Head of Compliance

Since 2018, Wisetack has been building transparent and intuitive consumer lending products that help service-based businesses thrive (think HVAC companies, veterinarians, or auto repair shops). 

Our leadership team comes from top fintech companies such as Lending Club, Affirm, and Varo Money. And we’re backed by leading VCs, including Insight Partners, Greylock, and Bain Capital Ventures (investors in Airbnb, LinkedIn, Instagram, Dropbox, and more).

Having raised $84M, we’re a well-funded startup and have invested in people and technology while growing our partnerships — responsibly. 

We’re also proud to have received recognition from the fintech world. Awards we’ve won include: 

• 2023 Best Consumer Lending Program by Tearsheet
• 2023 Best Point of Sale Product by Fintech Breakthrough
• 2022 Best Consumer Lending Solution by Finovate
• 2022 Best Emerging Lending Platform by Lendit (now Fintech Nexus)

But what you’ll find us gleaming about the most is the recognition from our own customers, particularly our sky-high NPS rating of 79. (For reference, the average score is 44 for financial services and 36 for SaaS companies.)

As a result of our efforts in building this healthy company culture, we’ve been nominated to several Great Places to Work lists, such as Best Small Workplaces, Best Workplaces in the Bay Area, and Best Workplaces in Financial Services & Insurance.

Like any startup, we’re in it for the long haul, and we’re looking for people willing to join our journey of building something special together. 

This process starts with our company values, which guide us in everything we do — and have played a critical role in our success. We valiantly abide by them, and would expect you to do the same:

• Put customers first (that’s our M.O.)
• Act fast (leverage our startup environment).
• Lead the way (show and tell).
• Take ownership (everyone is hands-on here).
• Be a good human (no egos, build financial products that do right by people).

Learn more about our values here. 

The Role

Wisetack is seeking an experienced and proactive Head of Compliance to join our team. This role will report directly to the General Counsel and will be responsible for managing all aspects of our compliance program. You will work cross-functionally with business teams across the organization (e.g., credit, product, technology, and marketing) as well as external stakeholders (e.g., bank partners and third party auditors) to create, maintain, and operationalize a best-in-class compliance program that balances growth and risk management.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on, self-directed compliance leader to help drive business growth by making smart, risk-based decisions. We operate in a regulated space and partner with top-tier banks, which means that regulatory and operational compliance are critical to every strategic decision.  Ideally, you are a builder at heart and view compliance as a critical product that helps organizations scale faster, smarter, and safer. 

Responsibilities

• Build a compliance roadmap and set objectives for monitoring, testing, and analysis.
• Serve as a trusted partner to our internal product, growth, technology and risk teams.
• Foster a culture of compliance and ethical conduct throughout the organization.
• Manage ongoing relationships and engagements with key external stakeholders, including our bank partners and auditors.  
• Develop and update Company policies and procedures and ensure they are operationalized.
• Serve as the Company’s Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) Officer, who is responsible for coordinating the development, implementation, and oversight of our BSA Compliance Program (BSA, AML, OFAC, Patriot Act).
• Manage all external compliance audits, including but not limited to: lending audits, BSA/AML audits, accessibility audits, and soc2.
• Oversee the records retention program and develop and implement data access controls to satisfy privacy and data obligations.
• Oversee the vendor management program.
• Build and advise on training programs based on product needs and bank or third party requirements.
• Perform risk reviews of new and existing products and programs; identify appropriate corrective actions and follow-up.
• Partner closely with the infrastructure team on information security controls and testing.
• Review marketing collateral for compliance; manage the change management process (including bank approvals as appropriate).
• Stay abreast of relevant laws, regulations, and supervisory guidance and guide in the establishment of controls to mitigate emerging or existent risk.
• Educate others on best practices in compliance. 

Requirements

• At least 6 years of experience as a compliance professional with most of that time at a fast-growing fintech. 
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or relevant certification (e.g., CRCM, CAMS, CRP) preferred.
• Proven track record of developing and scaling a CMS program and developing practical, creative solutions that meet business needs. 
• Experience working with bank partners and navigating bank vendor management processes. 
• Thorough understanding of CIP/KYC/BSA/AML compliance obligations and experience managing a BSA program (ideally as BSA manager).
• Record of leading a compliance team and mentoring and coaching team members to success.
• Subject matter expertise in payments and/or consumer lending strongly preferred. Ideally, expertise should include handling matters involving Truth in Lending Act / Reg Z, Equal Credit Opportunity Act / Reg B, EFTA/Reg E, SCRA, FRCA, GLBA, NACHA, UDAAP, FDCPA, etc.
• Growth mindset and a high-degree of mature self-direction and ability to effectively prioritize work and adapt to change. 
• Finally, communication, collaboration, and flexibility are key. We are team players, and we’re looking for someone we want to be in the trenches with!

Interview Process

• Application Review
• Recruiter Screen
• Hiring Manager Screen
• Virtual Onsite
  
  • Interview I
  • Interview II
  • Interview III
  • Interview IV

• Final Interview with CEO
• References
• Offer

The range of base salary for the position is between $158,300 - $221,600 plus equity, and benefits. Please note that the base salary range is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level and competencies.

Spend a little time on our About Us page and check out our Press page and our blog for more. If you think this might be a fit, we’d love to hear from you!