BSA / AML Compliance Officer

About Us

At Dakota, we’re building the next-generation global banking platform. Our mission is to empower businesses to operate globally by combining the best of crypto and traditional finance. Founded in 2022, Dakota already serves hundreds of customers and processes billions in annualized transaction volume.

From day one, Dakota has been a fully remote company. Our lean but experienced team is distributed across North America and Europe, united by a deep sense of ownership, a relentless focus on our customers, and a commitment to expanding economic freedom worldwide.

Please note: Dakota is a remote-only, equal-opportunity employer. At this time, we are able to hire within the U.S. and most EU time zones.

About the Role

As Dakota’s first BSA / AML Officer, you will own and build the foundation of our U.S. financial crimes compliance program. This is a critical, high-ownership role responsible for designing and operating our BSA/AML policies and controls, while also supporting broader compliance initiatives as we scale.

You’ll be joining at an inflection point: Dakota is actively pursuing U.S. Money Transmitter Licenses (MTLs), is registered as a Money Services Business (MSB), and has ambitions to expand into Europe via CASP and EMI registrations. You’ll partner with our current Compliance Analyst and play a hands-on role in shaping a program that balances rigorous regulatory expectations with startup agility.

This is a strategic and operational role ideal for someone who thrives in fast-paced environments, enjoys rolling up their sleeves to build programs from scratch, and has deep experience navigating U.S. BSA/AML requirements in fintech or financial institutions. This role will report to Dakota’s Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) once hired later this year.

Key Responsibilities

• Program Ownership

  • Own Dakota’s U.S. BSA/AML compliance program, including risk assessments, policies, and procedures.

  • Monitor regulatory developments and ensure ongoing compliance with BSA, FinCEN, and state MTL requirements.

• Transaction Monitoring & Investigations

  • Design and oversee transaction monitoring systems, including rule calibration and tuning.

  • Investigate unusual activity, escalate concerns, and file SARs as appropriate.

• Policy Development & Program Building

  • Draft and maintain BSA/AML policies, risk assessments, and customer risk rating frameworks.

  • Work cross-functionally to ensure controls are embedded into our products and operations.

• Training & Oversight

  • Develop and deliver AML training programs for internal teams.

  • Provide day-to-day oversight, mentorship, and guidance to the Compliance Analyst.

• Regulatory & Audit Interface

  • Serve as primary point of contact for U.S. regulators, auditors, and banking partners on AML matters.

  • Respond to inquiries, exams, and audits with professionalism and transparency.

• Strategic Collaboration

  • Collaborate with legal counsel, product, and engineering to implement effective controls aligned with business goals.

  • Partner with external compliance consultants to accelerate licensing readiness and best-practice adoption.

Who You Are

• Experienced: 5–7+ years in AML/BSA compliance roles within fintechs, MSBs, crypto platforms, or regulated financial institutions. CAMS certification is a strong plus.

• Builder: You’ve designed or helped scale BSA/AML programs from the ground up. You’re confident drafting policies, setting up monitoring systems, and leading audits.

• Detail-Obsessed: You approach compliance with rigor and precision. You’re thoughtful about risk but also practical and business-minded

• Proactive & Independent: You’re comfortable operating autonomously in a fast-moving environment. You take initiative, anticipate issues, and act decisively

• Collaborative: You work well across teams, from engineering to legal to customer support. You’re a strong communicator who can translate complex compliance needs into clear, actionable plans.

• Mission-Aligned: You believe in increasing global economic freedom and see compliance as a critical enabler—not a blocker—of innovation and trust.

What We Offer

• Engaging problems that increase economic freedom globally

• Competitive salary and equity

• Employee-friendly equity terms (extended exercise)

• Remote work, no commuting to the office

• Paid co-working space/desk at an office

• Health, dental, and vision insurance

• Regular team events and off-sites