Compliance & Risk Lead

About Us

Hello Clever is building the next generation of payments and loyalty infrastructure by turning every transaction into growth for merchants. We’re an AI-powered fintech operating across 22+ markets, helping businesses move money in real time and convert payments into measurable outcomes like higher repeat rates, bigger baskets, and smarter customer engagement. Our platform combines local account-to-account rails, embedded cashback & loyalty products, and powerful data intelligence (Clever AI) so merchants can launch offers, optimise ROI, and scale faster - all through a single integration. We’re also proud to be recognised on the global stage including being named Australia’s fastest-growing fintech, Top 100 Forbes Asia, ranked in the AFR Fastest-Growing Companies, and selected for Inc. Magazine’s Best in Business alongside some of the most iconic companies in the world.

About the Role

This is Hello Clever Inc. first dedicated compliance hire in the United States. You will establish the US compliance and risk framework from the ground up, partnering closely with our global compliance and risk team. This is a hands-on, builder role. You will set the US compliance strategy in alignment with the Hello Clever’s global compliance and risk strategy, working closely with the Global Head of Compliance and Risk, while executing the day-to-day work: writing policies, standing up and running financial crime and risk operations, driving licensing, and serving as our primary point of contact with US regulators.

Responsibilities

• Build and own the US compliance and risk program from the ground up. To establish, document, and maintain the BSA/AML, sanctions, and financial crime framework, adapting global standards to US federal and state money transmitter requirements.
• Serve as the company's designated US BSA/AML Compliance Officer, with formal accountability for the program and its effectiveness.
• Act as the primary regulatory liaison for the US which includes managing day-to-day relationships, regulatory inquiries, and examinations with FinCEN, NYDFS, and state banking and financial regulators.
• Design, implement, and continuously optimize the US transaction monitoring program, including rule and scenario design, threshold tuning, and model calibration aligned to the company’s US risk profile. Oversee alert investigation quality, ensure timely disposition and escalation of suspicious activity, and drive ongoing effectiveness testing to reduce false positives while maintaining detection coverage.
• Establish and own the US fraud risk framework, covering prevention and detection controls across payment flows and cross-border transactions. Partner with Product and Operations to embed fraud controls into new features, and monitor and report fraud risk exposure to the Compliance and Risk Committee.
• Ownership on US state money transmitter licensing which includes managing of the NMLS licensing strategy, new state applications, renewals, ongoing obligations, and state examination and audit readiness.
• Monitor the US regulatory landscape for BSA/AML, USA PATRIOT Act, OFAC sanctions, and state money transmitter developments, analyzing material changes and coordinating with the Global Policy team for framework integration.
• Provide second-line compliance sign-off on high-risk decisions and complex escalations, including matters elevated to Hello Clever’s Compliance and Risk Committee.
• Provide compliance advisory to the business on Product Requirement Documents, Acceptable Use Policies, and new state license applications to enable safe, compliant market entry.
• Build and deliver financial crime compliance training for US business, commercial, and operations teams to foster a risk-aware culture.

Who You Are

We're looking for people who meet the minimum requirements for this role. The preferred qualifications are great to have, but are not mandatory.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Law, Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Public Policy, Criminology, or a related analytical field.
• CAMS certification or an equivalent recognized compliance credential.
• 8 to 10 years of experience in AML, regulatory compliance, and financial crime compliance within financial services, fintech, payments, or banking.
• Experience serving as a designated BSA/AML Compliance Officer, building and running a US compliance program and is comfortable operating hands-on as a founding or sole compliance resource.
• Proven track record of interacting directly with US regulators (such as FinCEN, NYDFS, and state regulators) and successfully managing examinations and state licensing audits.
• Hands-on experience with US state money transmitter licensing through NMLS, including new applications and renewals.
• Experience providing compliance advisory on product rollouts and complex corporate customer use cases.
• A high-ownership, pragmatic approach, with excellent communication and stakeholder management skills to influence cross-functional executives and external partners.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree such as a Juris Doctor (JD) or a Master's in Regulatory Compliance, Law, or Financial Crime.
• Advanced designations such as CAMS-Audit, CGSS (Certified Global Sanctions Specialist), or CAMS-RM (Risk Management).
• Deep fintech and payments experience, including a strong operational understanding of US money transmission, virtual accounts, multi-currency wallets, and cross-border payment mechanisms.
• Experience partnering closely with Product, Legal, and Commercial teams to support fast-moving feature launches and complex corporate onboarding workflows.
• Strong data literacy and comfort using operational metrics, GRC systems, and dashboards to track compliance performance and surface emerging risk.

Why join Hello Clever?

• High-Growth Fintech: Be part of a company leading the future of real-time payments and loyalty solutions.
• Global impact - We’re live in 22+ markets and growing fast.
• Category-defining product - Real-time payments, instant cashback, AI-powered merchant tools.
• Mission-driven - We’re here to make money smarter, fairer and faster for everyone.
• Dynamic Culture: Join a passionate, results-driven team that values innovation and collaboration.

Benefits & Perks

• Leave that supports real life – Enjoy Birthday Leave and Menstrual Leave in addition to your standard annual leave.
• Invest in your wellbeing and growth – Receive an annual Wellness and Development Allowance to use toward what helps you feel and perform at your best.
• Technology support – Access a Technology Allowance to help you create a productive working setup.
• Flexible hybrid working – Enjoy the balance of collaborating in person and working remotely.
• Celebrate together – Connect with the team through quarterly social events and our annual company trip.

How To Apply

We like to keep things simple, but we also want to make sure this is the right fit for both of us. Here’s what to expect:

• Phone Screen - speak with our People & Culture team to share about your experience and learn more about us!
• Virtual Chat - A casual video call to get to know you, your experience, and what makes you tick.
• Meet the Team - An in-person catch-up at our office to see if we vibe and chat about how you’d make this role your own.
• Show Us Your Thinking - A short presentation where you’ll bring some ideas to life (nothing scary, we promise).

Sound like you? Let’s talk. Drop us a note at [email protected]

Direct applicants only, no agencies.

Equal Opportunity and Accommodations

Hello Clever is an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law. We provide reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities and for religious observances during the hiring process. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation.