Director, Product Development - UK/EU in London

We are looking for a Director, Product Development to build amazing experiences that our users love. You will be part of a small company of experts in their fields where you will have a clear focus and ownership space. If you work in the OTC Derivatives space (product or operations) and have a passion for product, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and want to make an immediate and lasting impact, this role is for you.

About KOR

KOR is a young company of around 50 people and growing, using leading-edge cloud technology built by industry domain experts and world-class in-house engineering. We are on a mission to innovate B2B trade servicing starting with regulatory reporting in time for a global wave of mandated changes hitting all segments of market participants across OTC derivatives transactions. We are solving challenging problems by bringing fresh designs and solutions to data utility, quality, and processing inefficiencies while unlocking value for clients. Teamwork and laser focus are central to everything we do at KOR. With the right support, we believe small independent teams with deep expertise achieve better results and encourage skilled people to take responsibility and grow their careers. We live by the mantra of work humble, work smart, and work together.

About the Role

We are seeking a seasoned and strategic leader to join our team as a Director, Product Development. This senior role is responsible for owning and directing the firm’s response to the evolving global derivatives regulatory landscape for specific product lines (e.g., Rates, Credit, FX, or Equity Derivatives). You will serve as the firm’s leading subject matter expert in your designated area, providing strategic guidance to senior business and control function leaders. You will be accountable for the end-to-end process of identifying, analyzing, and overseeing the implementation of regulatory features, ensuring we can continue to meet our clients’ needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Product Line Ownership: Serve as the ultimate owner and senior subject matter expert for regulatory intelligence and change management for a designated set of services. You will be the primary point of contact for business heads and senior leadership on all regulatory matters impacting the service and feature.
• Strategic Leadership & Advisory: Lead the strategic monitoring and interpretation of the global derivatives regulatory landscape, focusing on key regulators such as the CFTC, SEC, ESMA (EMIR), UK FCA (MiFID II), Canadian regulators, ASIC, and MAS.
• Program Oversight: Own and govern the end-to-end software development lifecycle for your product area. This includes overseeing detailed impact assessments of evolving regulatory changes and the impact on existing features and proposing new features for handling existing regulations.
• Senior Stakeholder Management: Drive engagement with senior leaders across Technology, Operations, Legal, and Compliance. Influence decision-making at the Managing Director and C-suite level to ensure product features and regulatory requirements are prioritised and appropriately resourced.
• Drive Technology & Business Solutions: Lead the translation of complex regulatory text into clear, actionable business and functional requirements. Partner with Technology leadership to define the strategic roadmap for regulatory platforms and oversee the review and approval of technical solutions developed by engineering teams.
• Governance and Reporting: Establish and maintain a robust governance framework for regulatory change within your product area. Develop and present executive-level reporting on the regulatory pipeline, program status, and key risks to senior management and governance committees.
• Team Leadership and Mentorship: Provide guidance, mentorship, and development to junior members of the product development team, fostering a culture of excellence and deep subject matter expertise.

Experience and Attributes

• A Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Law, Business, or a related field. An advanced degree (MBA, JD) is highly preferred.
• A minimum of 10+ years of experience in the financial services industry, with significant experience at a large sell-side investment bank.
• Deep subject matter expertise in major global derivatives regulations (e.g., Dodd-Frank, EMIR, MiFID II/MiFIR, and rules from Canadian, Australian, and Singaporean regulators).
• Proven track record of leading large-scale, cross-functional regulatory change or compliance programs.
• Demonstrated experience in gathering and writing business requirements and overseeing technology implementation programs in a financial services context.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with proficiency in leveraging data analysis tools to inform strategic decisions.
• Strong understanding of relational databases and the ability to use SQL for complex data investigation and validation.
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills, with proven experience influencing and advising senior business leaders.

Plus to Have

• Direct experience managing programs and workflows using modern platforms such as Airtable, Databricks, and Jira.
• Experience presenting to or interacting with financial regulators and industry working groups.
• A strong understanding of derivatives products, trade lifecycles, and the underlying technology infrastructure.
• Proven ability to lead and mentor teams in a fast-paced, matrixed organisation.

What We Have to Offer

Depending on you and your priorities, we offer the following: Culture of trust, empowerment, and constructive feedback; Competitive salary, great hard and tools, and benefits (employees only); Flexible working times; Fully remote; A span of control that matches your ambitions and skills; Tell us what else is important to you.

For candidates located in the EMEA/UK, the base salary range for this role is €100,000 - €145,000 per year, depending on experience, skills, and location. We are committed to fair and transparent pay practices that reflect the value you bring to our team. In addition to salary, we offer a comprehensive benefits package including health coverage, flexible paid time off, and other remote-work perks that support your well-being and work-life balance. Above and beyond this, we will provide a commitment to a genuine balanced relationship. We will listen to you, take your needs and wishes seriously, and work to help you grow professionally. So, if you are a person who wants the chance to grow, join a company that will value what you do and help you to achieve your goals.