Compliance Manager - Crypto, Trade Compliance and Country Risk

As a Compliance Manager for Crypto, Trade Compliance and Country Risk at Global Payments, you lead a comprehensive compliance function across export controls, sanctions, digital assets, and merchant risk. You own multiple interconnected programs that protect one of the biggest names in payments against financial crime, sanctions evasion, trade violations, and emerging cryptocurrency risks.

What you'll do

• Maintain and direct the enterprise Trade Compliance Program, interpreting and operationalizing U.S., UK, EU, and international export control regulations for products, technologies, merchants, and services.
• Assess risks related to dual-use goods, proliferation financing, and sanctions circumvention, and support regulatory examinations, audits, and remediation efforts.
• Own the global Country Risk Program and methodology, conducting geopolitical assessments and evaluating jurisdiction-specific sanctions, AML, corruption, terrorism financing, and trade risks.
• Develop executive-level country risk analyses and recommendations, and provide ongoing advice on emerging sanctions programs and geopolitical developments.
• Lead compliance oversight for digital asset products and partnerships, assessing cryptocurrency exchanges, stablecoin providers, blockchain businesses, custodians, wallet providers, and virtual asset service providers.
• Evaluate compliance with FATF Travel Rule requirements, virtual asset regulations, licensing requirements, and evolving global cryptocurrency frameworks.
• Conduct cryptocurrency-related financial crime investigations, sanctions reviews, and blockchain risk assessments using blockchain analytics and transaction monitoring tools to identify sanctions exposure, illicit finance, terrorist financing risks, fraud, and darknet activity.
• Assess on-chain and off-chain controls including Know Your Customer (KYC), Know Your Transaction (KYT), wallet screening, transaction monitoring, and enhanced due diligence programs.
• Evaluate exposure to sanctioned actors, prohibited jurisdictions, mixers, privacy-enhancing technologies, decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, and peer-to-peer cryptocurrency ecosystems.
• Perform due diligence and ongoing monitoring of digital asset merchants, exchanges, and strategic partners, reviewing governance, licensing, AML controls, blockchain analytics capabilities, and sanctions compliance frameworks.
• Assess risks associated with stablecoins, fiat on-ramp and off-ramp services, self-custody wallets, hosted wallets, tokenized payment solutions, and emerging blockchain technologies.
• Develop risk frameworks and governance standards for digital assets, including onboarding reviews, periodic risk assessments, monitoring requirements, and escalation criteria.
• Partner with blockchain analytics providers and industry stakeholders to enhance cryptocurrency screening, monitoring, investigations, and risk intelligence capabilities.
• Conduct enhanced due diligence on high-risk merchants and strategic partners, reviewing ownership structures, supply chains, payment flows, jurisdictions, and products to evaluate sanctions, export control, AML, fraud, and reputational risks.
• Prepare risk-based approval recommendations and escalation memoranda for senior leadership, and support onboarding, periodic reviews, and remediation activities.
• Monitor emerging regulatory developments and assess business impact, leading enterprise initiatives associated with sanctions, trade compliance, digital assets, and financial crime obligations.
• Develop policies, standards, procedures, and governance materials, and present risk assessments and program updates to executive leadership and governance committees.
• Maintain key performance indicators and quarterly reporting metrics.
• Lead complex sanctions, trade compliance, and financial crime investigations and support regulator inquiries, audits, examinations, and independent reviews.
• Draft regulator-ready responses, risk assessments, and remediation plans, and coordinate corrective actions across business and compliance stakeholders.
• Direct and develop a team of compliance professionals, providing technical guidance across sanctions, country risk, trade compliance, and cryptocurrency compliance.
• Mentor staff and support enterprise training efforts, driving a culture of accountability, risk ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Provide subject matter expertise on cryptocurrency sanctions compliance, blockchain investigations, and emerging digital asset regulatory developments to senior leadership, business stakeholders, and governance committees.

What you bring

• Demonstrated expertise in export control regulations (U.S., UK, EU, and international frameworks) and trade compliance programs.
• Deep knowledge of sanctions programs, country risk assessment methodologies, and geopolitical risk evaluation.
• Strong background in cryptocurrency, digital assets, blockchain technologies, and virtual asset service provider (VASP) compliance.
• Proficiency with blockchain analytics tools, transaction monitoring platforms, and cryptocurrency screening solutions.
• Experience conducting enhanced due diligence, merchant risk reviews, and complex financial crime investigations.
• Ability to develop compliance policies, standards, procedures, and governance frameworks.
• Experience leading and managing compliance teams and providing technical mentorship.
• Proven ability to support regulatory examinations, audits, and remediation efforts, and to communicate risk assessments to executive leadership and governance committees.

What we offer

• Hybrid role requiring 3 days per week in office at either Cincinnati, OH or Manchester, UK locations.
• Note: This role does not offer visa sponsorship or transfer of sponsorship now or in the future.

About Global Payments

Global Payments is one of the biggest names in payments, serving clients worldwide with solutions that shape the future of global commerce. The company builds inclusive, global teams and values curiosity, innovation, and the drive to deliver impact across borders.