Risk & Compliance Manager (PSP / Payments)

Location: Tokyo, Japan (Hybrid)

Department: Risk & Compliance

Reports to: Head of Risk & Compliance

We are looking for a Risk & Compliance Manager to lead and manage regulatory compliance, merchant underwriting, and ongoing risk monitoring for our payment services business. You will play a critical role in ensuring we meet local regulatory requirements, proactively manage risk exposure, and maintain a secure and trusted payments environment for our merchants and partners.

This role is suitable for someone who understands the payments ecosystem, has a strong compliance mindset, and can work cross-functionally with Sales, Operations, Legal, and Finance.

Key Responsibilities

Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure the company remains compliant with all relevant payments and financial services regulations (e.g., PSP law, AML/CFT guidelines, data privacy standards).
• Liaise with regulatory bodies, auditors, and external advisors when required.
• Implement and maintain internal policies, procedures, and documentation to support compliance.
• Monitor updates to regulations and communicate impacts to internal stakeholders.

Merchant Risk & Underwriting

• Conduct KYC/KYB checks during merchant onboarding.
• Perform risk assessments for new merchant applications across various verticals.
• Evaluate business models for compliance with card scheme and local PSP regulations.
• Approve or escalate high-risk merchants as needed.

Ongoing Risk Monitoring

• Monitor transaction patterns to identify suspicious or high-risk activity.
• Manage chargeback and fraud prevention strategies in collaboration with Product and Operations.
• Analyze risk trends and introduce controls to mitigate exposure.
• Support investigations and file SAR/STR reports when required.

Internal Collaboration

• Train Sales and Merchant Support teams on compliance & risk policies.
• Partner with Product/Engineering to enhance risk monitoring systems and automation.
• Support cross-border compliance discussions with HQ or global compliance teams.

Qualifications

Must-Have

• 3-7 years of experience in payments, fintech, banking, or card acquiring.
• Working knowledge of AML/CFT, KYC, and regulatory requirements within financial services.
• Experience conducting merchant underwriting or transaction monitoring.
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills.
• Business-level English and Japanese.

Nice-to-Have

• Experience working with card networks, acquirers, or gateways.
• Familiarity with transaction monitoring platforms and risk scoring tools.
• Experience in startup / scale-up environment.
• Knowledge of cross-border payments or high-risk merchant verticals.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to shape the compliance framework of a fast-growing PSP.
• High ownership, impact, and visibility across the organization.
• Hybrid work model and flexible working environment.