Compliance Lead

Team Overview

Within the Shopify Legal Team, the Compliance Team ensures that Shopify meets its regulatory and contractual commitments while staying agile enough to support growth and innovation. Our team's mission is to design and enforce policies and procedures that keep Shopify compliant with applicable laws so our merchants, partners, and third parties can trust us.

As Shopify continues to expand its suite of financial products and services we're scaling our Compliance Program to match increased obligations. We're strengthening our program across lending compliance, AML / BSA, and other areas, all in service of making commerce better for everyone.

Role Overview

Our Compliance team is looking for a curious, organized, and detail-oriented Compliance Lead to join the team, working within 2 hours of the Central Time Zone. In this role, you will serve as the primary compliance point of contact for Shopify's most strategic financial partner relationships. Keeping our partners satisfied requires running a rigorous, well-executed compliance program and the communication skills to manage those relationships directly. This role requires excellent program execution and external partner management - and we need someone who's genuinely strong at both.

Our goal is well-defined: we’re building a smarter, more automated, AI-first Compliance Program. You will be responsible for achieving this, while also supporting teammates striving for the same.

Our ideal candidate has deep experience in financial services compliance (bonus if lending compliance and/or at a FinTech), great instincts, strong program management skills, has working experience leveraging AI to automate workflow, and knows how to execute effectively at speed.

What You’ll Do

• Serve as the primary compliance point of contact for Shopify's key banking partner relationships, managing obligations, responding to audit requests, and maintaining strong, trust-based partnerships

• Lead and execute core Compliance Program activities: testing & monitoring, reporting, AML/BSA and lending compliance, risk assessments, and audits

• Develop and maintain playbooks, policies, and other resources to support our compliance, sanctions, and AML programs across various products

• Lead projects that improve program efficiency and reduce compliance risk across our products and processes, using an AI-first approach

• Partner cross-functionally with product, legal, engineering, and operations to advise on compliance risks and support new product launches

• Provide support to team members supporting other financial partners and products

• Identify and clearly escalate program gaps, regulatory changes, and vulnerabilities - early and with solutions in hand

Qualifications

• Deep experience building, executing, and/or optimizing compliance programs, ideally in a FinTech or tech environment

• Demonstrated experience managing external relationships with financial partners, regulators, or auditors - not just running an internal program

• Strong working knowledge of AML, KYC, and sanctions compliance frameworks

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills - you can represent Shopify clearly and confidently to external parties

• Strong time management and prioritization skills - you thrive managing multiple workstreams with competing deadlines

• A creative, data-driven approach to problem-solving with strong analytical skills

Nice to Have

• Experience with lending and consumer protection compliance (e.g., UDAAP, ECOA, fair lending regulations)

• Hands-on experience building or deploying AI or automation tools to improve compliance workflows - not just familiarity with the concept

• Data management skills (SQL, Google Sheets, Excel)

About the discipline

Legal at Shopify

Every discipline at Shopify works close to real merchant problems. You'll join a team that owns meaningful scope, ships to a high bar, and helps millions of entrepreneurs start, run, and scale their businesses.

Growth and rewards

Mastery-matched compensation.

~Mastery

At Shopify, getting better at your craft and increasing your impact is how you grow. Twice a year, we assess both in our ~Mastery cycle, Shopify’s performance review. Achieving higher ~Mastery is a promotion, and when you earn a promotion your total rewards grow with it. Crafter and manager are equal paths, so you can pursue excellence in the craft you’re best at.

Total Rewards

With Flex Comp, your Rewards Wallet gives you agency over your compensation mix. Adjust your mix of cash, restricted share units, and stock options (including programs like Long-Term Equity)* to where it makes sense for you, and mix it up anytime as life and priorities change. Buying a house? Want more skin in the game? Just experimenting? It’s your call.

• Flex Comp program offerings vary based on location, role, and employment type. Full details are set out in our Terms & Conditions and related plan documents.

Built for real life

Room for the rest of your life.

Flexible work, remote by design

A flexible vacation policy means most Shopifolk can take the vacation days they feel they need to recharge.

If a change of everyday scenery is more your jam, Destination 90 means you can work from (almost) anywhere in the world for 90 days of the year.

Your setup

Your battlestation is your home base. Request the desk, chair, and AV gear you need to get shit done.

Benefits

• You need ‘em, we’ve got ‘em. Our health and welfare benefits may include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance depending on your country. If you’re in a country without a package, you'll receive a monthly allowance. We also offer mental health support for you and your dependents, including immediate and confidential services like counseling and coaching sessions.

Family support

We offer fertility benefits globally, along with paid parental leave to welcome a new family member.