Chief Compliance Officer

Overview

Cardless is seeking an accomplished and experienced Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) to lead and oversee our Compliance team. This pivotal role ensures our consumer lending and credit card programs adhere to all regulatory requirements, mitigate risk, and operate with the highest level of integrity. The ideal candidate will have approximately 20 years of experience in compliance within the consumer credit industry, with a strong background in credit cards, and experience working in both traditional banking and fintech startup environments. This role reports directly to the CEO.

Key Responsibilities:

Regulatory Compliance Oversight

• Full ownership and responsibility for the Compliance Management System (CMS), ensuring its robustness and effectiveness.

• Develop, implement, and manage a comprehensive compliance program to ensure adherence to all relevant laws and regulations, including those overseen by the FDIC, CFPB, and other regulatory bodies.

• Oversee and manage internal and external regulatory examinations, audits, inquiries, and reviews related to Cardless consumer lending and credit card activities.

• Monitor and report on compliance risks and issues, ensuring timely resolution and implementation of corrective actions.

Regulated partner relationships and reporting

• Serve as the primary liaison with regulated partners, managing relationships and ensuring timely and effective communication.

• Prepare and submit regulatory filings, reports, and responses to examination requests and inquiries.

• Administer and oversee Cardless’ Bank Secrecy Act (BSA)/Anti-Money Laundering (AML)/Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Program.

• Report to and interface with the Board of Directors, providing regular updates on compliance matters, risks, and strategies.

Leadership, team management, and cross-functional collaboration

• Lead, scale, and develop the Compliance team, fostering a culture of compliance and ethical conduct across the organization.

• Partner with product, engineering, marketing, and operations teams to ensure compliance is integrated into all business processes and product development initiatives.

• Provide compliance oversight for advertising and marketing programs, including approval processes and regulatory submissions.

Experience

• Approximately 20 years of experience in compliance within the consumer credit industry (ideally consumer credit cards), with significant experience in a banking environment.

• Experience as a CCO or in a senior compliance role at a fintech startup operating in an FDIC-regulated space (lending or credit cards) is highly desirable.

• Experience working with regulatory agencies such as the FDIC is highly desirable.

• Extensive experience in launching and scaling credit card compliance programs.

• Proven ability to develop and implement compliance programs in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

Required skills

• Deep understanding of consumer lending regulations, including but not limited to the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Regulation Z, Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices (UDAAP), Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA), NACHA rules, CAN-SPAM, TCPA, FDCPA, FACTA, and statutes and laws under the purview of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

• Comprehensive knowledge of the statutes and regulations under the purview of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

• Expertise in handling regulatory matters involving questions related to the aforementioned regulations and other relevant consumer protection laws.

• Strong leadership and team management skills, with a track record of building and leading high-performing compliance teams.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex regulatory concepts to all stakeholders.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field is required; advanced degrees or certifications (e.g., JD, CRCM) are preferred.