Head of Global CDD & KYC Operations

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.

Global Head of CDD & KYC

As Global Head of CDD & KYC, you will manage a global department of 130+ professionals, overseeing the teams focused on the Onboarding & Periodic Reviews of our direct customer, indirect-customers and franchisees. The department operates within a regionalized reporting structure (EMEA, APAC, Americas), with teams located in Amsterdam, Madrid, Singapore, Bangalore, Chicago, San Francisco and Sao Paulo. This is a senior leadership role requiring a seasoned blend of commercial savvy and technical compliance expertise.

What you’ll do

• Global Leadership: Lead and scale a 130+ person global CDD/KYC department across all regional reporting structures (EMEA, APAC, Americas) and offices (e.g., Amsterdam, Singapore, Chicago).

• Strategic Vision: Define, champion, and execute the global CDD/KYC strategy, ensuring alignment with the company's aggressive, hyper-growth commercial objectives.

• Operational Oversight: Govern the efficiency and quality of all Customer Onboarding and Periodic Review operations for all critical segments: direct customers, indirect-customers, and franchisees.

• Technology & Automation: Partner closely with Product and Engineering teams to drive the automation and optimization of the CDD/KYC tech stack, enhancing operational speed and data integrity.

• Commercial Acumen: Champion a "Compliance-as-a-Business-Enabler" mindset, ensuring regulatory rigor while optimizing for a seamless and high-converting customer onboarding experience.

• Talent Strategy: Own the global talent acquisition, development, and organizational design roadmap for the function, ensuring strong leadership depth across all key operating hubs.

• Standardization & Consistency: Enforce global standardization and consistency of all CDD/KYC standards, controls, and operating procedures across all international offices.

Who You Are:

• You have extensive experience (6y+) in managing global teams within payments or banking with the size of >100

• You have ideally had previous experience with CDD or Operational Risk teams.

• Proven track record of leveraging technology and operational design to scale global functions without linear headcount increases.

• You are passionate and driven about building a high-performing and motivated team, and mentoring and encouraging team members to continuously develop and grow.

• You have strong communication skills, excellent verbal and written English.

• You must be willing to travel internationally when required.

Compensation

We offer a competitive compensation package that includes both a base salary and equity in the form of RSUs. Base salary ranges are location-dependent:

The annual base salary range for this role in Chicago is: $210,000 to $280,000 plus RSU's; to learn more about our compensation philosophy, please click here. We offer support for candidates relocating for this position.

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

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.

This role is based out of our Amsterdam or Chicago office. We offer relocation for this position. We are an office-first company and value in-person collaboration; we do not offer remote-only roles.