Role: Head of Compliance (SMF 16)
Sector: Financial Tech
Salary: £200,000 - £250,000
Location: London / Hybrid
About the Company
A high-growth fintech business operating a large international digital investment and trading platform used by millions of retail customers globally. The organisation is technology-driven, product-led and continues to expand its regulated financial services infrastructure across multiple jurisdictions.
As the business continues to evolve its payments capabilities, including the launch of card products and broader electronic money services, the company is strengthening its governance framework to support regulatory engagement and future scale.
The Irish entity forms a key part of the organisation’s European regulatory structure and is currently progressing regulatory licence applications as part of its payments expansion strategy.
The Role
This is a key senior leadership appointment, responsible for leading the UK compliance function and operating as the SMF16 (Compliance Oversight) under the FCA regime.
The role will be instrumental in shaping and embedding a best-in‑class compliance framework, ensuring the organisation meets its regulatory obligations while continuing to innovate and scale at pace.
You will work closely with the executive team, including legal, risk, product and technology leadership, to ensure compliance is effectively integrated into business decision‑making, product development, and customer outcomes.
This position requires a commercially minded compliance leader who can balance regulatory rigour with a pragmatic, growth‑oriented approach.
Key Responsibilities
Regulatory Leadership & SMF Accountability
- Act as SMF16, holding regulatory accountability for compliance oversight within the UK entity
- Serve as the primary point of contact for the FCA and other regulatory bodies
- Lead regulatory engagement, including audits, reviews, and supervisory interactions
- Ensure ongoing compliance with FCA requirements, including SMCR, Consumer Duty and financial promotions
Compliance Framework & Strategy
- Design, implement and continuously evolve the firm’s compliance framework in line with regulatory expectations and business growth
- Develop policies, procedures and controls aligned with a scalable, multi‑jurisdictional operating model
- Ensure effective monitoring, testing and reporting of compliance risks across the business
- Embed a strong culture of compliance across all functions
Advisory & Business Partnering
- Provide strategic compliance advice to senior leadership and the board
- Partner with product and technology teams to support compliant product development and innovation
- Advise on regulatory implications of new market entry, product launches and structural changes
- Balance regulatory requirements with commercial objectives to enable growth
Risk & Governance
- Work closely with Risk, Legal and Internal Audit to ensure alignment across the three lines of defence
- Support the development of governance structures appropriate for a scaling, regulated fintech
- Oversee compliance reporting to the board and relevant committees
- Ensure robust management information and reporting frameworks
Financial Crime & Conduct
- Oversee financial crime compliance, including AML, KYC, sanctions and transaction monitoring frameworks
- Ensure effective controls are in place to mitigate financial crime risks
- Lead conduct risk initiatives, ensuring strong customer outcomes and alignment with Consumer Duty
Team Leadership & Build
- Lead, develop and scale the compliance team in line with business growth
- Build capability across compliance monitoring, advisory and financial crime functions
- Foster a high‑performance culture within the compliance function
Candidate Profile
- This role requires a highly credible compliance leader with deep experience operating within regulated financial services environments, ideally within fintech, trading platforms or digital banking
- You will be comfortable operating at executive level, influencing senior stakeholders, and engaging directly with regulators
Essential Experience
- Proven experience operating as SMF16 (or equivalent senior compliance role) within an FCA‑regulated firm
- Deep knowledge of UK financial services regulation, including FCA Handbook, SMCR and Consumer Duty
- Strong experience within fintech, trading platforms, payments or digital financial services
- Track record of building and scaling compliance frameworks in high‑growth environments
- Experience managing regulatory relationships and leading regulatory interactions
Preferred Background
- Experience within high‑growth or scaling fintech environments
- Exposure to multi‑jurisdictional regulatory frameworks (EU or global markets)
- Background in businesses combining technology, product and financial services
- Experience working in fast‑paced, product‑led organisations
Key Characteristics
- Commercially minded with the ability to enable growth, not just control risk
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills at executive and board level
- Pragmatic and solutions‑oriented approach to compliance challenges
- Comfortable operating in a fast‑moving, evolving environment
- High levels of integrity, credibility and resilience
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