Compliance Director - Australia
Zodia Custody offers institutional-grade crypto custody services, empowering global institutions to navigate the digital asset landscape simply, safely, and without compromise. They provide secure, institution-ready solutions for all digital asset needs, including custody, staking, and interchange for trading.
Funding
About Zodia Custody
Zodia Custody is an institution-first digital asset custodian, backed by Standard Chartered, Northern Trust, and SBI Holdings. It provides secure, bank-grade custody solutions for digital assets, catering exclusively to institutional investors. Their services include secure cold storage, staking to earn rewards, off-venue settlement through their Interchange network, and a Gateway to a growing ecosystem of trusted services. Zodia Custody is committed to high standards of regulatory compliance, security, and governance, holding SOC 1 and ISO 27001 certifications and various registrations with financial authorities like the UK's FCA. They serve a wide range of clients, including asset managers, banks, crypto natives, enterprises, governments, hedge funds, and private wealth managers, with a global presence in regions like the UK, Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Japan, and the UAE.
Skills
About the Role
You will be the most senior compliance leader in Australia, responsible for overseeing AFSL obligations, leading regulatory engagement, and ensuring the highest standards of governance, financial crime prevention and risk management are met. You'll work directly with senior leadership, regulators and global compliance teams across the UK, Europe and APAC, helping shape regulatory strategy while enabling business growth. You'll act as the Australian Money Laundering Reporting Officer, lead AML, sanctions and financial crime compliance activities, and build a comprehensive bank-grade compliance and risk management framework. You'll also lead local risk committees, prepare reporting for executive leadership and the Board, and drive a strong risk-aware and compliance-focused culture across the business.
Requirements
- Significant compliance leadership experience within an Australian AFSL-licensed financial services organisation
- Demonstrable experience designing, implementing and overseeing compliance frameworks
- Strong working knowledge of ASIC, AUSTRAC and Australian financial services regulation
- Direct experience engaging with regulators and managing regulatory relationships
- Experience in financial crime compliance, including AML, sanctions, KYC, investigations and control development
- Strong risk management and governance expertise
- Exceptional stakeholder management skills, including Board and Executive-level engagement
- The ability to balance strong governance with commercial pragmatism
- Experience within digital assets, crypto, fintech or emerging financial services (desirable)
- Exposure to institutional custody services (desirable)
- Knowledge of blockchain analytics or transaction monitoring technologies (desirable)
- Must reside in Australia and be able to travel to the office in NSW on a weekly basis
Responsibilities
- Act as the Compliance Director for Zodia Custody Australia and help shape regulatory strategy and compliance framework
- Ensure ongoing compliance with AFSL obligations, ASIC requirements, AUSTRAC regulations and Zodia Group standards
- Own and manage relationships with Australian regulators and industry stakeholders
- Provide strategic compliance advice to support business growth, product development and market expansion
- Serve as the Australian Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO)
- Lead AML, sanctions and financial crime compliance activities
- Oversee suspicious matter reporting, transaction reporting and regulatory obligations
- Conduct and oversee blockchain analytics, transaction monitoring and financial crime investigations
- Support the continual enhancement of anti-financial crime controls and frameworks
- Develop and maintain a comprehensive bank-grade compliance and risk management framework
- Lead local risk committees and governance forums
- Prepare risk and compliance reporting for executive leadership and Board stakeholders
- Help ensure compliance with institutional digital asset custody standards
- Provide oversight of key control areas including asset segregation, key management, third-party risk management and operational resilience
- Monitor emerging regulatory developments and industry trends
- Drive a strong risk-aware and compliance-focused culture across the business
- Deliver training, guidance and awareness programmes
- Act as a trusted advisor to leaders and teams across the organisation
Benefits
- Private health care
- Generous Annual Leave
- Life Insurance
- Monthly socials and seasonal celebrations