Lead Analyst, Product Compliance

About the role

This role focuses on integrating compliance into Circle's digital asset and payment products from design through operation. The Lead Analyst will work closely with product, engineering, and operations teams to ensure all offerings align with regulatory expectations and internal frameworks. Key responsibilities include leading risk assessments, defining control requirements, and ensuring cross-functional readiness for money movement and settlement capabilities.

The position also involves identifying emerging compliance and operational risks, developing proactive control strategies, and contributing to the development of compliance technologies. The Lead Analyst will oversee comprehensive assessments for the Payments Pillar, covering aspects like tooling, transaction traceability, scalability, governance, and regulatory alignment. This requires driving collaboration across multiple departments including Product, Legal, Policy, Security, Enterprise Risk, and Engineering.

Success in this role means enhancing risk assessment efficiency through data-driven and AI-enabled compliance processes. The individual will monitor market and regulatory developments in decentralized finance and global payments infrastructure, applying this knowledge to shape Circle's compliance approach. The goal is to support the company's evolving liquidity and payments infrastructure while maintaining high integrity and regulatory adherence.

The annual salary for this role ranges from $140,000 to $185,000.

Skills that matter here

• Compliance: This role is centered on ensuring all products and operations adhere to regulatory and internal compliance standards.
• Risk Management: The position involves leading risk assessments, identifying emerging risks, and developing control approaches for payment networks and digital assets.
• Payments: A deep understanding of U.S. and global payments infrastructure and regulatory requirements is essential for this role.
• Blockchain: Familiarity with blockchain/distributed ledger technology and regulated digital asset payment models is a core requirement.
• AI: The role involves developing data-driven and AI-enabled compliance processes to improve efficiency in risk assessment.
• Financial Regulatory Compliance: Comprehensive knowledge of financial regulatory requirements, especially in fintech and crypto, is necessary to assess and mitigate compliance risks.

Who this role suits

• A person with at least 7 years of experience in compliance or risk management within fintech, crypto, or payments, including 3 years specifically in product compliance.
• Someone who possesses comprehensive knowledge of U.S. and global financial regulatory compliance and payment networks.
• An individual who can effectively collaborate across diverse teams like Product, Engineering, Legal, and Risk.
• A professional familiar with virtual assets, blockchain technology, and the compliance implications of bank partnerships and cross-border transactions.

From the employer

• Ensure products are designed, launched, and operated in alignment with regulatory expectations and internal compliance frameworks.
• Partner closely with product, engineering, and operations teams to embed compliance throughout the product lifecycle.
• Lead risk assessments, define and validate control requirements, and drive cross-functional readiness for domestic and cross-border money movement and settlement capabilities.
• Identify emerging compliance and operational risks, develop forward-looking control approaches, and help shape the compliance technologies needed to support Circle’s evolving liquidity and payments infrastructure.
• Oversee comprehensive assessments for the Payments Pillar, including compliance tooling, transaction traceability, scalability, governance, and regulatory alignment.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration across the Payments program by partnering with Product, Legal, Policy, Security, Enterprise Risk, Treasury, and Engineering.
• Develop data-driven and AI-enabled compliance processes to enhance risk assessment velocity and efficiency.
• Monitor market and regulatory developments in decentralized finance, programmable money, and global payments infrastructure.

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business, and/or risk management.
• 7+ years of experience in compliance, risk management, or related functions within a fintech, crypto, or payments company, including at least 3 years of product compliance experience.
• Comprehensive knowledge of U.S. and global payments and financial regulatory compliance requirements.
• Experience assessing compliance and operational risk in payment networks, managed payments products, or regulated payment platforms.
• Deep knowledge of virtual assets, blockchain/distributed ledger technology, and regulated digital asset payment models.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Legal, Policy, and Risk teams.
• Familiarity with the compliance implications of bank partnerships, payment intermediaries, network participants, and cross-border transaction flows.
• Experience or familiarity with AI tools such as Codex and Claude to support compliance or risk workflows.

• Competitive salary range of $140,000 - $185,000.
• Flexible work environment encouraging new ideas.
• Opportunity to work on innovative financial products and compliance technologies.