Compliance Manager UK (f/m/d)

Upvest is on a mission to make investing as easy as spending money. The company empowers businesses to offer a wide range of investment products and the best experience in the field of capital market investment and retirement planning. Upvest's Investment API is easy to integrate so that fintechs and enterprises alike can save resources and fully focus on their core business.
Upvest is one of the few fintechs in Europe that can provide its B2B clients with the full range of investment opportunities in the areas of principal broking business, proprietary trading, and safe custody business for traditional securities. The company was founded in 2017 by Martin Kassing and currently employs more than 200 people across Europe. Its latest €100m fundraising round (Series C) was led by Hedosophia and Sapphire Venture, with continued support from existing investors including Bessemer Venture Partners, BlackRock, Earlybird, HV Capital, Motive Ventures, and Notion Capital.

With the FCA licence granted in October 2024, and go-live with our first clients scheduled for the upcoming months, we are looking for an individual to build and manage the Compliance and AML-related activities for our UK business, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and industry best practices.

This position is based in the UK (hybrid), with some travel expected to the Upvest office in London and Berlin.

Your mission:

• Partner with Upvest teams to drive a successful UK launch, uniting fast growth and compliance for both, Upvest and our clients
• Building an easily accessible investment product with regulatory excellence reaching 100m end users
• Establish and scale Upvest's UK Compliance and AML function from the ground up, working closely with the General Counsel and executive directors.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and iImplement the Upvest UK compliance strategy including but not limited to the framework, policies and procedure and in-house controls to ensure adherence to the FCA rules and related legislation
• Implement the AML strategy ensuring AML procedures and controls align with regulatory obligations and expectations
• Manage Suspicious Activity Reports, provide AML guidance & training, and maintain oversight of financial crime risks, including fraud and bribery
• Maintain compliant KYB/KYC processes on Clients and suppliers, and perform risk analysis at regular intervals and on an ad hoc basis. Establish compliance monitoring programmes and reporting
• Ensure that conflicts of interest are prevented or that unavoidable conflicts of interest are adequately taken into account and managed appropriately
• Oversee the Firm's compliance with the Consumer Duty and Outsourcing regulations
• Work in close cooperation with the Growth, Product and Operations departments to ensure compliance with internal standards and regulations, taking an active part in all new product processes
• Engage with senior management, and external parties (e.g. FCA, auditors) to maintain effective communication and compliance alignment
• Create and maintain written policies and procedures to meet changing regulatory and business requirements, particularly by keeping abreast of legal and regulatory developments in the fintech space
• Conduct and maintain regular training and foster a compliance focused culture.
• Enhance and drive the Firm's compliance monitoring plan

About you:

• At least 4+ years of experience in an investment firm regulated by the FCA, Big 4 audit or equivalent experience, covering functions related to securities trading Compliance and Financial Crime
• Hands-on mindset with the ability to build the Compliance and AML function
• Passion about the future of fintech and desire to drive it from a front-row seat
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally with senior leadership
• Excellent communication skills and a pragmatic, solution-oriented approach to compliance in a fast-paced, high-growth environment
• Demonstrable knowledge of UK regulations applicable to an investment firm, such as the FCA's rules including COBS, SYSC, Consumer Duty and CASS as well as UK financial crime law such as POCA 2002 and the MLRs
• Experience as SMF16 (Compliance Oversight) and/or SMF17 (Money Laundering Reporting Officer) under the FCA regime is a plus
• Passion about the future of fintech and desire to drive it from a front-row seat

Why Upvest?

• We're working on solving a hard problem: fixing the European securities financial infrastructure that empowers more people to be able to invest. You have the opportunity to contribute to this change.
• We invest in you. From access to a personal coach, development budget and plenty of opportunities to grow in your role.
• We take hiring seriously with a strong focus on keeping a high bar when interviewing (equally important is that we hire decent people, who are passionate about their craft and helping us achieve our shared mission).
• While we're not quite fully-remote, we are committed to being a flexible employer, as we understand you don't have to be in the office to do your best work.
• We live in a culture of empowerment, trust (that we hire the best people and get out of their way) and openness (there's a greater advantage in sharing information than keeping it to ourselves).

Our values:

• Learn and grow. We aim high to shape our future. We give and request honest feedback knowing that we develop together. Progression over Perfection.
• Team first. We make it easy for others. We value our differences and are open to others' opinions. We win and celebrate together! Team over Egos.
• Own the outcome. Whether we win or we lose, we stand together. We are proactive and get the job done. Outcome over Process.
• Tell the story. We always start with the why. We share knowledge to empower others. Transparency over Complexity.

Upvest is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees