Chief Compliance Officer (Fintech)

Location: Helsinki, Finland; hybrid

Company

European fintech providing digital payment services to SMEs, startups, freelancers, and cross-border businesses, including EU IBAN business accounts, multi-currency payments, cards, bulk payments, expense management, foreign exchange, and POS solutions.

What you will do

• Lead the compliance strategy, framework, and team in line with FIN-FSA expectations, business goals, and the company’s risk profile.
• Advise and challenge the CEO and Board through reporting, escalation, and oversight of control improvements.
• Manage relationships with FIN-FSA and other regulators, including submissions, inspections, remediation, and implementation of Finnish and EU regulatory changes.
• Provide second-line oversight of AML/CTF, due diligence, transaction monitoring, sanctions, and complex financial-crime escalations.
• Advise on GDPR, customer protection, DORA, ICT risk, and regulatory requirements for new products, lending, and expansion.
• Work with Product, Operations, and Technology to embed controls, develop the compliance team, and strengthen compliance culture.

Requirements

• Fluent Finnish and English required; Swedish is a plus.
• Typically 10–15 years of compliance experience, including substantial second-line experience in a regulated financial institution.
• Hands-on AML/CTF experience in a FIN-FSA or comparable EU-regulated institution.
• Strong knowledge of Finnish and EU financial-services regulation, with experience in payments, electronic money, or banking.
• Direct regulator experience, team leadership, and senior stakeholder-management skills.
• Eligibility to meet FIN-FSA fit-and-proper requirements, with no regulatory sanctions or disqualifications.

Nice to have

• Previous CCO or regulator-approved leadership experience.
• Master’s degree in Law or qualifications such as CAMS, ICA Diploma in AML, or CIPP/E.
• Swedish language skills.

Culture & Benefits

• High-impact leadership role with direct access to the CEO and Board.
• Opportunity to develop an established compliance function.
• Competitive salary aligned with experience and a performance-related bonus.
• Comprehensive benefits, including occupational healthcare.
• Collaborative and transparent culture recognizing achievements and personal milestones.