License Operations & Strategy Manager
Remote — IrelandFull-timePosted about 2 months ago
Building the Future of Open Finance
Payward - the parent company behind Kraken, NinjaTrader, Breakout, xStocks, Payward Services and CF Benchmarks - has spent the last 15 years building one of the most modern and globally accessible financial infrastructure platforms in the industry, built to advance an open, global financial system.
Before you apply, we encourage you to explore our culture page to understand what drives us and how we work.
The team
Founded in 2011, Kraken is one of the world's longest-standing crypto platforms, trusted by over 10 million individuals and institutions across the globe. It offers spot trading, margin, futures, staking, and OTC services, with products built for both individual investors and institutional clients.
As the global crypto market transforms under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR) and many more regulatory frameworks, Kraken is building the blueprint for how a global exchange scales compliantly — while unlocking new growth across products, markets, and partnerships.
We are seeking a License Operations and Strategy Manager to help steer that evolution — a commercial, strategic operator who can connect regulatory compliance with business opportunity.
The opportunity
Strategic & Commercial Leadership
Partner with the License Operations & Entity leadership team to define and execute Kraken’s license operations strategy — balancing operational excellence with commercial outcomes and product launches.
Build business and operational models that support and maintain new product launches, market entries, and licensing pathways.
Translate regulatory milestones into tangible business opportunities (e.g., new services, expanded client offerings, or passporting advantages).
Identify and evaluate strategic partnerships and outsourcing arrangements that enhance scalability or regulatory efficiency.
Operational & Regulatory Execution
Execute operational model across EU MiCAR, and other Payward/Kraken Legal Entities including product launches, regulatory examinations, MI generation and commercial initiatives.
Drive end-to-end execution of EU MiCAR, and other entities regulatory projects and Product Launches, coordinating across Product, Legal, Risk, Compliance, and Finance.
Identify, deploy, and leverage generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude) to streamline workflows, automate operational processes, and enhance efficiency, decision-making, and scalability across regulatory and commercial initiatives.
Analyze and research developing regulatory regimes and provide strategic recommendations with cross-functional input.
Support regulatory deliverables, submissions, and communications with supervisors.
Support the preparation of Board and Committee materials, including regulatory updates, operational MI, outsourcing oversight reporting, and strategic initiatives for regulated entities.
Coordinate governance cycles across large CBI-regulated entities, ensuring timely escalation, approvals, action tracking, and alignment with Board, Risk, Compliance, and Audit Committee requirements.
Drive effective governance and stakeholder engagement by maintaining governance calendars, supporting Board reporting processes, and ensuring regulatory obligations and decision-making forums operate efficiently across multiple jurisdictions.
Prepare executive and Board-level reporting that translates regulatory, operational, and commercial developments into clear risk, performance, and strategic insights for senior leadership and non-executive directors.
Outsourcing & Third Party Management
Oversee, advise and support all parties in the performance of all ongoing monitoring and periodic reviews of Outsourcing arrangements to include Third Party engagements.
Measure performance of outsourced service providers to agreed SLA, key performance indicators and track on a regular basis and maintain records of these outsourcing oversight activities.
Ensure accurate and timely assessment reports, trend analysis and feedback is provided to the Compliance and Risk Committee.
Assist in ensuring third-party risk management and outsourcing policies and procedures adhere to regulatory standards. Responsible for keeping up to date with changing regulations in relevant jurisdictions and application of knowledge to the role. Coordinate with Compliance, Operational Risk and internal /external audit to meet group and regulatory requirements.
Act as point of contact for outsourcing related queries and provide guidance and training in line with third party management and outsourcing policy, procedures and regulations to the internal clients and stakeholders;
Assess proposed new engagements and maintain records of these outsourcing oversight activities, and participate in client due diligence, RFPs or external third-party provider assessments as required.
Cross-Functional Influence
Act as the central point of integration between regulatory strategy and operational execution.
Lead cross-functional working groups, manage dependencies, and drive visibility across leadership on progress, risks, and opportunities.
Support commercial and product teams in understanding MiCAR constraints and opportunities when designing new offerings.
Deliver strategic updates and performance insights to executives and the board, linking regulatory progress to market positioning.
What you bring
5–8 years in top-tier consulting, strategy, or operations leadership — ideally in financial services, fintech, or crypto.
Proven experience leading complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives with a commercial or regulatory focus.
Understanding of EU regulatory frameworks (EMRs, MiCAR, MiFID II, PSD2, AMLD5/6, DORA, etc.).
Strong grasp of business and financial models — able to quantify how regulatory design impacts revenue, cost, and scalability.
Deep experience in outsourcing oversight, vendor performance, and regulatory submissions.
Exceptional problem-solving, analytical, and executive communication skills.
Commercially astute — connects regulatory compliance with business growth and customer trust.
Operates with a consulting mindset: structured, analytical, and action-oriented.
Thrives in ambiguity and moves quickly from concept to execution.
Collaborative, low-ego, and able to influence senior stakeholders.
Passionate about crypto, innovation, and responsible scaling in regulated environments.
Unless a specific application deadline is stated in the job posting, applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
Please note, applicants are permitted to redact or remove information on their resume that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.
We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment on our team, assessing candidates in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.
Our commitment
Payward is powered by people from around the world and we celebrate the diverse talents, backgrounds, contributions, and unique perspectives that everyone brings to the table. We hire based on merit, seeking out people with the right abilities, knowledge, and skills for the job. We encourage you to apply for roles where you don't fully meet the listed requirements, especially if you're passionate or knowledgeable about crypto.
We may ask candidates to complete job-related skills or work-style assessments as part of our hiring process. These assessments evaluate competencies relevant to the role and are applied consistently across candidates for similar positions. Results are considered alongside experience and interviews, and are not the sole basis for any employment decision.
As an equal opportunity employer, we don't tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind, whether based on race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, citizenship, religion, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.
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