Cleo
UK Credit Compliance Lead
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UK Credit Compliance Lead
About The Company
About Cleo
At Cleo, we're not just building another fintech app. We're embarking on a mission to fundamentally change humanity's relationship with money. Imagine a world where everyone, regardless of background or income, has access to a hyper-intelligent financial advisor in their pocket. That's the future we're creating.
Cleo is a rare success story: a profitable, fast-growing unicorn with over $300 million in ARR and growing over 2x year-over-year. This isn't just a job; it's a chance to join a team of brilliant, driven individuals who are passionate about making a real difference. We have an exceptionally high bar for talent, seeking individuals who are not only at the top of their field but also embody our culture of collaboration and positive impact.
If you’re driven by complex challenges that push your expertise, the chance to shape something truly transformative, and the potential to share in Cleo’s success as we scale, while growing alongside a company that’s scaling fast, this might be your perfect fit.
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About The Role
We’re hiring a UK Credit Compliance Lead to join Cleo’s Legal, Compliance & Policy team in a pivotal role focused on building and leading our UK new credit products compliance program. This is an opportunity to take ownership for Cleo’s UK regulated products, helping shape the framework, processes, and governance that will support our next phase of growth.
You’ll serve as the credit compliance lead for the UK, acting as a key partner to the business and a trusted subject matter expert on FCA requirements, regulatory obligations, and compliance risk. From maintaining existing authorisation and reporting obligations to supporting new licences and approvals tied to future products, you’ll play a central role in helping Cleo scale responsibly and confidently in the UK market.
This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building from the ground up, thrives in fast-moving fintech environments, and is excited by the chance to create a strong, modern compliance program within an international legal, compliance, and policy function. You’ll have significant ownership, visibility, and the opportunity to help shape both the regulatory strategy and the team around it.
What You’ll Be Doing
Ability to serve as SMF 16 (Compliance) and SMF 17 (AML)
Take ownership over these key responsibilities for UK compliance program, ensuring it is fit for a growing fintech business and aligned to regulatory expectations, business strategy, and product expansion.
Own Compliance For UK Credit And Other Regulated Products
Act as the compliance lead for Cleo’s UK regulated offerings, advising on applicable FCA rules and broader regulatory requirements across the product lifecycle, from design and launch through ongoing oversight and change management.
Manage FCA engagement and regulatory relationships
Serve as a primary point of contact for UK regulatory matters, including interfacing with the FCA, supporting regulatory queries, examinations, and investigations, and ensuring the business is prepared, responsive, and well-documented.
Maintain regulatory authorisations and reporting obligations
Oversee ongoing compliance obligations tied to existing UK authorisations, including regulatory reporting, governance requirements, and internal controls needed to maintain a strong compliance posture.
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Support new licences and regulatory approvals
Partner with Legal, Product, and business stakeholders to support applications for new licences, permissions, and authorisations associated with new products, including credit-related permissions and other regulated activity as needed.
Provide AML and financial crime leadership
Support and help oversee UK AML compliance requirements, including advising on relevant regulations, financial crime controls, and governance.
Partner cross-functionally to embed compliance
Work closely with Legal, Product, Engineering, Operations, and other teams to translate regulatory requirements into practical, scalable processes and controls that enable the business to move quickly while managing risk appropriately.
Drive compliance risk management and issue resolution
Identify, assess, and escalate compliance risks; support investigations and remediation efforts; and help ensure that complaints, regulatory issues, and business changes are managed in a way that protects both customers and the company.
Help shape the future of the function
Contribute to the growth of Cleo’s broader international compliance capabilities, with the opportunity to build processes, improve governance, and manage at least one direct report as the UK program expands.
What We’re Looking For
Must-Have
Significant compliance experience within UK financial services, ideally in a fintech or other fast-paced regulated environment. Ability to serve as SMF 16 and SMF 17 for UK Cleo. Strong working knowledge of the FCA regulatory framework and experience supporting or leading compliance for UK regulated products. Hands-on experience maintaining regulatory authorisations, managing FCA reporting obligations, and supporting ongoing regulatory compliance requirements. Experience working directly with the FCA during regulatory reviews, examinations, investigations, or other supervisory interactions. Experience supporting or leading applications for new licences, permissions, or authorisations, ideally including consumer credit or related regulated activities. Ability to balance regulatory rigour with commercial pragmatism, providing clear advice that mitigates risk while enabling business objectives. Strong judgment, ownership, and communication skills, with the ability to operate independently and influence senior cross-functional stakeholders. Experience building or maturing compliance programs, frameworks, policies, and controls in a scaling business.
Nice-to-Have
Prior experience as SMF 16 and SMF 17 or in deputy role with direct relevant experience in supporting these roles at prior firms. Experience in a startup or high-growth fintech environment. Experience building a compliance program or function with a high degree of autonomy. Strong knowledge of AML and financial crime compliance requirements, with experience serving as an MLRO or operating in a comparable senior AML-focused compliance role. Prior people management experience, or readiness to lead and develop at least one team member. Familiarity with product development processes and advising on compliance considerations for new products and features. Relevant compliance certifications or professional qualifications in compliance, AML, or financial crime.
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What do you get for all your hard work?
A competitive compensation package (base + equity) with bi-annual reviews, aligned to our quarterly OKR planning cycles. Work at one of the fastest-growing tech startups, backed by top VC firms, Balderton & EQT Ventures A clear progression plan. We want you to keep growing. That means trying new things, leading others, challenging the status quo and owning your impact. Always with our complete support. Flexibility. We can’t fight for the world’s financial health if we’re not healthy ourselves. We work with everyone to make sure they have the balance they need to do their best work Work where you work best. We’re a globally distributed team. If you live in London we have a hybrid approach, we’d love you to spend one day a week or more in our beautiful office. If you’re outside of London, we’ll encourage you to spend a couple of days with us a few times per year. And we’ll cover your travel costs, naturally.
Other Benefits
Company-wide performance reviews every 6 months Generous pay increases for high-performing team members Equity top-ups for team members getting promoted 25 days annual leave a year + public holidays (+ an additional day for every year you spend at Cleo, up to 30 days) 6% employer-matched pension in the UK Private Medical Insurance via Vitality, dental cover, and life assurance Enhanced parental leave 1 month paid sabbatical after 4 years at Cleo Regular socials and activities, online and in-person We'll pay for your OpenAI subscription Online mental health support via Spill Workplace Nursery Scheme And many more!
Welcoming Everyone
We strongly encourage applications from people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, parents, carers, and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
If there’s anything we can do to accommodate your specific situation, please let us know.
Download the Test Flight
App access for people in the UK & Europe: If you are an iOS user, please use this link to sign up to our TestFlight version of the app, so you can have a play around with the functionality and features: https://testflight.apple.com/join/fDG9hWng
Join the waitlist to get early access to the UK app: https://web.meetcleo.com/uk
Compensation Range
United Kingdom: £116k - £145k gross annually
Final compensation will be determined based on experience.
By submitting this application, I confirm that all the information given by me in this application for employment and any additional documents attached hereto are true to the best of my knowledge and that I have not wilfully suppressed any material fact. I confirm I have disclosed if applicable any previous employment with Cleo AI. I accept that if any of the information given by me in this application is in any way false or incorrect, my application may be rejected, any offer of employment may be withdrawn or my employment with Cleo AI may be terminated summarily or I may be dismissed. By submitting this application, I agree that my personal data will be processed in accordance with Cleo AI's Candidate Privacy Notice
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