Compliance Lead, Catawiki
Online auctioning for special objects
Be an early applicant
Online auctioning for special objects
501-1000 employees
Be an early applicant
501-1000 employees
Company mission
To provide an exciting and seamless experience to customers for buying and selling special, hard-to-find objects.
Role
Who you are
- We are looking for a candidate who combines strategic thinking with hands-on expertise, thrives in fast-paced environments, and is passionate about building robust compliance frameworks that drive business success
- A commercial 'can-do' mindset and the ability to serve as an architect of opportunities within compliance and legal frameworks are crucial to succeed in this role
- A Master’s degree in Law, Compliance, or a related field
- 8+ years of relevant experience in compliance or legal roles, preferably in e-commerce, tech, or platform-based businesses
- Deep knowledge of compliance regulations, including AML, anti-corruption, export controls, sanctions, DSA compliance, consumer protection laws, and product safety
- Proven experience leading compliance programs and navigating complex, cross-jurisdictional regulatory landscapes
- Strong ability to approach compliance from a risk-based perspective, identifying opportunities and solutions to manage risk pragmatically
- Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex topics and influence stakeholders at all levels
- Strong organizational and project management skills, with a focus on operational efficiency and productivity
- A proactive, solution-oriented mindset with a growth-driven attitude
- Fluency in English; additional languages are a plus
What the job involves
- As our Lead Compliance Counsel, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring that Catawiki meets all regulatory requirements and adheres to internal policies, supporting our mission to be a trusted and secure platform for users worldwide
- You will act as a strategic advisor, championing compliance across all levels of the organization while building and overseeing frameworks that mitigate risk and foster a culture of compliance
- This is a highly impactful role that combines compliance strategy, operational leadership, and cross-functional collaboration to support Catawiki’s growth and success
- Flexibility and creative problem-solving will be essential as you identify smarter, faster, and more impactful ways to align legal and compliance operations with business priorities
- Strategic Compliance Leadership:
- Develop and implement Catawiki’s company-wide compliance program, ensuring alignment with applicable laws, regulations, and business objectives
- Monitor and analyze regulatory developments, identifying potential impacts on business operations and proactively advising on necessary adjustments
- Conduct regulatory & compliance risk assessments to understand, prioritize, and mitigate risks in alignment with the company’s risk appetite, with a focus on creative and practical solutions
- Policy Development & Enforcement:
- Create, review, and enforce policies related to key compliance themes, including product regulatory compliance (e.g., CITES, ivory, diamonds, cultural heritage), DSA compliance, consumer protection laws, financial regulations, product safety, and speak-up mechanisms
- Establish mechanisms for detecting, reporting, and addressing compliance violations, ensuring effective remediation and minimal impact
- Training & Awareness:
- Develop and deliver employee training programs to build awareness and understanding of compliance policies and their importance to the company’s goals
- Foster a compliance-driven culture through proactive communication and engagement across departments, emphasizing a pragmatic, hands-on approach
- Cross-Functional Collaboration:
- Act as a strategic partner to management, employees, and other departments, providing guidance on compliance-related matters and ensuring seamless integration of compliance into business operations
- Collaborate with stakeholders to maintain consistency in compliance messaging, terminology, and practices across the organization
- Think outside traditional compliance frameworks to identify innovative, efficient ways to streamline processes and enhance the impact of compliance initiatives
- Coaching and Leadership:
- Inspire, mentor, and develop junior counsels within the team, fostering growth, and ensuring they are equipped to manage complex compliance challenges. This role offers significant opportunities to shape the compliance function, enabling innovative solutions and creating impactful strategies while coaching and empowering team members to take ownership of their development and contributions
- Regulatory Engagement:
- Represent the company in administrative or law enforcement audits, investigations, or litigation, ensuring Catawiki’s interests are protected
- Build relationships with regulatory agencies and participate in public discourse around developments in laws, policies, and enforcement
- Operational Oversight:
- Monitor compliance KPIs and performance metrics, regularly reporting to the Board and leadership on compliance risks and initiatives
- Lead audits and investigations, ensuring all records, strategies, and corrective actions align with legal requirements and best practices
Application process
- Apply directly with an English CV and cover letter by submitting your information at the bottom of this page
Our take
In the past, it was only possible to purchase special items such as rare coins, antiques, and vintage cars at auctions held at physical locations. These days, many people prefer online auctions, but whilst they provide a wider range of objects for sale, this comes at the cost of proper pricing and quality control. Catawiki provides an expert-regulated online auctioning marketplace where users can browse and bid for special objects easily via the web or mobile app.
The objects listed on Catawiki are curated, valued, and verified by in-house experts, with over 65,000 objects passing through the marketplace every week. In this approach, the company has combined the community knowledge found at traditional auctions with the benefits of digital auctioning platforms, occupying a space that has long remained empty, and avoiding competition from bidding marketplace giants such as eBay.
Catawiki has received good funding in the past, which contributed to it becoming the success it is today. A recent venture has seen the company expand to serve artisanal artists with its handmade products auction series.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
2% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 3 rounds)
Dec 2020
$169.6m
GROWTH EQUITY VC
Jul 2015
$84.8m
SERIES C
Total funding: $265.7m
Company benefits
- Regular fun activities both on and offline e.g summer parties, boat rides and regular team events
- Great secondary benefits including a holiday allowance and a fantastic pension plan paid for by Catawiki
- Hybrid ways of working between home and office. We offer remote and activity-based working, suited to the team and individual responsibilities
- We care about our teams’ wellbeing and offer a holistic wellbeing programme including our Employee Assistance Programme offering clinical services, single-session therapy, wellness support and more
- Tailored learning and development opportunities to support your personal and professional growth
- Provide employees with a 100 EURO Catavoucher upon joining and 50 EURO birthday Catavouchers
- Extra days of annual leave for work anniversaries at 3, 5, 8 and 10 years
- Additional leave allowances for important life events such as moving, engagement & marriage
- Each year Catawikians get an additional day’s leave to Pursue their Passion!
Company HQ
Westelijk Havengebied, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Leadership
Marco Jansen
(Co-Founder)Founder and CTO of LastDodo, with experience as Project Manager for ThoughtWorks from 2004 to 2008. Co-founded Catawiki as CTO in 2008.
René Schoenmakers
(Co-Founder)Founder & CEO of LastDodo and of Vipio. Managing Director of Ordina's subsidiaries Wisdom and The Missing Link from 2006 to 2008. Co-founded Catawiki in 2016 as CEO.
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