Head of Legal & Compliance, Sygnum Europe (Liechtenstein)

Job description: Head of Legal & Compliance, Sygnum Europe (Liechtenstein)

About the role

The Head of Legal & Compliance is responsible for shaping and implementing Sygnum Europe's legal and compliance strategy, ensuring the company meets evolving regulatory requirements and industry standards in the fast-moving digital asset space. This role combines strategic leadership with direct oversight, including building and mentoring a high performing team. The Head of Legal & Compliance will act as a key advisor to senior management, providing expert advice on regulatory matters such as MiCAR, DORA and financial regulation implementation, whilst ensuring robust risk management and governance frameworks. By ensuring the resilience of the organization and maintaining the confidence of clients, regulators and counterparties, this role plays a central role in enabling Sygnum Europe's sustainable growth and regulatory excellence. The Head of Legal & Compliance is a member of the Executive Board of Sygnum Europe and reports to the CEO of Sygnum Europe.

Main tasks

• Leadership & Strategy:
• Lead, direct and manage Sygnum Europe's legal and compliance functions, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability and continuous learning.
• Track the evolving regulatory landscape in Liechtenstein and the EU, proactively monitor changes and ensure compliance with applicable laws and internal regulations.
• Work closely with business units to align legal and compliance strategies with operational and strategic objectives.
• Develop and deliver training programs to educate employees on relevant laws and regulations and industry practices to ensure effective knowledge transfer.
• Compliance:
• Promote the development and continuous improvement of the compliance framework, policies and related controls in an international environment.
• Act as Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO), investigate client accounts and transactions related to suspicious activity, collect relevant information for the reporting process, work with other departments (e.g. Client Services) to complete investigations, as well as the preparation and submission of SARs/STPRs to the Liechtenstein FIU.
• Drive compliance and regulatory projects associated with strategic developments, including process design and implementation, balancing strict regulatory requirements with a business-oriented approach.
• Oversee all aspects of the compliance function and client lifecycle, including client onboarding due diligence, transaction monitoring, sanctions review, ongoing monitoring, creation and maintenance of internal compliance policies and procedures.
• Evaluate compliance and AML risks of business operations and develop a risk-oriented action plan to mitigate them.
• Legal:
• Providing legal advice in a highly regulated environment for general corporate and regulatory matters.
• Evaluate new business concepts, products and innovative ideas from a legal and regulatory perspective to ensure they are based on a sound legal framework.
• Draft and negotiate business contracts, provide advisory support for all business areas.
• Manage legal proceedings of all kinds, including court proceedings, and coordinate cooperation with external lawyers.

Ideal candidate

• Master of Law from a university in Liechtenstein, Switzerland or the EU (including the University of Applied Sciences); passing the bar exam is a strong plus.
• 8+ years in a senior, leadership legal and/or compliance role in the financial services industry.
• Successful experience as a team