Chief Compliance and BSA-AML Officer

At Kind Lending, our family of diverse and talented Kind Ambassadors is the driving force behind our new approach to the mortgage experience. Our Kind Ambassadors are the heart and soul of the organization and our “People Before Profits” mentality shines through in every department. We are growing and are looking for top mortgage professionals who value opportunity, lasting business partnerships, and who live out our KIND mindset. Kind Lending is determined to provide the best service in the industry while also providing homebuyers with a great selection of products to enhance their buying experience. Backed by our trusted leadership team, Kind Lending’s friendly and professional model puts the “fun” in funding.

About the role

We are looking for a principled, and hands-on Chief Compliance and BSA/AML Officer to lead the Company’s compliance and operational risk department and serve as the designated Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) Officer. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, this executive owns the design and execution of the company’s Compliance Management System, BSA/AML program, licensing, regulatory reporting, and operational and enterprise risk management programs. This role requires a builder and practical risk leader who can scale sustainable controls as the company grows, effectively navigate regulatory change, translate regulatory risk into practical business guidance, serve as a credible liaison to regulators and key counterparties, and develop a high-performing team while acting with sound judgment, kindness, and integrity.

Location: Kind Lending Corporate Office in Irvine, CA. This is not a remote position.

Responsibilities

• Compliance Oversight and Compliance Management System
  • Own and continuously improve the enterprise Compliance Management System, including policies, procedures, risk assessments, testing and monitoring, complaint management, training, issue remediation, and regulatory change management, consistent with market standard CMS expectations for large IMBs.
  • Prepare periodic risk assessments and develop risk-based compliance strategies across the first, second, and third lines of defense.
  • Oversee and manage operational compliance, new product compliance testing, and technology/disclosure platform configuration in alignment with federal and state mortgage regulatory, consumer protection, and privacy requirements.
  • Oversee quarterly, semi-annual, and annual second-line compliance testing based on risk; manage and ensure completion of required internal audits.
  • Manage and direct marketing compliance reviews, escalated consumer complaint responses, and complaint-trend reporting to executive management.
  • Ensure compliance with applicable federal and state mortgage, consumer protection, privacy, fair lending, BSA/AML, and other regulatory requirements.
  • Serve as the compliance representative on cross-departmental committees and advise the business on key initiatives, including technology initiatives projects.
• BSA/AML and Financial Crimes
  • Serve as the designated BSA Compliance Officer and administer the AML program, including policies, procedures, training, independent review, suspicious activity monitoring, SAR governance, mortgage-fraud detection, and OFAC controls.
  • Maintain a BSA/AML program that withstands multistate examination scrutiny, including appropriate authority, qualifications, and resourcing for the BSA function.
• Regulatory, Agency, and Investor Relations
  • Serve as primary liaison to federal and state regulators and agencies.
  • Lead examination readiness, submissions, responses, corrective-action plans, and timely and effective remediation of findings to minimize penalty and enforcement risk.
  • Manage investor and agency relationships, including TPO renewals and approvals, correspondent and broker out onboarding, investor compliance due diligence requests, TPO agency sponsorships (e.g, VA, USDA, FHA, FNMA), timely GSE/agency annual recertifications and lender reviews (e.g., FHA, VA, USDA, GNMA, FNMA, Freddie Mac).
  • Assist with investor reporting, diligence, and loan-level remediation.
• Licensing, Reporting, and Client Administration
  • Oversee mortgage and business licensing, including NMLS company, branch, and MLO filings, license applications and renewals, changes, surety bonds, SOS reports, and local business licenses.
  • Oversee accurate and timely federal and state regulatory reporting, including HMDA, MCR, MBFRF, and state-specific filings.
  • Ensure effective and efficient execution of TPO client administration program for third-party originator onboarding and renewals.
• Risk Management and Business Compliance Support
  • Report to executive leadership and ownership on compliance and BSA/AML risk, examination results, emerging issues, and key metrics.
  • Complete annual compliance risk assessments, including risk evaluation, risk ratings, analysis of mitigating controls, and analysis of residual risk.
  • Oversee procurement and maintenance of regulatory- and investor-required insurance coverages.
  • Partner with the Chief Legal Officer and outside counsel on subpoena responses, regulatory investigations, and escalated legal/compliance matters.
  • Perform other functions necessary to manage enterprise compliance and counterparty risk.
• Team Leadership and Company Culture
  • Lead, mentor, and develop the compliance, licensing, client administration, investor relations, and operational risk teams; set performance goals and succession plans; and foster a culture of compliance, collaboration, and accountability.
  • Prioritize and resource critical compliance functions under competing demands and operational constraints, building sustainable programs that scale with loan volume.
  • Represent the company in industry forums and assist with escalated projects and initiatives.
  • Follow all company policies and procedures; act with kindness and integrity; uphold Kind Lending values; meet deadlines; and escalate appropriately to maintain alignment with internal stakeholders.
  • Perform other duties and projects as assigned.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required. Juris Doctor, Master’s degree, or other equivalent advanced degree preferred.
• Experience:
  • 10-15+ years of progressive compliance, risk, regulatory, or legal experience in mortgage banking or financial services, including senior leadership experience in a Chief Compliance Officer, BSA Officer, Chief Risk Officer, Head of Compliance, or equivalent role.
  • Deep working knowledge of federal and state mortgage, privacy, and consumer protection regulations, with direct experience managing state/federal examinations and regulator interactions.
  • Demonstrated experience building or maturing a Compliance Management System and BSA/AML program in a national lending environment.
  • Experience managing licensing (NMLS), regulatory reporting (HMDA, MCR, and state-specific filings), and investor/agency approvals, recertifications, and related relationship-management and audit processes.
  • Direct experience managing state and federal regulatory examinations.
  • Experience presenting compliance and risk matters to executive leadership, a Board of Directors, Audit Committee, or Risk Committee.
• Skills & Knowledge:
  • Command of federal and state mortgage, consumer protection, privacy, fair lending, BSA/AML, OFAC, and related regulatory requirements, including, without limitation, TILA/Reg Z, RESPA/Reg X, TRID, ECOA/Reg B, HMDA, SAFE Act, TCPA, UDAAP, FCRA, and the GLBA.
  • Strong knowledge of BSA/AML/OFAC/US PATRIOT ACT program requirements, including CIP, CDD/EDD, transaction monitoring, SAR filing, suspicious activity governance, and independent review expectations.
  • Knowledge of enterprise risk management frameworks and practices, internal audit methodologies, and practical compliance controls.
  • Knowledge of NMLS company, branch, and individual licensing requirements.
  • Extensive familiarity with GSE/Agency requirements (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae, FHA, VA, USDA), and investor compliance due diligence expectations.
  • Ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into practical, business-forward guidance, and to see the client’s “big picture” while balancing legal, regulatory, operational, and business risk.
  • Excellent issue-spotting, risk-assessment, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with strong attention to detail.
  • Exceptional oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills to effectively communicate with regulators, investors, executives, and business partners.
  • Ability to operate autonomously, navigate ambiguity, and address complex, non-standardized problems.
  • Familiarity with compliance and disclosure technology platforms, social media monitoring, business software, and AI-enabled tools, with the ability to incorporate new technology into practice.
  • Ability to adapt to regulatory change, including developments in artificial intelligence, privacy, and data security.
  • Self-starter with demonstrated ability to build and scale teams and programs under resource constraints.
  • Basic math skills, including the ability to evaluate financial and operational implications of compliance program decisions; compute rate, ratio, and percent; and draft and interpret standard line, bar, and other graphs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Senior compliance/AML certifications such as CRCM (Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager), CAMS (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist), and/or CMCP (Certified Mortgage Compliance Professional).
• Experience serving as a designated BSA Officer and leading SAR/red-flag governance.
• Experience standing up or scaling compliance functions in a high-growth mortgage or financial services environment.
• Experience with wholesale/TPO, correspondent, joint-venture, and Non-QM or specialty mortgage product compliance.
• Experience using AI-enabled tools or overseeing AI governance in mortgage or financial services compliance.
• Familiarity with production or sales driven work environment and cultures.
• Active leadership in mortgage industry associations (e.g., CMBA, MBA).
• Juris Doctor degree with active bar license.
• Experience at a large independent mortgage bank or similarly complex, multi-channel lending platform.

Pay

Based on current market data for Chief Compliance Officer, BSA/AML Officer, and Chief Risk Officer roles at independent mortgage banks and comparable financial services companies, the anticipated starting base pay for this position is $225,000 annually, plus annual bonus eligibility. The actual base is dependent on many factors such as work experience, business needs, market demands, and other compensation components.

Work Authorization

Must be able to verify identity and employment eligibility to work in the U.S. without a visa sponsorship.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully