Lead KYC Analyst, Specialized Diligence, APAC

Lead KYC Analyst, Specialized Diligence, APAC

Circle is committed to visibility and stability in everything we do. As we grow as an organization, we're expanding into some of the world's strongest jurisdictions. Speed and efficiency are motivators for our success and our employees live by our company values: High Integrity, Future Forward, Multistakeholder, Mindful, and Driven by Excellence. We have built a flexible work environment where new ideas are encouraged and everyone is a stakeholder.

Circle is looking for a Lead KYC Analyst, Specialized Diligence, APAC to join its Compliance Operations team and support complex customer onboarding, enhanced due diligence, and ongoing periodic reviews. In this role, you will conduct in-depth customer investigations, assess financial crime risk, and help ensure the safety and integrity of Circle’s platform. You will work across innovative products, customers, and markets while partnering with internal stakeholders to identify risk, document findings, and recommend appropriate risk-based business actions.

What you’ll work on

• Conduct enhanced due diligence reviews for complex customers, including negative news, ownership, source of funds, and nature-of-business analysis.
• Monitor customer relationships through periodic reviews, counterparty compliance calls, transaction activity assessments, and customer file testing.
• Partner with business teams and control functions to assess customer risk and support compliance with regulatory expectations.
• Recommend risk-based onboarding, rejection, escalation, or ongoing monitoring actions based on investigative findings.
• Prepare clear written reports with detailed narratives, supporting documentation, and actionable recommendations.
• Maintain high documentation and quality standards across onboarding, enhanced diligence, and periodic review processes.
• Track regulatory, compliance, and enforcement developments in the digital asset industry to help keep KYC processes current.

What you’ll bring to Circle

Core Requirements

• 7+ years of relevant AML, KYC, enhanced due diligence, or financial crimes compliance experience for corporate customers.
• 2+ years of experience in crypto, blockchain, digital assets, or related financial technology environments.
• Strong investigative, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to structure ambiguous issues and synthesize insights.
• Experience assessing complex customer risk, including money laundering, terrorist financing, sanctions, negative news, and business model risks.
• Proven ability to collaborate cross-functionally with business teams, compliance, legal, risk, and other internal stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present findings clearly to internal and external audiences.

Preferred Requirements

• B.A./B.S. degree; quantitative, technical, legal, finance, or related discipline preferred.
• CAMS, CFCS, CFE, or similar financial crimes certification.
• Familiarity with generative AI tools, prompt development, Slack, Apple macOS, and Google Workspace.

Circle is on a mission to create an inclusive financial future, with transparency at our core. We consider a wide variety of elements when crafting our compensation ranges and total compensation packages. Starting pay is determined by various factors, including but not limited to: relevant experience, skill set, qualifications, and other business and organizational needs. Please note that compensation ranges may differ for candidates in other locations.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, or any other protected status required by the laws in the locations where we hire. Circle participates in the E-Verify Program in certain locations, as required by law.