Licence Strategy Manager

Building the Future of Open Finance Payward - the parent company behind Kraken, NinjaTrader, Breakout, xStocks, Payward Services and CF Benchmarks - has spent the last 15 years building one of the most modern and globally accessible financial infrastructure platforms in the industry, built to advance an open, global financial system. The team Founded in 2011, Kraken is one of the world's longest-standing crypto platforms, trusted by over 10 million individuals and institutions across the globe. It offers spot trading, margin, futures, staking, and OTC services, with products built for both individual investors and institutional clients. As the global crypto market transforms under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR) and many more regulatory frameworks, Kraken is building the blueprint for how a global exchange scales compliantly — while unlocking new growth across products, markets, and partnerships. We are seeking a Change Oversight and Strategy Manager to help steer that evolution — a commercial, strategic operator who can connect regulatory compliance with business opportunity. The Change Oversight and Strategy Manager will support the delivery of Kraken’s global licensing, market-entry and product expansion strategy while strengthening technology and operational governance across regulated entities. It will also provide hands-on oversight of system, infrastructure, process and data changes that may affect regulatory or operational control environments. Working across Product, Engineering, Data, Finance, Risk and Compliance, the role will coordinate change assessments, implementation readiness, testing, validation, governance reporting and remediation. The opportunity Change Oversight and Change Management - Support the ongoing development, implementation, and operation of Kraken’s IT General Control (“ITGC”) oversight and technology governance framework across regulated entities and core operational environments. - Partner with Product, Engineering, Data, Finance, Compliance, and operational teams to identify, assess, and manage risks arising from system, infrastructure, process, or data changes impacting regulatory or operational control environments. - Support the operation and continuous enhancement of governance processes relating to: IT general controls; technology change management; operational resilience; implementation readiness; testing and validation; and post-implementation oversight. - Assist in the development and maintenance of policies, procedures, workflows, standards, and governance documentation supporting operational risk management and technology governance activities. - Support the maintenance and refinement of critical systems inventories, regulatory-critical datasets, data dependencies, and associated governance artefacts. - Review and analyse the effectiveness of IT general controls, testing standards, implementation readiness controls, and post-implementation validation processes across operational and regulatory control environments. - Support the execution and review of post-implementation validation activities and assist in the investigation, escalation, and remediation of identified control issues, operational incidents, or reconciliation variances. - Assist in the development and operationalisation of workflow tooling, data governance controls, and technology-enabled oversight processes designed to support scalable governance and operational risk management. - Help develop and implement performance metrics supporting the monitoring, reporting, escalation, and management of technology and operational risks. - Work with second line of defence teams to support the development and maintenance of a consistent framework for identifying, measuring, mitigating, monitoring, and managing technology and operational risks. - Support the embedding of a strong risk culture across operational and technology functions, where effective risk management forms part of day-to-day decision making and operational processes. - Work with Internal Audit, Compliance, Risk, Finance, Engineering, Data, and external assurance providers to support periodic reviews of operational processes and IT general controls, including testing, validation, evidence gathering, and reporting activities. - Assist in the preparation of governance reporting, management information, committee materials, audit evidence, and regulatory submissions relating to technology governance and operational control frameworks. - Support liaison and co-ordination between Kraken’s regulated entities and Group functions in relation to technology change, operational dependencies, governance processes, audit activities, and remediation initiatives. - Support adherence to enterprise risk management frameworks and IT-related policies, standards, and procedures. Strategic & Commercial Leadership - Partner with the License Operations & Entity leadership team to define and execute Kraken’s license operations strategy — balancing operational excellence with commercial outcomes and product launches. - Build business and operational models that support and maintain new product launches, market entries, and licensing pathways. - Translate regulatory milestones into tangible business opportunities (e.g., new services, expanded client offerings, or passporting advantages). - Identify and evaluate strategic partnerships and outsourcing arrangements that enhance scalability or regulatory efficiency. - Analyse and research developing regulatory regimes and provide strategic recommendations with cross-functional input. - Drive effective governance and stakeholder engagement by maintaining governance calendars, supporting Board reporting processes, and ensuring regulatory obligations and decision-making forums operate efficiently across multiple jurisdictions. What you bring - 5+ years of experience in top-tier consulting, strategy, or IT risk management, — ideally in financial services, fintech, or crypto. - Strong understanding of operational risk, IT audit, technology governance, operational resilience, procurement, or a related discipline, IT general controls, change management processes, testing and validation standards, and operational risk management frameworks. - Proven experience leading complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives with a commercial or regulatory focus. - Strong grasp of business and financial models — able to quantify how regulatory design impacts revenue, cost, and scalability. - Familiarity with governance frameworks and regulatory expectations relating to operational resilience, outsourcing, technology risk, or digital asset regulation (e.g. MiCAR, DORA, PSD2, E-Money Regulations) is advantageous. - Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess complex operational or technology risks and translate findings into practical recommendations. - Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear governance reporting and engage effectively with senior stakeholders across business, technology, and control functions. - Experience working cross-functionally with Engineering, Product, Risk, Compliance, Finance, Data, and operational teams. - Comfortable operating in a fast-moving environment with evolving priorities and regulatory requirements. - Strong organisational and coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams, stakeholders, and governance activities simultaneously. - Commercially astute — connects regulatory compliance with business growth and customer trust. - Operates with a consulting mindset: structured, analytical, and action-oriented. - Thrives in ambiguity and moves quickly from concept to execution. - Collaborative, low-ego, and able to influence senior stakeholders. - Passionate about crypto, innovation, and responsible scaling in regulated environments.