Compliance Manager, Institutional & Markets

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Proof of work The team Payward is one of the world's longest-standing and most trusted cryptocurrency exchanges.

We're on a mission to accelerate the adoption of cryptocurrency so that you and the rest of the world can achieve financial freedom and inclusion.

Our team is globally distributed, deeply technical, and genuinely committed to building the infrastructure the next financial system runs on.

Payward’s business spans exchange, custody, derivatives, and tokenised assets across multiple regulated entities and jurisdictions.

Our institutional and markets infrastructure includes a JFSC-licensed entity in Jersey and a leading tokenised equities platform operating across multiple international frameworks.

The opportunity This role sits at the institutional and markets end of Payward’s compliance function.

You’ll own the compliance programme for a defined cluster of regulated activities covering obligations under the Financial Services (Jersey) Law 1998 and the Control of Borrowing (Jersey) Order, alongside tokenised asset issuance — two areas that are technically distinct, increasingly interconnected, and at the frontier of how financial regulation is evolving.

You’ll report to the UK Chief Compliance Officer and work closely with legal, product, and operations teams across Payward’s institutional business.

The role is thematic in nature: as Payward’s regulated footprint evolves, so will the specific entities and activities in scope — what stays constant is the subject matter expertise and the quality of compliance coverage.

This suits someone who is technically grounded in regulated markets and genuinely curious about how tokenisation and trading infrastructure intersect with financial regulation.

It is not a policy-maintenance role.

Tokenised Assets Compliance Work with Group Compliance to evolve the compliance framework supporting Payward’s tokenised asset and issuance activities, with a particular focus on institutional-grade structures and distribution models.

This includes tokenised equities, real-world assets, and other structured or derivative-linked products offered through both exchange-traded and over-the-counter channels.

Oversee and control all AML and compliance activities, including the development and deployment of policies and procedures, client onboarding and supervision, transaction monitoring, AML risk mitigation, adverse event reporting etc.

Support onboarding and oversight of institutional distribution partners (e.g., exchanges, brokers, and platforms), ensuring that due diligence, KYC/AML expectations, and contractual frameworks are appropriately calibrated to the risk profile of large, regulated counterparties.

Monitor regulatory developments in tokenised securities and real-world assets across relevant jurisdictions, with the JFSC as the primary supervisory relationship, alongside FCA and international equivalents.

Advise on product design and structuring, drawing on experience from traditional financial instruments such as structured products, ETFs, ADRs, and other securitised exposures.

Ensure that tokenisation models appropriately reflect underlying asset characteristics, investor rights, and distribution mechanics, while remaining aligned with applicable regulatory frameworks.

Provide compliance input across the full product lifecycle—from structuring and issuance through secondary market trading and ongoing disclosures—ensuring appropriate controls around transparency, investor eligibility, and market integrity.

Work closely with product, legal, and institutional teams to assess regulatory perimeter risks and jurisdictional constraints early in the design phase.

Support onboarding and oversight of institutional distribution partners (e.g., exchanges, brokers, and platforms), ensuring that due diligence, KYC/AML expectations, and contractual frameworks are appropriately calibrated to the risk profile of large, regulated counterparties.

Monitor regulatory developments in tokenised securities and real-world assets across relevant jurisdictions, with the JFSC as the primary supervisory relationship, alongside FCA and international equivalents.

Institutional Business Advisory Provide first-line compliance support to Payward's institutional and markets-facing teams: covering new products, business development activity, institutional counterparty due diligence, and financial promotions in a non-retail context.

Identify regulatory perimeter questions early and work through them with legal and product before they become blockers.

Governance & Reporting Prepare compliance MI and reporting for board committees and the Jersey Board, including any materials required by the JFSC.

Maintain policies, procedures, and controls documentation across the institutional and markets perimeter, aligned to group-level frameworks.

Contribute to cross-functional workstreams where trading venue or tokenised asset expertise is required.

Skills you should HODL Solid working knowledge of Jersey financial services law: the Financial Services (Jersey) Law 1998, the Control of Borrowing (Jersey) Order, and the JFSC’s regulatory framework for investment business and virtual asset service providers.

Familiarity with the JFSC’s approach to tokenised asset regulation, including how it interacts with the VASP registration regime and the wider virtual assets framework, or a demonstrated ability to get up to speed quickly on an evolving regulatory landscape.

Experience running or contributing to a compliance programme in a regulated financial services business, ideally with institutional or wholesale markets exposure.

Comfort with multi-jurisdictional complexity: this role spans regulatory frameworks and you'll need to hold the full picture without losing precision on any individual regime.

Ability to work with genuine ambiguity — products in this space are often ahead of the regulatory framework, and you'll need to make sound judgements without a ready-made playbook.

Strong written communication: committee papers, regulatory correspondence, and policy documentation to a high standard.

Self-directed, with clear escalation judgement — this is a lean team with high standards.

Nice to haves Direct experience with tokenised securities, RWA issuance, or structured digital asset products.

Prior experience engaging directly with the JFSC, including responding to supervisory requests, participating in regulatory consultations, or managing onsite reviews.

Exposure to MiCA, UK MiFID, or other trading venue regulatory frameworks relevant to cross-border institutional business.

Experience supporting multi-jurisdictional regulatory engagement or contributing to regulatory consultations.

Unless a specific application deadline is stated in the job posting, applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Please note, applicants are permitted to redact or remove information on their resume that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment on our team, assessing candidates in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Kraken is powered by people from around the world and we celebrate all Krakenites for their diverse talents, backgrounds, contributions and unique perspectives.

We hire strictly based on merit, meaning we seek out the candidates with the right abilities, knowledge, and skills considered the most suitable for the job.

We encourage you to apply for roles where you don't fully meet the listed requirements, especially if you're passionate or knowledgable about crypto!

We may ask candidates to complete job-related skills or work-style assessments as part of our hiring process.

These assessments are designed to evaluate competencies relevant to the role and are applied consistently across candidates for similar positions.

Assessment results are considered alongside other relevant information, such as experience and interviews, and are not the sole basis for any employment decision.

As an equal opportunity employer, we don’t tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind.

Whether that’s based on race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, citizenship, religion, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state or local laws.

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