Regulatory Licensing and Affairs Team Lead - North America

This is Adyen

Adyen provides payments, data, and financial products in a single solution for customers like Meta, Uber, H&M, and Microsoft - making us the financial technology platform of choice. At Adyen, everything we do is engineered for ambition. 

For our teams, we create an environment with opportunities for our people to succeed, backed by the culture and support to ensure they are enabled to truly own their careers. We are motivated individuals who tackle unique technical challenges at scale and solve them as a team. Together, we deliver innovative and ethical solutions that help businesses achieve their ambitions faster.

The role Adyen’s growth in North America is anchored by our commitment to maintaining a robust and transparent relationship with our regulators. In the US, we operate with a federal banking presence under the primary oversight of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). In Canada, we continue to scale our footprint as a registered entity, navigating an evolving landscape of retail payment and financial service regulations.

We are looking for a Team Lead to lead the Regulatory Licensing and Affairs group for North America. As a senior legal and regulatory leader, you will be the critical link between Adyen’s ambitious regional strategy and our federal regulators in both the US and Canada. You will manage our federal banking presence, oversee the examination lifecycle, and ensure we remain a high-trust partner to the OCC and Canadian authorities like FINTRAC and the Bank of Canada.

What you’ll do

• Lead & Manage the Function: Actively lead and mentor a high-performing group of lawyers and regulatory professionals. You will be responsible for the professional development of the team, fostering a culture of excellence, and ensuring the team is structured to support Adyen's rapid growth.
• Primary Federal Liaison: Act as the lead point of contact for the OCC. You will manage the end-to-end lifecycle of federal examinations, from pre-exam preparation to responding to Supervisory Letters or Matters Requiring Attention (MRAs).
• North American Licensing Portfolio: Oversee the maintenance of our US federal branch license and manage Canadian licensing and registration requirements. You will lead the strategy for any new license applications or regulatory approvals required as Adyen expands.
• Global Strategic Integration: Serve as a key bridge to our global regulatory headquarters in Amsterdam, integrating North American supervisory insights into Adyen’s global regulatory framework and influencing our firm-wide approach to regulatory management.
• Supervisory Management: Ensure all regulatory inquiries, periodic reporting, and document requests are handled with precision. You will prep senior leadership for OCC "continuous supervision" meetings and ensure a unified "Adyen voice" in all external affairs.
• Canadian Regulatory Affairs: Manage our relationship with Canadian regulators, ensuring we stay ahead of requirements under the Retail Payment Activities Act (RPAA) and maintaining our standing as a registered Money Services Business.
• Corrective Action Oversight: Monitor and track the progress of any regulatory commitments or remediation efforts, ensuring they are integrated into the business and closed out on time to meet federal expectations.

Who you are

• Experience & Education: J.D. degree and active membership in at least one U.S. state bar. You have 10+ years of experience in regulatory legal affairs, licensing, or bank supervision.
• People Leadership: You are an experienced manager with a proven track record of leading and developing high-performing legal and regulatory teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Federal Expertise: You have a profound understanding of the OCC’s Comptroller’s Handbook and "Safety and Soundness" standards. You are also familiar with the Canadian AML/ATF framework and emerging retail payment oversight.
• Diplomacy & Advocacy: You are a skilled diplomat. You know how to build high-trust relationships with federal examiners while effectively advocating for Adyen’s technical and commercial model.
• Global Mindset: You are excited to work in a highly international environment, collaborating with global counterparts to ensure North American regulatory standards are reflected in Adyen’s worldwide operational strategy.
• Communication: You can distill complex supervisory feedback and legal requirements into clear, actionable guidance for internal stakeholders, ranging from the global Second Line, to engineers, to the Management Board in Amsterdam.

The annual base salary range for this role is $160,000 - $300,000 in New York and San Francisco; to learn more about our compensation philosophy, please click here.

Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion commitments 

Our unique approach is a product of our diverse perspectives. This diversity of backgrounds and cultures is essential in helping us maintain our momentum. Our business and technical challenges are unique, and we need as many different voices as possible to join us in solving them - voices like yours. No matter who you are or where you’re from, we welcome you to be your true self at Adyen. 

Studies show that women and members of underrepresented communities apply for jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Does this sound like you? If so, Adyen encourages you to reconsider and apply. We look forward to your application!

What’s next?

Ensuring a smooth and enjoyable candidate experience is critical for us. We aim to get back to you regarding your application within 5 business days. Our interview process tends to take about 4 weeks to complete, but may fluctuate depending on the role. Learn more about our hiring process here. Don’t be afraid to let us know if you need more flexibility.

Adyen is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, marital status or any legally protected status.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

This role is based out of our San Francisco or New York office. We are an office-first company and value in-person collaboration; we do not offer remote-only roles.