Head of Regulatory - EMEA

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.

Head of Regulatory – EMEA

Adyen is seeking a strategic, high-impact, and visionary regulatory leader to serve as our Head of Regulatory – EMEA. In this role, you will be a senior leader in our Global Regulatory organization - including direct responsible for leading our Regional Counsel teams and Regulatory Strategy & Risk teams across EMEA .
Adyen is principally an EU-licensed credit institution with home-state supervision in the Netherlands. As such, Adyen’s regulatory footprint and licensing advantages in Europe form the strategic blueprint for what is possible for our business worldwide. You will lead a high-caliber team of senior regulatory experts who serve as the critical bridge between European supervisory expectations and our "Global-First" regulatory architecture. In this role, you will elevate our financial licensing position as a core differentiator in Adyen's right to win—transforming regulatory complexity into commercial opportunity and powering sustainable, controlled growth to achieve our ambition as the most customer-focused financial technology platform in the world.

What you’ll do

• Unite & Lead the EMEA Regulatory Function 
  
• Provide overarching leadership and strategic direction across the EMEA Regulatory function - ensuring Adyen’s regulatory posture and supervisory relationships enable Adyen’s next phase of growth. ○ Serve as a true content and people leader for a senior team of regulatory experts, keeping them deeply connected to Adyen’s broader corporate strategy and global regulatory vision while navigating the dynamics of a fast-paced, highly regulated global business. 
  
• Cross-Functional 2LoD Leadership & Supervisory Presence 
• Act as a senior cross-functional leader across Adyen’s Second Line of Defense (Legal, Compliance, Risk, Internal Control and Data Privacy Office), building deep, collaborative relationships with leadership peers. 
• Position the EMEA Regulatory team as the essential first-analysis layer for emerging laws, regulations, and supervisory expectations across European markets, ensuring seamless translation into 2LoD risk frameworks and operational builds - in connection with their 2LoD counterparts. 
• Drive strategic engagement with key prudential and conduct regulators (including the DNB, FCA, ACPR, Bafin [and ECB]), positioning Adyen favorably and building long-term supervisory trust. 
  
• Global Regulatory Leadership Integration
• Serve as a core member of the Global Regulatory Leadership Team, ensuring EMEA’s regulatory insights and licensing frameworks actively inform and shape our global baseline. 
• Partner seamlessly across our global domains: working in lockstep with Global Product Counsel (to orchestrate product enablement), Global Policy (to operationalize outcomes-based supervisory goals), and Global Partnerships (to enable scalable partner rails). 
  
• People Leadership & Adyen Leadership Expectations 
• Build a best-in-class team: Hire, develop, and retain top-tier regulatory leaders and SMEs; cultivate a diverse, inclusive, and agile environment; maintain an uncompromising quality threshold. 
• Define success for your team: Set a clear strategic direction for EMEA Regulatory aligned with Adyen's ultimate commercial ambitions; empower senior team members with autonomy while keeping them anchored to our long-term goals; communicate the "why" behind strategic decisions. 
• Deliver great results with your team: Direct team energy toward high-impact, needle-moving priorities; removing friction; act as a true multiplier for your team to accelerate business execution.

Who you are

• Senior Executive Leadership: 10+ years of experience, with at least 6+ years in a senior leadership position within a regulatory, legal, or supervisory function at a tier-1 bank, global credit institution, or complex fintech platform. 
• Deep EU/UK Regulatory Expertise: Comprehensive knowledge of European and UK financial frameworks (PSD2/PSD3, CRD/CRR, EMD, MiCA, DORA, Conduct rules) and credit institution supervisory dynamics. ● Strategic & Pragmatic Architect: Proven ability to balance fine regulatory detail with high-level corporate strategy. You possess a track record of transforming regulatory requirements into commercial speed and competitive advantages within the boundaries of risk appetite. 
• Cross-Functional Collaborator: Strong ability to build alignment across Second Line functions and First Line leadership without defaulting to consensus-seeking or creating operational delays. 
• Empowering People Leader: Exemplifies Adyen’s leadership principles—coaching senior contributors, fostering high autonomy and accountability, and maintaining a calm, steady presence in high-stakes environments. 
• Global Mindset & Fluency: Comfortable operating in a "Global-First" environment; fluent in English (proficiency in additional European languages is a plus).

Why you should join Adyen’s Regulatory Function
As a licensed credit institution operating on its own banking infrastructure across the globe, Adyen’s regulatory positioning is one of our greatest differentiators. Adyen’s Second Line of Defense—comprising Legal, Regulatory, Compliance, Risk, and Internal Control—is entrusted with empowering Adyen’s future by transforming complexity into opportunity and powering sustainable, controlled growth. Leading the EMEA Regulatory function puts you at the absolute heart of Adyen's global blueprint. Europe is where our core banking permissions are anchored, making your leadership pivotal in setting the benchmark for what is possible for Adyen globally. If you thrive on leading high-performing teams, shaping European regulatory strategy, and driving sustainable innovation for the world's leading businesses, your voice and leadership will directly shape the future of
global commerce.

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. Learn more about our hiring process here. Don’t be afraid to let us know if you need more flexibility.

This role is based out of our Amsterdam or London office. We are an office-first company and value in-person collaboration; we do not offer remote-only roles.