Partner Engagements Manager, Compliance Strategy

Overview

As Partner Engagements Manager in Compliance Strategy, you own external-facing compliance relationships with banking partners, schemes and other strategic stakeholders. You’ll design and run the partner engagement operating model and ensure a consistent, well-evidenced compliance narrative that informs roadmaps and improvements. You will lead senior-level engagements, guide governance, and help mature the team’s capabilities. This role combines strategy, delivery and cross-functional collaboration to support product launches and geographic expansion.

Pay / Benefits

• hybrid working model with 3 days in office
• global team; cross-functional collaboration
• opportunity for growth and impact
• supportive onboarding and inclusion
• career progression opportunities

Responsibilities

• Own the partner-engagement portfolio across banking partners, schemes and strategic stakeholders
• Define and improve the operating model for partner engagements including governance and service standards
• Lead annual KYC/AML partner reviews, onboarding and RFIs end-to-end
• Represent Compliance in partner meetings with clear input on framework, risk and governance
• Oversee response packs, policy summaries and supporting evidence for accuracy and ownership
• Support scheme, product-launch and geographic-expansion initiatives with external obligations
• Translate partner feedback into strategic roadmap priorities and control improvements
• Foster cross-functional alignment with Compliance, Legal, Risk, Product, Operations, Finance and Tech
• Maintain governance over engagement risks, issues, decisions and remediation
• Provide concise updates to leadership and governance committees
• Coordinate with second-line teams to ensure alignment with compliance framework and risk appetite
• Coach Senior Analysts and build a scalable partner-engagement framework
• Identify data, tooling and workflow improvements to increase resilience of the operating model
• Represent Compliance Strategy in cross-functional strategic initiatives
• Take on priorities to mature long-term capability of the function
• Ensure external engagement activity complies with regulatory obligations and 3 lines of defense principles

Key requirements

• 3–5 years in a similar compliance, regulatory compliance, risk, audit, legal or related function in payments/fintech or regulated financial services
• Demonstrable experience leading external partner, banking, scheme, audit, regulatory or due-diligence engagements
• Experience translating regulatory/partner expectations into practical requirements, delivery plans and governance
• Experience leading cross-functional workstreams with multiple stakeholders and deadlines
• Experience coaching or managing people in a fast-moving environment
• Strong understanding of the payments ecosystem and compliance expectations for banks, schemes and financial institutions
• Working knowledge of AML/CTF, sanctions, KYC/CDD/EDD, licensing, safeguarding, operational resilience, regulatory change or control assurance
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with ability to present complex issues to senior stakeholders
• Strong judgement and the ability to challenge constructively and escalate appropriately
• Strong organizational, analytical and project-management skills with a track record of delivering under pressure
• ICA, ACAMS or other relevant professional qualification is desirable

• stakeholder management
• clear communication
• analytical mindset
• AML/CTF
• KYC/CDD/EDD
• sanctions

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