Compliance Lead, Payments Compliance & Licensing Program

As Shopify expands its financial products and services, we're developing our compliance program to support our US money transmission licenses (MTLs). We hold MTLs in multiple states and are working through the next wave of licenses. We seek a Compliance Lead to build out this program to ensure we remain in good standing with regulators and financial partners, as well as contribute more broadly across our wider compliance work.

In this role, you'll be the owner of several components of our MTL compliance program. You'll engage directly with state regulators during licensing, examinations, and ongoing supervision; build relationships across the regulatory community; and represent Shopify at industry forums. You'll also pitch in across other parts of our compliance program - sanctions, AML/KYC, lending compliance, and policy work - depending on our product roadmap and prioritization.

We're not looking for someone who specializes in only one area of compliance. The ideal candidate has spent meaningful time in financial services compliance, has real exposure to regulators (exams, presentations, conferences, formal correspondence), and is comfortable advocating for Shopify as we continue to obtain licenses and grow our products. You think like a builder, you're energized by AI as a force multiplier, and you genuinely enjoy the variety that comes with working at a company expanding fast into new regulated spaces.

Within the Shopify Legal Team, the Compliance Team ensures that Shopify meets its regulatory and contractual commitments while staying agile enough to support growth and innovation. Our team's mission is to design and enforce policies and procedures that keep Shopify compliant with applicable laws so our merchants, partners, and third parties can trust us.

Direct experience with NMLS system

Presented at ACAMS or attended MTRA or NMLS conferences

Acted as primary point of contact during state examinations (any program size)

Used AI tools (Claude, GPT, etc.) to automate compliance workflows - call reports, investigations, regulator responses, policy drafting

Operated inside a high-growth fintech or tech company expanding into regulated financial services

Opportunity is not evenly distributed. Shopify puts independence within reach for anyone with a dream to start a business. We propel entrepreneurs and enterprises to scale the heights of their potential. Since 2006, we’ve grown to over 8,300 employees and generated over $1 trillion in sales for millions of merchants in 175 countries.

This is life-defining work that directly impacts people’s lives as much as it transforms your own. This is putting the power of the few in the hands of the many, is a future with more voices rather than fewer, and is creating more choices instead of an elite option.

Moving at our pace brings a lot of change, complexity, and ambiguity—and a little bit of chaos. Shopifolk thrive on that and are comfortable being uncomfortable. That means Shopify is not the right place for everyone.

Before you apply, consider if you can:

Care deeply about what you do and about making commerce better for everyone

Excel by seeking professional and personal hypergrowth

Keep up with an unrelenting pace (the week, not the quarter)

Be resilient and resourceful in face of ambiguity and thrive on (rather than endure) change

Bring critical thought and opinion

Put AI agents and tools to work on the tasks they're built for, and focus on the work only humans can do

Embrace differences and disagreement to get shit done and move forward

Work digital-first for your daily work

We may use AI-enabled tools to screen, select, and assess applications. All AI outputs are reviewed and validated by our recruitment team.