Head of Compliance

About Wintermute

Wintermute is a hyper-growth fintech startup and one of the largest players in the global digital asset markets. We provide liquidity algorithmically across most cryptocurrency exchanges and trading platforms, as well as support high profile blockchain projects and traditional financial institutions moving into crypto.

Culturally, we combine the best traits of both trading companies and technology startups. As a trading company, we manage hundreds of millions in assets, trade more than $5B+/day across dozens of trading platforms and are highly profitable in doing so. As a technology startup, we build, innovate and move incredibly fast, we create best-in-class liquidity products that create more efficient markets. We believe that traditional finance has to change and we are on a mission to define and build the decentralized future of finance.

Wintermute is a hyper-growth highly profitable proprietary trading business. We are backed by Lightspeed, Pantera Capital, Sino Global Capital, Blockchain.com Ventures, Avon Ventures by Fidelity Investments, DeFi Alliance and other top tier investors.

Learn more about our team and culture on our website and Evgeny’s post here.

Nature of the role

We are a hyper-growth startup in one of the most dynamic industries today. We are looking for an experienced Head of Compliance who has in-depth expertise from traditional financial markets and can easily adapt to the entrepreneurial, varied and highly dynamic nature of Wintermute business, as well as to the challenges and opportunities specific to the cryptocurrency business. The role covers all jurisdictions where Wintermute is currently active (UK, Singapore, USA), as well as all products and all relevant areas of compliance with a focus on licensing and KYC/AML.

As Head of Compliance you will assume complete ownership and accountability of the compliance function, will act as MLRO and will report to the CEO.

Key responsibilities

• Regulatory: responsible for monitoring the regulatory/compliance landscape across jurisdictions and accountable for compliance including supporting all license applications across jurisdictions
• KYC/AML: responsible for creating and adjusting AML/CTF processes, procedures, policies and related reporting to the regulators
• Onboarding: driving internal onboarding efforts from the compliance perspective with a focus on customer centricity (while being compliant); acting as MLRO including accountability, reporting and solving escalation requests
• Other compliance: own all other compliance aspects, such as financial compliance (insider trading, market manipulation, etc.), GDPR, privacy, employment law compliance
• New businesses: being a compliance thought partners in helping solve compliance uncertainty/challenges, e.g. in new areas such as DeFi

Other responsibilities

• Legal: working closely with the legal team to protect the company against compliance risks while staying commercially focused
• Selecting and managing external counsel as required, e.g. in areas beyond immediate expertise areas

Hard skills requirements

• 10+ years of compliance experience, incl. 3-5+ years of experience in a decision-making compliance function, e.g. Head of Compliance, MLRO or similar; alternatively, experienced compliance consultant (independent or compliance practice)
• Legal qualification is strongly preferred, but exceptions can be made for people with exceptional track record in compliance
• Deep knowledge of FCA regulations in relation to proprietary trading, financial services and crypto; general knowledge of regulations in other jurisdictions, specifically Singapore and US
• First hand experience running very efficient compliance processes at scale (B2B) including using automation, external tools, etc (not relying on onboarding/KYC outsourcing)
• Proven ability to see the bigger picture, commercial strategy, understand new functional areas quickly, have a cross-functional mindset
• Strong interest and curiosity in algorithmic trading and decentralized finance

Other requirements

• Owner mentality: you focus on protecting the company from compliance risk while being driven by the best for the company in terms of growth and commercial success
• Proven ability to be both a strategic thinker and excellent at execution and being hands-on; drive to do whatever it takes to get things done
• Sharing Wintermute culture values: determination/ambition and humility; drive to action, ability to both influence others and listen/ learn from others
• Like meritocracy and being ready to be judged by what you deliver (vs pedigree or former experience)
• Have an entrepreneurial mindset vs 9-to-5 mentality; prepared to work non-standard working hours as and if required
• Like working in the team environment working from our London office (as much as Covid limitations allow); Singapore office can be considered for top candidates

Wintermute offer

• A unique opportunity to join one of the fastest growing fintech companies globally as a senior member of the team and to take on personal ownership and accountability
• Very interesting projects in the most dynamic finance industry: a level of learning and responsibilities that is hard for any law firm or traditional trading company/bank/hedge fund to match
• Great company culture: informal, non-hierarchical, ambitious, highly professional yet dynamic, collaborative, entrepreneurial
• Aligned incentive structure: a significant part of your compensation is performance-based bonus and equity package