Head of Compliance

About this role

At Breeze, we're building the AI-powered infrastructure layer for global commerce, making it radically simpler for businesses to sell, get paid, and operate across markets.

We go far beyond traditional payment processing. Breeze combines global payments, AI, stablecoins, and a Merchant of Record-like model to take on the complexity businesses typically manage themselves, including compliance, risk, fraud, chargebacks, reconciliation, and customer support.

Our goal is simple: let businesses focus on building and selling great products while Breeze handles the complexity behind getting paid.

Backed by Sequoia Capital , Multicoin Capital , and The Chainsmokers , Breeze is a successful, rapidly growing, and exceptionally well-capitalized company. We have the runway to think long term while remaining early enough that every person joining today can have a meaningful impact on what we build.

We are hiring a Head of Compliance!

New York City | Hybrid (remote considered) | Full-Time

As our Head of Compliance, you'll own Breeze's entire compliance program and play a key role in enabling us to ship new products and enter new markets without taking on undue regulatory risk. You'll work closely with Product, Engineering, Legal, Risk, Operations, and executive leadership to build a compliance function that protects the company and its customers while keeping pace with the business.

We're looking for someone who thrives in fast-moving environments, wants meaningful ownership, and is excited to build rather than simply maintain.

What You'll Do

• Develop, implement, and maintain a risk-based compliance program — policies, procedures, and controls — to meet AML/BSA requirements (aligned with FinCEN, OFAC, and FATF standards) as well as the consumer and enterprise payment regulations applicable to Breeze's products.

• Act as the BSA/AML Officer, operationalizing KYC/KYB, enhanced due diligence, transaction monitoring, and suspicious activity investigations and reporting (SARs), and continuously iterating on those processes.

• Engage with regulators, manage examinations and audits by state, federal, and international authorities, and translate regulatory requirements into clear direction for Breeze stakeholders.

• Own Breeze's licensing footprint, including state money transmission licenses, applications, annual reports, and renewals, alongside the compliance requirements for non-US jurisdictions relevant to our markets.

• Lead the compliance workstreams for entry into new markets.

• Conduct regular compliance risk assessments, audits, and gap analyses, including customer risk scoring and product and service risk analysis, and partner cross-functionally to mitigate identified risk across product and operations.

• Lead and develop the compliance team, and report on program effectiveness to executives and the board.

• Own compliance training company-wide — curriculum, vendor selection, and external consultants — spanning AML/BSA, InfoSec, and risk, and partner with Engineering and IT on related audits.

What We're Looking For

• 8+ years of experience in compliance or a closely related function within financial services, payments, fintech, or the blockchain and digital asset sector.

• Demonstrated experience as a BSA/AML Officer, Head of Compliance, or in a senior compliance leadership role, with direct accountability for program outcomes.

• Experience managing and developing a team, including analysts or investigators.

• Deep familiarity with KYC/KYB, BSA/AML, sanctions, EDD, and financial crimes compliance.

• Solid understanding of federal and state payments laws and regulations, including money transmission licensing.

• Experience operating a compliance program across multiple jurisdictions, with working knowledge of at least one major non-US regime (EU, UK, Canada, or APAC) in addition to US requirements.

• Familiarity with cryptocurrency markets, blockchain technology, and virtual currency regulation.

• Direct experience engaging with regulators and managing examinations and audits.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to present to executives and the board.

• Strong leadership skills and the ability to influence cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

• Comfortable operating in fast-moving environments without an established playbook.

• Excited to use AI and automation to work smarter and rethink existing processes.

• Comfortable getting into the details and doing the work, regardless of seniority.

Nice to Have

• Experience building a compliance program from an early stage, or scaling one through rapid growth.

• Experience with cross-border payments, merchant of record models, or multi-jurisdiction licensing.

• Direct experience standing up compliance in a new international market — licensing, registration, or local partner onboarding.

• Familiarity with MiCA, EU AML, UK FCA, FINTRAC / RPAA, or comparable non-US frameworks.

• Hands-on experience selecting and implementing compliance tooling — transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, KYC/KYB, and blockchain analytics platforms.

• Relevant certifications such as CAMS, CRCM, or CFE.

• Experience working with banking partners, sponsor banks, or payment processors.

Why Breeze

• More than payments: We're building an intelligent infrastructure layer across payments, compliance, risk, fraud, chargebacks, reconciliation, and customer support.

• AI from the ground up: AI isn't an add-on. It's central to how we're building our products and how our teams operate.

• Successful and still early: We have meaningful traction and strong financial foundations while remaining early enough for new hires to have outsized impact.

• Built for the long term: Backed by Sequoia Capital, Multicoin Capital, and The Chainsmokers, we're exceptionally well-capitalized with the runway to think big.

• Real ownership: You'll own the compliance function outright, with a direct line to executive leadership and t

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