Head of Licensing Global Digital Assets & Payments in Preston

London | Full-Time | On-Site with International Travel

Build the Regulatory Foundation of the Future Financial System. Digital assets and stablecoins are redefining how value moves globally. The businesses that will lead the next decade of finance are not just building technology; they are building trusted, globally regulated infrastructure capable of supporting institutional-scale adoption.

This is an opportunity to join one of the most ambitious growth stories in the digital assets and payments sector and take ownership of a function that sits at the core of long-term enterprise value: global licensing and regulatory expansion.

We are looking for an exceptional Head of Licensing to lead international regulatory strategy, secure key authorisations across major jurisdictions, and help shape the future of institutional digital asset settlement.

The Opportunity

You will own the global licensing roadmap from strategy through execution, working directly alongside founders and senior leadership to expand the company’s international regulatory footprint. This role is designed for someone who thrives in fast-growth, high-performance environments and understands how critical regulatory positioning is to scaling global financial infrastructure businesses.

You will lead licensing initiatives across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously, engage directly with regulators, coordinate complex cross-functional workstreams, and help establish the company as a trusted institutional player within the evolving digital assets ecosystem. This is a rare chance to build something from the ground up with the autonomy, visibility, and influence to shape a globally significant regulatory function.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

• Leading the global licensing and regulatory expansion strategy across priority international markets.
• Identifying and prioritising jurisdictions based on commercial opportunity, strategic relevance, and regulatory complexity.
• Managing multiple licence applications simultaneously from preparation through approval.
• Tailoring governance, compliance, and operational frameworks to meet jurisdiction-specific requirements.
• Acting as the primary point of contact for regulators and supervisory authorities.
• Leading pre-application discussions, regulatory submissions, RFIs, and ongoing supervisory engagement.
• Managing external legal counsel and regulatory advisers globally.
• Coordinating internally with legal, compliance, product, finance, treasury, and operations teams.
• Monitoring global regulatory developments across digital assets, stablecoins, payments, and institutional finance.
• Supporting investor discussions, fundraising activity, and strategic growth initiatives through strong regulatory positioning.
• Building scalable internal licensing processes and, over time, hiring and leading a high-performing team.

What We’re Looking For

• 6-10 years of experience within licensing, regulatory affairs, compliance, or financial services regulation.
• Proven experience successfully securing licences and authorisations across multiple jurisdictions.
• Strong understanding of digital assets, stablecoins, payments infrastructure, EMIs, or institutional financial services.
• Experience engaging directly with regulators and representing businesses in high-stakes regulatory discussions.
• Exceptional project management and organisational capabilities.
• Commercial mindset with the ability to balance regulatory expectations alongside growth objectives.
• Strong communication skills across technical, regulatory, operational, and executive audiences.
• Ability to operate independently and maintain momentum across multiple complex workstreams.
• Passion for the future of financial infrastructure and institutional digital asset adoption.

Ideal Background

• Experience building or scaling a licensing function within a fintech, payments, or crypto-native business.
• Exposure to global institutional settlement infrastructure or embedded finance ecosystems.
• Existing relationships within international regulatory networks.
• Experience supporting fundraising, strategic partnerships, or M&A activity.
• Previous leadership experience managing or mentoring regulatory teams.

Why This Role Matters

Licensing is becoming one of the defining competitive advantages in institutional digital assets. This role sits at the centre of how the business scales globally, unlocks new markets, builds trust with institutional counterparties, and positions itself as a leader within the next generation of global finance. You won’t simply be maintaining regulatory frameworks; you’ll be helping build the infrastructure layer powering the future movement of money worldwide.

What’s on Offer

• A senior, high-impact leadership role with direct founder exposure.
• Significant influence over international growth and strategic direction.
• Opportunity to build and scale a global licensing function from the ground up.
• Exposure to regulators, institutional partners, investors, and global financial markets.
• Competitive base salary plus discretionary bonus structure.
• International travel across major financial, payments, and digital asset hubs.
• The opportunity to help shape the future of institutional crypto and stablecoin infrastructure.