Lead Compliance Manager

About the Role:

Motive’s Financial Products team operates a fast-growing commercial lending and spend management program (Motive Card) built on partnerships with issuing banks and card networks. The program already spans the US & Canada with further international expansion planned. We’re hiring a Lead  Compliance Manager to build and own the compliance function for this business end-to-end — from policy development through hands-on execution — as it scales into new products, segments, and markets.

Reporting to the Head of Risk, Financial Products, you will be the senior-most dedicated owner of AML/BSA, sanctions, KYC/KYB, and lending-compliance programs that today are stitched together across Product, Legal, Risk Ops, and Engineering. You will manage the compliance relationship with our issuing bank and network partners across every market we operate in, translate regulatory requirements into policy and control design, and ensure those controls actually operate — not just exist on paper — across a multi-geography, multi-partner program. As Motive enters new markets, you will define what compliance needs to look like there before launch, not after.

What You'll Do:

Own and maintain Motive’s AML/BSA, Sanctions, and KYC/KYB policies and procedures across all markets where Motive operates — today the US & Canada, with more markets on the roadmap — keeping them current with local regulatory requirements and issuing bank/network requirements

Design, implement, and monitor controls for sanctions and PEP screening, transaction monitoring, and suspicious activity escalation, including named Compliance Officer/Designee responsibilities where required by regulation or bank partners

Serve as the primary compliance point of contact and relationship owner for issuing bank and card network partners in each market, including compliance reviews, exams, audits, and remediation commitments

Partner with Risk, Legal, Underwriting, Product, and Engineering to embed lending-compliance requirements into new products and markets before launch

Lead internal and third-party compliance audits and exams, driving findings to closure and maintaining audit-ready documentation and evidence across all jurisdictions

Monitor regulatory developments across commercial lending, AML/sanctions, and payments in each market Motive operates or plans to enter, and translate them into actionable policy and control updates

Build and run the governance structure for the compliance program — reporting, escalation paths, risk committees — giving leadership clear visibility into program health, and establish the playbook for evaluating compliance requirements ahead of entry into any new market

Build out the compliance function as it scales, including hiring and managing future team members as scope grows

What We're Looking For:

8+ years of experience in compliance, audit, or risk management within lending, payments, or financial services, including direct ownership of AML/BSA, KYC/KYB, sanctions, and PEP programs

Hands-on experience managing compliance relationships with issuing banks, card networks, or other regulated financial partners, including audits and remediation

Multi-jurisdiction compliance program experience, including Canada and UK/EU required; additional international experience (e.g., Mexico or other Latin American markets) a strong plus

Working knowledge of the regulatory frameworks governing commercial lending, AML/sanctions, and payments across North America and Europe (e.g., BSA, FinCEN, FINTRAC/PCMLTFA, OFAC sanctions, UK/EU AML and data protection regimes)

Proven ability to both write policy and operationalize it — building controls, procedures, and monitoring that hold up under audit, not just documentation

Experience partnering cross-functionally with Legal, Risk, Product, and Engineering to launch compliant products in new markets

Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to represent Motive credibly to external regulators, auditors, and bank partners, and to advise senior leadership on compliance risk

Pay Transparency

Your compensation may be based on several factors, including education, work experience, and certifications. For certain roles, total compensation may include restricted stock units. Motive offers benefits including health, pharmacy, optical and dental care benefits, paid time off, sick time off, short term and long term disability coverage, life insurance as well as 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). Learn more about our benefits by visiting Motive Perks & Benefits.

The compensation range for this position will depend on where you reside. Motive uses three geographic zones to determine pay range. For this role, the compensation ranges are:

San Francisco, California

$163,000—$225,000 USD

U.S. metropolitan areas: Los Angeles, San Diego, New York City Area, Seattle, Washington D.C.

$142,000—$195,000 USD

Other locations in the United States

$142,000—$195,000 USD