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Manager Full time DACH region · Hybrid Reporting to: CEO

Lead Account Manager

You own the entire merchant relationship lifecycle at Tantum AG — from onboarding and compliance to ongoing account management and building the account-management team.

We're a FinTech company reinventing high-risk-market payments with an integrated digital identity layer. Our team is expanding, and we are looking for a Lead Account Manager to be responsible for the entire merchant relationship lifecycle at Tantum AG. The role takes over qualified leads from sales, accompanies merchants through the full onboarding process — from documentation and KYB/KYC profiling to compliance case presentation — and remains the strategic point of contact after onboarding. This role is part of the First Line of Defence and is responsible for the operational implementation of regulatory requirements in merchant onboarding and ongoing account management. It supports the compliance function (Second Line) through structured support without replacing its independent control function.

As one of the first employees in this role, you carry real responsibility: building processes, developing the team and actively shaping the scaling of merchant operations at Tantum AG.

Key Responsibilities

Merchant Onboarding & Compliance

  • Complete ownership of the onboarding process of all merchants handed over by sales
  • Applying a risk-based approach to the evaluation and classification of merchants
  • Obtaining and reviewing all necessary documents (KYB/KYC, UBO, SoW/SoF) in accordance with SPG, SPV and EGG
  • Ensuring compliance with internal guidelines, directives and regulatory requirements in the onboarding and existing-customer process
  • Creation of detailed merchant risk and business profiles (SPG profiles) and final case presentation to the compliance team
  • Prompt identification, evaluation and fully documented escalation of anomalies or increased risks to the Compliance Officer or MLRO
  • Coordination with sales in the event of additional requests for compliance with onboarding timelines
  • Close cooperation with compliance (incl. MLRO) to ensure a regulatory-compliant onboarding and monitoring process
  • Proactive support in the processing of compliance cases, including preparation of information for internal audits and suspicious transaction reports
  • Ensuring complete, traceable and auditable documentation of all onboarding and KYC-relevant steps

Trade fairs & market presence

  • Representing Tantum at relevant trade fairs, industry conferences and networking events — especially in the areas of payments, FinTech and digital commerce
  • Build and maintain a professional network of merchants, partners and industry experts to support growth and market intelligence

Ongoing account management

  • Primary contact person for all onboarded merchants in all matters after onboarding
  • Monitoring of changes in the business model, company structure or risk profile; initiation of EDD measures if necessary
  • Identification of upsell and growth potentials in cooperation with sales
  • Regular reporting on portfolio performance, risk indicators and merchant satisfaction
  • Ongoing monitoring of merchant activities with regard to AML/CFT risks and initiation of measures in the event of anomalies
  • Support in the identification and escalation of potentially suspicious activities to compliance (incl. preparation of SAR-relevant information)
  • Support for internal and external audits (e.g. FMA audits) by providing documentation and explanations

Process Development & Team Building

  • Build and continuously evolve scalable onboarding workflows, templates and documentation standards
  • Build and develop the account management function in line with the growing merchant portfolio — including recruiting, onboarding and mentoring team members
  • Definition of team structure, role profiles and performance standards in close coordination with the CEO
  • Identify bottlenecks in the merchant lifecycle and implement practical, scalable solutions

Required Skills

  • Expert knowledge in AML/KYC and compliance, applicable to complex onboarding scenarios and high-risk merchant verticals
  • Proven ability to analyse complex corporate structures, UBO chains, trust structures and cross-border entities
  • Strong relationship management skills combined with commercial thinking
  • Ability to manage multiple cases and accounts simultaneously without loss of quality
  • Clear communication — both when presenting compliance findings to internal stakeholders and in challenging discussions with external partners
  • Builder mentality — at home in a growing environment where processes are still being developed
  • Excellent collaboration skills, primarily in a remote setting
  • Proficiency in German and English

Required Experience

  • At least 5 years of experience in account management, client onboarding or compliance with a regulated financial institution, e-money institution or payment service provider
  • Proven experience with merchants from complex or high-risk industries, including at least one of the following: Adult Content / Creator Platforms, Crypto / Web3, E-Commerce / SaaS, Fiduciary and Corporate Services
  • Direct experience in presenting compliance cases or risk assessments to internal compliance or risk functions
  • Demonstrated ability to build or scale account management processes in a compliance-intensive environment
  • Knowledge of the Liechtenstein, European or EEA regulatory framework (SPG, EGG, PSD2, GDPR) is a clear advantage
  • German — C1 (mother tongue preferred) | English — C1

What we offer

  • Competitive salary with performance-based bonus
  • Remote/hybrid flexibility — work where you're most productive
  • Training budget and support in attending trade shows and industry conferences
  • A role with real ownership in a fast-growing FinTech — building something, not just managing it
  • Direct access to the management level and short decision-making paths