UK Credit Compliance Lead, Cleo AI

• This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building from the ground up, thrives in fast-moving fintech environments, and is excited by the chance to create a strong, modern compliance program within an international legal, compliance, and policy function
• Significant compliance experience within UK financial services, ideally in a fintech or other fast-paced regulated environment
• Ability to serve as SMF 16 and SMF 17 for UK Cleo
• Strong working knowledge of the FCA regulatory framework and experience supporting or leading compliance for UK regulated products
• Hands-on experience maintaining regulatory authorisations, managing FCA reporting obligations, and supporting ongoing regulatory compliance requirements
• Experience working directly with the FCA during regulatory reviews, examinations, investigations, or other supervisory interactions
• Experience supporting or leading applications for new licences, permissions, or authorisations, ideally including consumer credit or related regulated activities
• Ability to balance regulatory rigour with commercial pragmatism, providing clear advice that mitigates risk while enabling business objectives
• Strong judgment, ownership, and communication skills, with the ability to operate independently and influence senior cross-functional stakeholders
• Experience building or maturing compliance programs, frameworks, policies, and controls in a scaling business

Desirable

• We’re hiring a UK Credit Compliance Lead to join Cleo’s Legal, Compliance & Policy team in a pivotal role focused on building and leading our UK new credit products compliance program
• This is an opportunity to take ownership for Cleo’s UK regulated products, helping shape the framework, processes, and governance that will support our next phase of growth
• You’ll serve as the credit compliance lead for the UK, acting as a key partner to the business and a trusted subject matter expert on FCA requirements, regulatory obligations, and compliance risk
• From maintaining existing authorisation and reporting obligations to supporting new licences and approvals tied to future products, you’ll play a central role in helping Cleo scale responsibly and confidently in the UK market
• You’ll have significant ownership, visibility, and the opportunity to help shape both the regulatory strategy and the team around it
• Ability to serve as SMF 16 (Compliance) and SMF 17 (AML)
• Take ownership over these key responsibilities for UK compliance program, ensuring it is fit for a growing fintech business and aligned to regulatory expectations, business strategy, and product expansion
• Own compliance for UK credit and other regulated products
• Act as the compliance lead for Cleo’s UK regulated offerings, advising on applicable FCA rules and broader regulatory requirements across the product lifecycle, from design and launch through ongoing oversight and change management
• Manage FCA engagement and regulatory relationships
• Serve as a primary point of contact for UK regulatory matters, including interfacing with the FCA, supporting regulatory queries, examinations, and investigations, and ensuring the business is prepared, responsive, and well-documented
• Maintain regulatory authorisations and reporting obligations
• Oversee ongoing compliance obligations tied to existing UK authorisations, including regulatory reporting, governance requirements, and internal controls needed to maintain a strong compliance posture
• Support new licences and regulatory approvals
• Partner with Legal, Product, and business stakeholders to support applications for new licences, permissions, and authorisations associated with new products, including credit-related permissions and other regulated activity as needed
• Provide AML and financial crime leadership
• Support and help oversee UK AML compliance requirements, including advising on relevant regulations, financial crime controls, and governance
• Partner cross-functionally to embed compliance
• Work closely with Legal, Product, Engineering, Operations, and other teams to translate regulatory requirements into practical, scalable processes and controls that enable the business to move quickly while managing risk appropriately
• Drive compliance risk management and issue resolution
• Identify, assess, and escalate compliance risks; support investigations and remediation efforts; and help ensure that complaints, regulatory issues, and business changes are managed in a way that protects both customers and the company
• Help shape the future of the function
• Contribute to the growth of Cleo’s broader international compliance capabilities, with the opportunity to build processes, improve governance, and manage at least one direct report as the UK program expands