Compliance & Regulatory Affairs Director

We are hiring a Compliance & Regulatory Affairs Director to develop and drive Width's regulatory affairs programme across key markets. Reporting directly to the CEO, you will own three core mandates:

• Develop and drive Width's regulatory affairs programme across APAC and MENA.
• Build a Chief Compliance Council — a network of compliance leaders that positions Width as a reliable source of compliance insights, ensuring our products keep pace with evolving compliance expectations.
• Act as a primary source of Compliance and regulatory expertise with internal stakeholders
• This is a foundational hire. The right person will combine regulatory subject-matter expertise with strong relationship-building skills and the ability to translate complex regulatory developments into clear, actionable advice for the business.

Job Description

Regulatory Affairs Programme

• Develop and drive Width's regulatory affairs programme across key markets — APAC (Singapore, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea) and MENA (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain).
• Own Width's relationships with key financial regulators (MAS, ACRA, HKMA, SFC, JFSA, RBI, OJK, SFC, BNM, SAMA, DFSA, VARA, ADGM) — represent Width in regulatory dialogues, sandbox programmes and consultations.
• Monitor regulatory developments in AML/CFT, sanctions, KYC/CDD, transaction monitoring and data protection — translate new rules and consultations into actionable briefs for the CEO, Board and business stakeholders.
• Lead responses to regulator-issued questionnaires, RFIs and supervisory inspections — either directed at Width, via clients, or via channel partners.
• Contribute to Width's market-entry playbooks for new jurisdictions — mapping licensing requirements, regulatory expectations and go-live prerequisites.

Industry Positioning & Partnerships

• Work with sector-specific organisations such as ACAMS, ICA, ABS, ASIFMA, Singapore FinTech Association and equivalents in target markets to position Width as a market leader in RegTech.
• Represent Width at industry events, conferences and panels — contributing to thought leadership and raising Width's profile in the compliance community.
• Participate in industry working groups and standard-setting bodies to stay ahead of market developments and influence industry direction where appropriate.
• Develop partnerships with universities and research institutions on compliance, financial crime and regulatory technology — including guest lectures, joint research and talent pipeline initiatives.

Chief Compliance Council

• Build and operate a Chief Compliance Council — a network of senior compliance leaders from Width's clients and the broader industry — positioning Width as a reliable source of compliance insights and market expectations.
• Use Council intelligence to ensure Width's products keep pace with evolving compliance requirements and expectations across jurisdictions.
• Channel compliance insights from the Council into product, sales and go-to-market teams — closing the loop between what regulators and compliance officers expect and what Width delivers.
• Organise recurring forums, roundtables and briefings that strengthen Width's relationships with senior compliance decision-makers.

Advisory & Stakeholder Communication

• Advise the CEO, Board and business stakeholders on regulatory risks, developments and engagement opportunities.
• Prepare regulatory briefings, board papers and market-entry assessments to support strategic decision-making.
• Support Sales and Customer Success on regulatory matters during enterprise sales cycles — turning compliance expertise into a deal accelerator.

Requirement

1. 8+ years in regulatory affairs, financial-crime compliance, AML/sanctions or supervisory roles — ideally combining time inside a regulator or a bank's compliance function with time at a RegTech, FinTech or specialised consultancy.
2. Demonstrated ability to translate complex regulatory texts into clear guidance for business stakeholders and product teams.
3. Direct experience engaging with regulators, industry associations or academic institutions in the compliance / financial-crime space — consultations, working groups, sandbox programmes or research collaborations.
4. Strong working knowledge of AML, sanctions, KYC/CDD, transaction monitoring and suspicious activity reporting.
5. Exceptional written and verbal communication — able to produce regulator-grade memos, board briefs and client-facing policy notes with minimal oversight.
6. Comfortable as a public-facing voice for the company — confident in regulator meetings, conference panels and client boardrooms.
7. Strong relationship-building skills — comfortable managing external stakeholders across regulators, industry bodies and academia, as well as internal teams (Product, Sales, Legal).
8. Self-directed and comfortable with ambiguity — this is a foundational role in a fast-moving company, not a compliance seat in a large bureaucracy.
9. Proficient in both English and Mandarin (written and spoken). Additional languages (Bahasa, Japanese, Korean) a plus given APAC expansion focus.

Nice to Have

• ACAMS (CAMS), ICA Diploma in Governance, Risk & Compliance, or equivalent professional certification.
• Hands-on experience with FATF mutual evaluations, country MERs or peer reviews.
• Experience with virtual-asset / digital-asset regulatory frameworks (MAS DTSP, HK VASP, MiCA, VARA, Japan JVCEA requirements).
• Familiarity with regulatory technology platforms and how compliance software is evaluated by regulators and clients.
• Track record of contributing to industry working groups (Wolfsberg Group, ABS Compliance, ASIFMA, Global Coalition to Fight Financial Crime, Singapore FinTech Association).
• Experience navigating data-protection regimes (PDPA, PIPL, APPI) in a cross-border SaaS context.