• Deep knowledge of AML/BSA regulations, MSB requirements, and multi-jurisdictional regulatory compliance frameworks.
• Experience managing MLROs, heads of compliance, or equivalent local compliance officers across distributed teams.
• Proven ability to design and operate risk-based compliance programs in complex, multi-licensed environments.
• Experience with KYB/KYC, EDD, customer risk profiling, and compliance outsourcing and vendor management.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to engage credibly with regulators, external counsel, senior leadership, and institutional clients.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into clear, actionable frameworks.
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.
• Comfortable working across time zones in a remote-first environment; ability to maintain availability during core U.S. Eastern Time hours.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in the digital asset, cryptocurrency, or stablecoin industry, including familiarity with applicable regulatory frameworks (FinCEN, state DFPI/DFS requirements, MiCA, etc.).
• Experience at a high-growth, multi-jurisdictional financial institution or payments company undergoing rapid licensing expansion.
• Working knowledge of compliance regimes in Canada (FINTRAC), Mexico (CNBV/SHCP), Brazil (BACEN), or Argentina.
• CAMS, CRCM, or equivalent compliance certification.
• Experience working with third-party case management, compliance workflow, and project management tools.
• Prior experience as an MLRO or equivalent Money Services Business compliance officer.

Responsibilities

• Own and lead zerohash’s licensing and registration strategy across North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico) and other Americas jurisdictions including Brazil, Argentina, and Bermuda.
• Drive achievement of new licenses, registrations, and regulatory approvals, serving as the primary accountable executive for licensing milestones in the region.
• Manage relationships with regulatory bodies and licensing authorities across jurisdictions, including direct engagement in examinations, inquiries, and supervisory meetings.
• Collaborate with the SVP of Global Regulation and zerohash’s legal team to align regional strategy with global regulatory posture.
• Monitor evolving digital asset, stablecoin, payments, and MSB regulatory developments across the Americas and translate those into actionable compliance and licensing strategy.
• Design, implement, and continuously improve risk-based compliance programs that are operable across multiple jurisdictions and aligned with zerohash’s global compliance risk posture.
• Oversee and manage MLROs, heads of compliance, and compliance staff across the Americas (Argentina, Bermuda, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico). Provide leadership, direction, and performance accountability.
• Ensure proper application of compliance outsourcing and vendor management requirements for all licensed entities in the Americas.
• Supervise onboarding processes including KYB/KYC, documentation review, customer risk profiling, and risk mitigation measures.
• Oversee initial, periodic, and annual reviews of customers and ensure appropriate application of EDD and risk management procedures based on customer risk profiles.
• Ensure consumer disclosures, user interfaces, and marketing and advertising materials are reviewed and compliant with legal, regulatory, and zerohash requirements.
• Support automation of compliance department functionality and identify process improvement opportunities.
• Develop and maintain accurate tracking logs and metrics reporting frameworks.
• Maintain deep working knowledge of zerohash’s AML/BSA regulations, current money laundering typologies, and investigative techniques to ensure appropriate controls are in place across the entire North America region.
• Identify anomalies, escalations, and regulatory developments as they relate to AML/KYC initiatives and industry best practices.
• Adhere to and ensure team compliance with applicable AML/KYC/FinCrime Requirements.
• Serve as a key partner to the CLO, Chief AML Officer, and other senior leaders.
• Contribute to enterprise-wide risk and compliance strategy.
• Communicate with zerohash partners (clients) to support completion of compliance-related activities and associated policies, procedures, and documentation.
• Build and maintain a high-performing, collaborative compliance team across distributed geographies; foster a culture of accountability, integrity, and operational excellence.
• Contribute to a team-oriented environment and drive improvements to analytical and reporting processes.

Benefits

• Healthcare Insurance: zerohash covers roughly 100% of employee premiums as well as a portion of spouse/children (U.S. only)
• Vision & Dental Insurance (U.S. only)
• Chance to earn equity
• Maternity & Paternity leave (after 6 months)
• WeWork All Access Membership
• WFH Yearly Stipend
• L&D Yearly Stipend (after 6 months)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree