Director of Compliance

About the role

Grameen America is a nonprofit microfinance organization dedicated to helping low-income women entrepreneurs build businesses to enable upward financial mobility. We envision an inclusive society in which all entrepreneurs, regardless of gender, race or income, have access to fair and affordable financial services. We provide affordable capital, credit- and asset-building, education and peer support to enable our members to boost their business income, create jobs and transform communities. Founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus in 2008, Grameen America is now the fastest growing nonprofit microfinance organization in the U.S., having achieved tremendous milestones in its first 16 years of operations, investing in 220,000 low-income women entrepreneurs while demonstrating measurable impact. Our members have repaid their loans at a rate of over 99% and have become economic drivers in their communities.

The Director of Compliance will lead the development, implementation, and oversight of Grameen America's comprehensive compliance program. The compliance professional will ensure the organization's adherence to all relevant financial regulations, state and federal, and ethical standards, particularly those governing microfinance lending, savings programs, and credit reporting. The Director will provide guidance to General Counsel and senior management, address all exams and regulatory inquiries, conduct internal audits to ensure KYC and AML compliance, support the training of employees, and maintain a robust compliance infrastructure that aligns with Grameen America's mission of empowering financially underserved women.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive, risk-based compliance program that addresses all federal, state, and local regulations relevant to microfinance and nonprofit operations, including a compliance manual.
• Oversee the continuous refinement of compliance policies, procedures, and internal controls for lending, savings, and credit reporting activities.
• Ensure compliance with specific consumer protection statutes, including the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), relevant sections of TILA, and state-specific lending laws.
• Oversee compliance with NMLS directives and filings.
• Implement appropriate compliance and operational risk controls, policies and procedures utilizing knowledge of existing regulatory framework, emerging risks and industry best practices.
• Monitor emerging regulatory and legal changes affecting the financial services and nonprofit sectors, communicating risks and necessary changes to leadership.
• Manage and/or conduct regular internal audits and compliance risk assessments of KYC/AML process branch operations to ensure adherence to policies and regulatory standards.
• Lead investigations into operational and member-related issues.
• Partner with operational teams to implement effective risk mitigation strategies and corrective action plans.
• Maintain a tracker of regulatory requests.
• Address and monitor all organizational-wide NMLS reporting requirements, including those in support of branch openings.
• Develop and deliver regular compliance training programs for employees, including new hires, to build and sustain a strong culture of compliance.
• Educate employees on best practices related to data privacy, fraud prevention, fair lending, and ethical conduct.
• Prepare and present regular, comprehensive compliance reports to the General Counsel.
• Serve as the primary liaison with regulatory agencies and external auditors during examinations and inquiries.
• Investigate potential compliance incidents and breaches and coordinate with internal and external counsel on resolution.
• Identify, report and escalate risks, issues and control enhancements to operations leadership.
• Address inquiries, exams and audits (by regulators, and internal groups).
• Ensure that compliance initiatives support, rather than hinder, Grameen America's mission to serve low-income women entrepreneurs.
• Work with program teams to ensure that program design, including savings programs and loan disbursement, adheres to all regulations while remaining accessible and affordable for members.