Our Purpose
Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re helping build a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.
Title and Summary
Manager, Legal Compliance – Crypto
Job Title
Manager, Legal Compliance - Crypto, Mastercard Transaction Services (MTS)
Overview
At Mastercard, we are committed to protecting our network and solutions from being used to facilitate money laundering and terrorist financing. The Manager, Legal Compliance - Crypto, will report to the Director, Legal Compliance MTS. MTS is an enterprise asset within Mastercard’s Commercial and New Payment Flows organization that provides compliance services to both regulated and non-regulated payment flows.
Role Description
The Manager, Legal Compliance – Crypto is responsible for overseeing a team that performs day-to-day Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Sanctions, crypto onboarding due diligence compliance processes, and ongoing monitoring of Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) and other parties engaged in crypto services. This role also conducts thorough investigations for crypto-related programs and customers, in alignment with regulatory requirements and industry best practices.
The manager will lead a team of compliance analysts, providing guidance, mentorship, and support to ensure high-quality due diligence and investigative work. The role requires close collaboration with internal stakeholders, including legal, risk, technology, and product teams, to maintain a strong compliance framework and adapt to the rapidly evolving crypto regulatory landscape.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of compliance analysts, fostering a culture of integrity, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Set clear performance objectives, conduct regular evaluations, and provide ongoing coaching and professional development opportunities.
• Allocate resources effectively to ensure timely completion of compliance tasks and investigations.
• Oversee the execution of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Sanctions compliance processes, including onboarding, enhanced due diligence, transaction monitoring, and investigations for Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) and other crypto-related products and services including but not limited to:
o Crypto card programs
o Crypto credentials
o Multi-token networks
o Stablecoins
o Crypto cobranded partnerships
• Provide strategic input to enhance the crypto compliance framework, controls, and risk management processes.
• Draft, review, and update policies and procedures to ensure alignment with evolving regulatory requirements and industry best practices.
• Serve as a subject matter expert, advising internal compliance teams and business units on crypto-related risks, including on-chain and off-chain due diligence, analytics, customer onboarding, and transaction monitoring.
• Respond to complex queries and provide guidance on the use of commercial and open source blockchain analytics tools.
• Support the Director and BSA Officer in preparing for and responding to regulatory examinations, audits, and inquiries.
• Monitor and ensure adherence to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for due diligence, onboarding, ongoing monitoring, prospect screening, and reconciliation activities.
• Lead and oversee proactive and reactive investigations utilizing blockchain analytics and traditional AML/Sanctions vendor tools.
• Ensure thorough and timely resolution of compliance alerts and cases.
• Stay abreast of regulatory developments, industry trends, and emerging risks in the crypto and financial services sectors.
• Share relevant insights and best practices with the broader compliance and business teams to promote organizational awareness and preparedness.
• Collaborate with technology, product, legal, and risk management teams to ensure compliance requirements are integrated into new and existing crypto products and services.
• Participate in cross-functional projects and initiatives to enhance the organization’s compliance posture.
• Develop and maintain key compliance metrics and reporting dashboards for senior management.
• Provide regular updates on team performance, compliance risks, and remediation activities.
• Develop and deliver training programs to enhance crypto compliance awareness across the organization.
• Coordinate with relevant teams to manage and respond to compliance-related incidents, including potential breaches or suspicious activities.
• Support with the selection and management of third-party compliance vendors and tools, ensuring they meet organizational standards and regulatory requirements.
• Conduct periodic risk assessments of crypto-related activities and recommend mitigation strategies.
All About You
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field (e.g., Finance, Law, Business) or equivalent professional experience in a manager-level crypto compliance or risk management role within the financial services or payments industry.
• Minimum of 3 years of progressive, full-time experience in crypto compliance and investigations, including Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Know Your Customer (KYC), Sanctions, transaction monitoring, and investigative functions.
• At least 2 years of experience delivering training and education on crypto compliance topics, including typologies, tools, and risks, as well as developing and presenting case studies and research to diverse, global audiences.
• In-depth knowledge of AML, Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), USA PATRIOT Act, and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) controls and regulatory requirements.
• Professional certifications such as ACAMS (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist), CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner), and blockchain analytics certifications are required.
• Advanced expertise in cryptocurrency investigations and open-source intelligence (OSINT), with familiarity in leading crypto compliance tools (e.g., Elliptic, Crystal), including a clear understanding of their strengths and limitations.
• Proficient in advanced tracing techniques for cryptocurrency transactions.
• Experience managing and developing high-performing compliance teams, including setting objectives, providing feedback, and supporting professional growth.
• Proven ability to design and implement compliance frameworks and controls tailored to crypto assets and virtual asset service providers (VASPs).
• Experience collaborating with technology, legal, and product teams to integrate compliance requirements into business processes and new product launches.
• Professional certifications in wallet screening or transaction monitoring—especially with Elliptic—are highly valued. Equivalent credentials from other blockchain analytics platforms, such as Chainalysis or TRM Labs, will also be considered.
• Work Arrangement: This role follows a hybrid schedule, requiring on-site presence three days per week to foster collaboration and team alignment.
Corporate Security Responsibility
All activities involving access to Mastercard assets, information, and networks comes with an inherent risk to the organization and, therefore, it is expected that every person working for, or on behalf of, Mastercard is responsible for information security and must:
Abide by Mastercard’s security policies and practices;
Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information being accessed;
Report any suspected information security violation or breach, and
Complete all periodic mandatory security trainings in accordance with Mastercard’s guidelines.