Governance Lead - Scheme Compliance

This is Adyen

Adyen provides payments, data, and financial products in a single solution for customers like Meta, Uber, H&M, and Microsoft - making us the financial technology platform of choice. At Adyen, everything we do is engineered for ambition. 

For our teams, we create an environment with opportunities for our people to succeed, backed by the culture and support to ensure they are enabled to truly own their careers. We are motivated individuals who tackle unique technical challenges at scale and solve them as a team. Together, we deliver innovative and ethical solutions that help businesses achieve their ambitions faster. 

About the role

We are looking for a strategic, structured, and collaborative leader to lead the Governance pillar within Adyen’s global Scheme Compliance team. You will manage a small globally distributed team, setting the direction for how we demonstrate compliance with card scheme and local payment method requirements through effective governance, control assurance, and coordinated external engagement.

This role combines people leadership with accountability for our global governance framework, audit and assessment coordination, internal control mapping and testing, and relationships with scheme Risk and Compliance counterparts. You will own committee and board reporting across regional management levels, oversee the global scheme bulletin intake and update process, and lead scheme communications, requests for information, and recurring governance engagements. 

Working closely with the Brand, Financial, and Data Integrity pillars, Internal Audit, Internal Controls, and operational teams, you will ensure that requirements, findings, and commitments translate into clear ownership, timely action, and transparent management oversight. 

What you’ll do

• Lead and develop a global team. Manage, coach, and develop team members across regions, establishing clear responsibilities, priorities, and development opportunities. Balance planned assurance work with incoming scheme requests and emerging priorities.
• Own the governance framework. Define and maintain consistent standards for scheme, debit network, and alternative payment method compliance documentation, control mapping, evidence management, issue tracking, and reporting across the program pillars.
• Lead audit and assessment coordination. Oversee Scheme Compliance’s participation in scheme and local payment method audits, assessments, and due diligence reviews. Coordinate scope, subject-matter contributions, evidence, responses, and follow-up with accountable stakeholders.
• Oversee control mapping and testing. Lead the mapping of scheme and payment method requirements to internal policies and controls. Establish a risk-based testing plan with Internal Controls and pillar leads, ensuring control gaps are documented, assessed, and escalated.
• Serve as the global governance point of contact. Act as the central interface for scheme Risk and Compliance counterparts, connecting the appropriate regional and subject-matter owners while maintaining a consistent global approach.
• Manage scheme communications and RFIs. Oversee the intake, routing, coordination, and quality review of scheme and local payment method communications and requests for information. Ensure responses are accurate, consistent, appropriately reviewed, and delivered on time.
• Lead recurring scheme governance engagements. Own the preparation and coordination of weekly business reviews (WBRs), quarterly business reviews (QBRs), and annual meetings, including agendas, reporting, stakeholder preparation, and tracking of decisions and commitments.
• Partner on assurance and remediation. Work closely with Internal Audit and Internal Controls to align assurance activities, support independent reviews, and reduce unnecessary duplication. Challenge remediation plans, monitor progress, and escalate overdue actions or unresolved risks.
• Own committee and board reporting. Lead the preparation, consolidation, and delivery of Scheme Compliance reporting to committees, boards, and management forums across all regions and management levels. Ensure reporting provides a clear, consistent view of compliance risks, control effectiveness, audit findings, remediation progress, and scheme commitments, with appropriate escalation of matters requiring attention or decisions.
• Own the global scheme bulletin intake and update process. Oversee the intake, tracking, distribution, and status reporting of bulletins and rule updates from all schemes globally. Ensure relevant owners assess applicability and impact, establish required actions and deadlines, and provide evidence of completion. Maintain a consolidated view of progress and escalate gaps, delays, or unresolved ownership.

Who you are

• An experienced people leader who can develop a small, globally distributed team while remaining closely engaged in complex work and stakeholder decisions.
• An experienced governance, compliance, risk, or controls professional, ideally within payments, acquiring, financial services, or a similarly complex environment.
• Skilled in audit and assessment management, requirements-to-control mapping, control testing, evidence evaluation, and remediation oversight.
• Familiar with card scheme and payment method requirements, or able to demonstrate experience translating complex external obligations into practical governance and control frameworks.
• A credible external representative who can manage sensitive discussions, coordinate responses across functions, and communicate clearly with senior stakeholders.
• Comfortable operating across lines of defense, with a clear understanding of the distinction between operational ownership, compliance oversight, and independent assurance.
• A structured and pragmatic decision-maker who can prioritize competing demands, challenge constructively, and maintain clear accountability without creating unnecessary process.
• An effective written and verbal communicator who can turn detailed findings and requirements into concise reporting, actionable recommendations, and clear decisions.
• Experienced in translating complex compliance matters into clear committee and board reporting, and in leading global change-governance processes with clear ownership, traceability, and escalation.
• Willingness to travel internationally as needed.

Total rewards & compensation

The annual base salary range for this role in San Francisco is $195,000 - $263,000. Compensation is based on factors including qualifications, experience, and location. Total compensation package includes equity (RSUs), 401(k), health, dental, vision, and more.

In-office expectations

This role is based in our San Francisco office. We're an office-first company and expect employees to work in-office at least 3 days a week on average. This approach helps strike a balance between bringing people together for in-person collaboration and learning from each other, while also supporting flexibility.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Adyen

We actively seek different perspectives to sharpen our ideas. Our unique culture is a product of our diverse backgrounds and experiences. No matter who you are or where you’re from, you’re welcome to be your true self at Adyen. 

If you need accommodations or support during the recruitment process to perform at your best, you’ll have the opportunity to let our team know in your application. We encourage people from all backgrounds and abilities to apply.

What’s next?

Ensuring a smooth and enjoyable candidate experience is critical for us. We aim to get back to you regarding your application within 5 business days. Our interview process tends to take about 4 weeks to complete, but may fluctuate depending on the role. If you have specific time constraints, please communicate them with your recruiter, and we’ll do our best to accommodate them where possible.

EEO statement

Adyen is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, marital status or any legally protected status. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Work Eligibility

You must be work authorized in the United States without the need for new visa sponsorship. The company can support visa transfers but will not sponsor individuals for H-1B CAP applications.