[Hiring] Director, US Operations @Kraken

Role Description

As Director, US Operations, you will lead operations for Payward’s US equities business: our registered broker-dealer, Kraken Securities LLC, and the operations behind traditional stocks as well as xStocks, our tokenized equities product. You will own the trade operating model, the end-to-end order and settlement flow, cash flows, corporate actions, reconciliations, and regulatory readiness across the business.

This is a hands-on leadership role in a regulated entity. You will be a registered principal of Kraken Securities LLC, named on Form BD, and accountable for the operational side of the firm’s regulatory obligations. It extends well beyond day-to-day management and requires genuine fluency in both traditional market plumbing and the operational realities of a digital-asset business.

You will stay close to company strategy and cross-functional initiatives so the global executive team’s goals translate into clear operating priorities. As a trusted partner, you will work across Compliance, Legal, Finance, Product, Engineering, and Marketing to drive key initiatives forward, and build the team that scales the business as the firm grows.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in brokerage or fintech operations, and/or at an operations consulting firm, including time inside a FINRA-registered broker-dealer
• Experience in crypto, brokerage, advisory, fintech, or another highly regulated industry
• In-depth knowledge of traditional financial markets — execution, clearing, settlement, custody, margin, securities lending, and corporate actions
• Working understanding of digital assets and tokenized securities, including custody models, on-chain settlement, and the operational controls they demand
• Direct experience operating under SEC and FINRA rules — books and records, supervisory procedures, trade reporting, and examination response
• Experience standing up or scaling operations for a new regulated product or entity, including launch readiness and regulatory approval processes
• A proven record of defining structured approaches to solve complex challenges
• End-to-end understanding of company value drivers and a strong working understanding of business analytics
• Experience hiring, managing, and developing operations teams
• Exceptional judgment and the executive presence to work comfortably with C-suite leaders, regulators, and external partners

Requirements

• Required at hire, or within an agreed window from start date: FINRA Series 7 (General Securities Representative), Series 99 (Operations Professional) and Series 24 (General Securities Principal)
• Preferred: Series 27 or 28 (Financial and Operations Principal)
• Also valued: Series 57 (Securities Trader) and Series 4 (options principal), or willingness to obtain them
• Must be eligible for registration and disclosure on Form BD, and comfortable carrying named-principal responsibility in a regulated entity
• Series 63 / 65 / 66 as required by state registration

Benefits

• We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment on our team, assessing candidates in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.
• Payward is powered by people from around the world and we celebrate the diverse talents, backgrounds, contributions, and unique perspectives that everyone brings to the table.
• We hire based on merit, seeking out people with the right abilities, knowledge, and skills for the job.
• We encourage you to apply for roles where you don't fully meet the listed requirements, especially if you're passionate or knowledgeable about crypto.