Head of Compliance

Job description

At Breeze, we're building the AI-powered infrastructure layer for global commerce, making it radically simpler for businesses to sell, get paid, and operate across markets. We go far beyond traditional payment processing. Breeze combines global payments, AI, stablecoins, and a Merchant of Record-like model to take on the complexity businesses typically manage themselves, including compliance, risk, fraud, chargebacks, reconciliation, and customer support. Our goal is simple: let businesses focus on building and selling great products while Breeze handles the complexity behind getting paid. Backed by **Sequoia Capital**, **Multicoin Capital**, and **The Chainsmokers**, Breeze is a successful, rapidly growing, and exceptionally well-capitalized company. We have the runway to think long term while remaining early enough that every person joining today can have a meaningful impact on what we build. **Overview** We’re hiring a Head of Compliance to build and lead the compliance function that will help Breeze scale across products, markets, and geographies. This is a high-impact leadership role with real ownership and a seat at the table. You’ll own Breeze’s compliance program end to end, from BSA/AML and financial crimes to licensing, regulatory examinations, and international expansion, while helping the business move quickly without taking on unnecessary regulatory risk. You’ll work closely with Product, Engineering, Legal, Risk, Operations, and executive leadership to turn complex regulatory requirements into practical solutions that enable the business. As Breeze expands across the U.S., Europe, Singapore, and new markets, you’ll help determine how we enter, what we need to build, and how we scale responsibly. We’re looking for a hands-on compliance leader who combines deep regulatory expertise with a builder mentality. Someone who can set the strategy, engage confidently with regulators and partners, develop a strong team, and still get into the details when needed. If you’re excited to build, not just maintain, and want to shape the compliance foundation behind a fast-growing global payments company, we’d love to meet you. **What You'll Do** - Develop, implement, and maintain a risk-based compliance program — policies, procedures, and controls — to meet federal and state regulations related to payments. You should be excited to help build a Compliance function at a fast-growing payments fintech from the ground up. - Oversee our international expansion and acquisition and maintenance of money transmission licenses. - Be comfortable managing a Compliance team in multiple jurisdictions (U.S, Europe, Singapore). - Act as the BSA/AML Officer, operationalizing KYC/KYB, enhanced due diligence, transaction monitoring, and suspicious activity investigations and reporting (SARs), and continuously iterating on those processes. - Engage with regulators, manage examinations and audits by state, federal, and international authorities, and translate regulatory requirements into clear direction for Breeze stakeholders. - Lead the compliance workstreams for entry into new markets. - Conduct regular compliance risk assessments, audits, and gap analyses, including customer risk scoring and product and service risk analysis, and partner cross-functionally to mitigate identified risk across product and operations. **What We're Looking For** - 8+ years of experience in compliance or a closely related function within financial services, payments, fintech, or the blockchain and digital asset sector. - Demonstrated experience as a Head of Compliance, or in a senior compliance leadership role, with direct accountability for program outcomes. - Experience managing and developing a team, including analysts or investigators. - Deep familiarity with KYC/KYB, BSA/AML, sanctions, EDD, and financial crimes compliance. - Solid understanding of federal and state payments laws and regulations, including money transmission licensing. - Experience operating a compliance program across multiple jurisdictions. - Familiarity with cryptocurrency markets, blockchain technology, and virtual currency regulation. - Direct experience engaging with regulators and managing examinations and audits. - Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to present to executives and the board. - Strong leadership skills and the ability to influence cross-functional teams and stakeholders. - Comfortable operating in fast-moving environments without an established playbook. - Excited to use AI and automation to work smarter and rethink existing processes. - Comfortable getting into the details and doing the work, regardless of seniority. **Nice to Have** - Experience building a compliance program from an early stage, or scaling one through rapid growth. - Experience with cross-border payments, merchant of record models, or multi-jurisdiction licensing. - Direct experience standing up compliance in a new international market — licensing, registration, or local partner onboarding. - Familiarity with MiCA, EU AML, UK FCA, FINTRAC / RPAA, or comparable non-US frameworks. - Hands-on experience selecting and implementing compliance tooling — transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, KYC/KYB, and blockchain analytics platforms. - Relevant certifications such as CAMS, CRCM, or CFE. - Experience working with banking partners, sponsor banks, or payment processor **Our Compensation Philosophy!** We believe compensation should be fair, competitive, consistent, and transparent. We benchmark compensation against the market and establish thoughtful bands for each role, with compensation reflecting experience, skills, location, role scope, and expected impact. We don't believe pay should primarily depend on how aggressively someone negotiates. Eligible employees receive meaningful equity, so the people building Breeze can participate in the long-term value they help create. **Benefits & Perks** - **Health coverage:** Breeze covers 100% of employee premiums on our competitive base plan and 75% of dependent premiums. - **PTO:** 21 days, plus applicable company holidays. - **401(k):** Breeze covers all plan administration fees. - **Equity:** Meaningful ownership in the company you're helping build. - **Equipment:** A new MacBook Air and whatever else you need to do your best work. - **Office & education allowance:** An annual budget for your workspace, tools, and professional development. - **Wellness:** A monthly reimbursement to support your well-being. - **Annual global offsite:** We bring the global Breeze team together every year. Previous destinations include Bali and Singapore, with Japan coming next. Breeze is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion or creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship or immigration status, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, age, marital or partnership status, caregiver status, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, height or weight, sexual and reproductive health decisions, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Breeze considers qualified applicants with criminal histories in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the New York City Fair Chance Act, where applicable. **Why Join Breeze** - **Make an outsized impact:** We're successful and still early, with meaningful traction and strong financial foundations. Lean teams, few layers, and direct access to decision-makers mean you'll have real ownership and the autonomy to make things happen. - **Solve hard, meaningful problems:** Work at the intersection of AI, payments, stablecoins, risk, compliance, financial infrastructure, and global commerce as we build an intelligent infrastructure layer that goes far beyond payments. - **Build AI-first:** AI isn't an add-on. It's central to how we're building our products and how our teams operate. You'll experiment with new tools, automate the repetitive, and continuously rethink how to work smarter. - **Work with an exceptional team:** Join ambitious, curious, low-ego people who move quickly, hold a high bar, and care deeply about what they build. - **Grow with Breeze:** As Breeze grows, strong performers can quickly expand their scope and take on bigger problems. - **Build for the long term:** Backed by Sequoia Capital, Multicoin Capital, and The Chainsmokers, we're exceptionally well-capitalized with the runway to think big. **In-Office Expectations** Employees based in our **New York City, NY** office follow a hybrid work model and are expected to work from the office **three days per week**. Employees based in our **Singapore** office are expected to work **on-site five days per week**. In-office expectations may vary slightly depending on role, team, and business needs. Certain roles that require closer cross-functional collaboration or operational support may have additional requirements, which will be discussed during the interview process. Our approach is designed to support meaningful in-person collaboration, team building, and real-time decision-making while providing flexibility where applicable. We believe this structure enables strong execution, close collaboration, and effective teamwork across our global offices. **Come Build With Us!** We offer a rare combination: the ownership and speed of an early-stage company with the traction, backing, and financial foundations of a successful business. We're building at the convergence of AI, payments, stablecoins, financial infrastructure, and global commerce. The opportunity is much bigger than building another payment processor. We're building the intelligent infrastructure layer for global commerce, and there's still an enormous amount left to build. If you want meaningful ownership, hard problems, exceptional teammates, and the opportunity to help define what comes next, we'd love to hear from you!