VP, Regulatory Operations - Digital Assets

As Vice President of Regulatory Operations at VanEck, you sit between the company's ambitions to distribute tokenized financial products at scale and the compliance work required to launch them. You coordinate closely with the FinOps principal on broker-dealer operations, own the KYC/AML framework for onchain distribution, and advise the team on where regulation for tokenized securities is heading. Over time, you will qualify for and step into the FinOps principal role for VanEck's new digital asset broker-dealer.

What you'll do

• Work alongside the FinOps principal on day-to-day regulatory compliance and reporting for VanEck's digital asset broker-dealer entity (FINRA, SEC Rules 15c3-1 and 15c3-3), with a path to assuming the FinOps principal role
• Manage the operational buildout of the broker-dealer in coordination with legal, finance, and product, covering supervisory procedures, books and records, and net capital calculations
• Develop and maintain the policies and controls framework specific to the broker-dealer's limited-purpose scope
• Serve as the internal escalation point for broker-dealer related compliance questions across the tokenization team
• Track the digital asset regulatory landscape across the SEC, CFTC, FinCEN, FINRA, OCC, and state regulators (particularly NYDFS), and translate regulatory changes into practical product guidance
• Advise on new product structures and distribution strategies under current rules, flagging constraints and identifying workable paths forward
• Work with legal and product teams on licensing requirements for new geographies, including money transmitter licenses and foreign licenses relevant to APAC and EMEA distribution
• Contribute to internal memos, board materials, and partner presentations requiring regulatory analysis
• Build and own the KYC/AML framework for onchain product distribution, covering investor onboarding through transfer agents, centralized exchange platforms, and fintech distribution partners
• Design controls that function at volume, ensuring KYC/AML infrastructure does not become a bottleneck to mass retail distribution of tokenized products
• Evaluate and implement blockchain analytics tooling for wallet screening, sanctions compliance, and transaction monitoring
• Own the Travel Rule compliance process for onchain transfers and work with transfer agents and custodians on investor identity flows
• Serve as the primary internal resource on BSA/FinCEN obligations, OFAC/sanctions screening, and foreign investor restrictions relevant to VanEck's tokenized product suite
• Partner with Trading and Operations on settlement and custody processes specific to tokenized securities
• Coordinate with transfer agents and onchain data and digital transfer agency providers on investor onboarding, regulatory data flows, and reporting
• Work alongside the Sales/BD team on CeFi and fintech distribution agreements, specifically on compliance representations and structuring requirements embedded in partnership contracts

What you bring

• 8+ years of experience in financial services compliance, regulatory operations, or legal roles, with meaningful exposure to broker-dealer regulation
• Working knowledge of the FinOps function at a registered broker-dealer, whether through direct experience, close support of a FinOps principal, or managing the function
• Strong command of SEC financial responsibility rules (15c3-1, 15c3-3) and FINRA supervisory requirements
• Hands-on knowledge of AML/BSA obligations, KYC program design, and OFAC/sanctions screening in a financial services context
• Experience with digital assets, tokenized securities, or crypto-native financial products, whether at a crypto firm, a TradFi institution with a digital assets unit, or a regulator covering digital assets
• Ability to read regulatory developments and turn them into concrete product and operational guidance, rather than only flagging risk
• CAMS (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist) certification

Nice to have

• Prior experience at a crypto exchange or digital asset custodian, a tokenization or onchain infrastructure platform, or a digital asset-focused asset manager
• Exposure to tokenized fund structures, RWA distribution frameworks, or blockchain-based transfer agency
• Familiarity with international licensing regimes relevant to digital asset distribution (MiCA, MAS, SFC Hong Kong, FCA)
• JD or law degree with a securities or regulatory focus
• Experience advising on or building products in a limited-purpose broker-dealer structure
• Series 27 (FinOps Principal) - not required at hire; the expectation is that you qualify for and assume the role over time
• Series 24 (General Securities Principal) - useful for supervisory authority over the broker-dealer's registered activities as the role expands
• Series 7 or 63 - useful for a broader understanding of the securities regulatory environment
• Series 4 or 53 - relevant if options or municipal securities scope is added later
• CFCS (Certified Financial Crime Specialist) - strong complement to CAMS for crypto-specific financial crime frameworks
• CIPP (Certified Information Privacy Professional) - relevant for handling investor identity data across onchain and CeFi distribution channels

What we offer

• Base salary of $200,000-$250,000 for positions performed in whole or in part in New York City; salaries may vary based on skills, experience, job-related knowledge, and location
• Locations: New York, NY or Tampa, FL

About VanEck

VanEck is building the infrastructure to distribute tokenized financial products at scale. The product suite spans tokenized treasuries, gold, money market funds, and tokenized ETFs.