Head of Compliance, LATAM

About the role

This Head of Compliance role for the LATAM region involves acting as the senior compliance authority, directly managing regulatory relationships across all jurisdictions in Latin America. The position requires leading engagement with regulators, including inspections and inquiries, and strategically positioning the company within the regulatory landscape. A key aspect is partnering with senior business, legal, and product leadership to integrate compliance requirements into strategic decisions and new product launches.

The successful candidate will be responsible for implementing and maintaining robust compliance policies, procedures, controls, and frameworks throughout LATAM, ensuring they align with global compliance standards while being adapted for local markets. This includes identifying compliance gaps, recommending remediation strategies, and collaborating cross-functionally with various departments like Data, Engineering, and Legal to operationalize compliance initiatives in line with local regulations and industry best practices.

Monitoring and assessing compliance with regional regulatory bodies, supervising compliance reviews and investigations, and preparing accurate reports for local authorities are also core functions. The role demands staying current with emerging trends and regulatory developments in the crypto industry across LATAM countries, ensuring effective coordination with local regulators and auditors, and responding to requests in a timely manner.

The salary for this role ranges from $75,000 to $125,000 annually.

Skills that matter here

• Compliance: This role requires leading all compliance efforts for the LATAM region, establishing policies, and ensuring adherence to regulatory frameworks.
• Risk Management: The position involves identifying compliance gaps and recommending strategies to mitigate associated risks within the crypto industry.
• KYC/KYB: The role demands strong experience with Know Your Customer/Business processes, including overseeing ongoing monitoring and risk assessments.
• AML/FT: Proven experience in Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing is essential for compliance roles within financial services or crypto exchanges.
• Regulatory Engagement: This position involves leading interactions with regulators across LATAM, including inspections, inquiries, and strategic positioning.
• Data Privacy: An in-depth understanding of the LATAM regulatory landscape includes knowledge of local data privacy laws.

Who this role suits

• A person with over a decade of experience in compliance within financial services, fintech, or cryptocurrency industries.
• Someone with a deep understanding of the LATAM regulatory landscape, particularly Argentina and El Salvador, including AML, data privacy, and crypto regulations.
• An individual who is self-motivated, a critical thinker, and capable of working independently or in a dispersed team, managing varied tasks.
• A professional with strong communication skills in both Spanish and English, adept at presenting complex regulatory information.

From the employer

• Serve as the senior compliance authority for the region, with direct accountability for regulatory relationships across all LatAm jurisdictions.
• Lead engagement with regulators at the regional level, including inspections, inquiries, and strategic regulatory positioning.
• Lead, develop, and coordinate a team of MLROs and compliance professionals across multiple markets.
• Partner with senior business, legal, and product leadership across LatAm to embed compliance requirements into strategic decisions, new product launches, and market expansions.
• Implement and maintain robust compliance policies, procedures, controls, and frameworks across LATAM in alignment with the Global Compliance Standard.
• Ensure policies and procedures are adapted appropriately for local markets.
• Identify compliance gaps and recommend remediation strategies.
• Collaborate cross-functionally (with groups such as Data, Engineering, Finance, Legal, Product and Risk) to operationalize compliance initiatives in line with local regulations, global standards and industry best practices.
• Monitor, and assess compliance with laws, regulations and policies from regional regulatory bodies (current and proposed regulatory frameworks).
• Supervise compliance reviews, investigations and suspicious activities in the region.
• Prepare and submit accurate and timely periodic compliance reports to local authorities.
• Assist with special projects as needed, with the ability to work in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment.
• Collaborate as an operational point of contact for local regulators and auditors, ensuring effective coordination and timely response to requests.
• Stay current with global, regional and jurisdictional emerging trends and regulatory developments in the crypto industry, with a broad focus on LATAM countries.

• 10+ years of experience in compliance within the financial services, fintech or cryptocurrency industries. Either regulatory/licensing advisory or financial crime or both.
• Proven experience in AML/FT & Sanctions in compliance roles within traditional financial services, fintech companies or crypto exchanges.
• In-depth understanding of the LATAM regulatory landscape, with a strong focus on Argentina and El Salvador, including local AML laws, data privacy, consumer protection, and crypto-related regulations.
• Strong experience with KYC/KYB and CDD/EDD processes, as well as overseeing ongoing monitoring and risk assessments.
• Excellent analytical, research and due diligence skills with the ability to interpret complex regulations.
• Strong communication and presentation abilities, both oral and written in Spanish and English.
• Self-motivated, critical thinker and adept at working independently and in a dispersed team environment covering multiple and varied tasks.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, collaboratively and efficiently in a fast-paced, deadline-driven team environment.
• Solid understanding of the crypto industry and familiarity with global work environments.
• CAMS, FIBA certification, or any other industry-relevant financial crime compliance certification.

• Competitive total compensation package
• L&D programs and Education subsidy for employees' growth and development
• Various team building programs and company events
• More that we love to tell you along the process!