Head of Risk and Compliance

Zeta; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000

Job description

About Zeta

Zeta is a Next-Gen Banking Tech company that empowers banks and fintechs to launch banking products for the future. It was founded by Bhavin Turakhia and Ramki Gaddipati in 2015. Our flagship processing platform - Zeta Tachyon - is the industry’s first modern, cloud-native, and fully API-enabled stack that brings together issuance, processing, lending, core banking, fraud & risk, and many more capabilities as a single-vendor stack. 15M+ cards have been issued on our platform globally. Zeta is actively working with the largest Banks and Fintechs in multiple global markets transforming customer experience for multi-million card portfolios. Zeta has over 1700+ employees - with over 70% roles in R&D - across locations in the US, EMEA, and Asia. We raised $280 million at a $1.5 billion valuation from Softbank, Mastercard, and other investors in 2021.

Learn more @ www.zeta.tech, careers.zeta.tech, Linkedin, Twitter

About the Role

As the Head of Risk and Compliance, you will be the founding member of the compliance team and a senior leader within the organisation, responsible for overseeing all risk management and compliance functions to ensure the company adheres to regulatory requirements and best practices. The focus of the role is on consumer lending and payments, with the role holder having a strong knowledge of CONC and Payment services regulation.

Reporting directly to the CEO, you will be a member of the board and will play a pivotal role in shaping the company's risk and compliance framework, maintaining its reputation and ensuring robust governance.

You will hold the FCA's Senior Management Function roles of SMF16 (Compliance Oversight) and SMF17 (Money Laundering Reporting Officer).

As the company grows, you will be expected to grow the team in line with the growing size of the company.

Responsibilities

1. Develop compliant business processes and policies as part of our business launch plan
   • As the business develops processes, customer journeys and financial promotions as part of its go to market plan, you will work with key business stakeholders to ensure journeys and customer outcomes are robust and compliant with the relevant regulation as an authorised consumer lender and authorised payment institution.
2. Risk Management
   • Develop, implement, and maintain the company’s risk management framework in line with FCA regulations and business objectives.
   • Identify, assess, and mitigate key risks, including credit, operational, financial, and reputational risks.
   • Provide regular risk reporting to the board and ensure a robust risk culture throughout the organization.
3. Compliance Oversight
   • Design and maintain a comprehensive compliance program to meet FCA regulatory standards.
   • Ensure regulatory returns are completed accurately and in a timely manner.
   • Monitor regulatory changes, assess their impact on the business, and ensure timely communication and implementation of required actions.
   • Act as the primary point of contact with the FCA and other regulatory bodies.
   • Conduct compliance reviews, ensuring timely remediation of findings.
   • Ensure that any financial promotions are approved in accordance with FCA rules.
   • Act as Company Secretary for the board, ensuring corporate governance processes are followed.
4. Anti-Money Laundering (AML)
   • Serve as the company’s MLRO, ensuring effective AML and counter-terrorism financing policies and procedures.
   • Oversee transaction monitoring, reporting of suspicious activities, and ensure compliance with all AML requirements.
5. Consumer Duty
   • Act as the nominated board owner for consumer duty in the origination (delivery supported by fellow Executive committee members).
6. Governance and Reporting
   • Act as advisor on all risk and compliance matters.
   • Present risk and compliance updates to the board and external stakeholders as required.
   • Ensure the integration of risk and compliance considerations into strategic decision-making.
7. Leadership and Collaboration
   • Build and lead the risk and compliance team to ensure high performance and alignment with business objectives.
   • Foster a collaborative and integrated approach to risk and compliance management within the business.

Skills and Attributes required

• Extensive experience in risk and compliance management within an FCA-regulated consumer lending firm and authorised payment institution.
• A detailed knowledge of FCA regulations, including CONC (Consumer Credit Sourcebook), SYSC (Senior Management Arrangements, Systems, and Controls) and AML regulations.
• A detailed knowledge of Payment Services Regulation and requirements of regulated payment providers.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills and an ability to work with the business to create compliant and implementable solutions.

Experience and Qualifications

• Experience holding SMF16 and SMF17 roles or equivalent.

Equal Opportunity

• Zeta is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds, cultures, and communities to apply and believe that a diverse workforce is key to our success.