Head of Licensing & Registration

Description

Citizens JMP Securities, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, is a FINRA-registered institutional broker-dealer with approximately 650 associated professionals. We deliver strategic advice and capital markets execution across Investment Banking, Mergers & Acquisitions, Equity and Fixed Income Sales & Trading, Research, Corporate Access, and Corporate Banking. We foster a high-integrity, performance-driven culture backed by the strength and resources of one of the nation’s largest financial institutions.

Position Overview

The Head of Licensing & Registration is a senior-level role within the Compliance Department, reporting to the Chief Compliance Officer. This individual will be the firmwide subject matter expert and process owner for licensing, registration, onboarding/offboarding, continuing education, and associated regulatory programs. The ideal candidate is proactive, solutions-focused, and highly organized, with deep knowledge of FINRA and SEC rules and processes related to licensing and registration.

Key Responsibilities

Licensing, Registration & Disclosure Oversight

• Own and manage all aspects of individual and firm registration, including:
  • U4, U5, BD, and BR filings and updates
  • Maintenance of Form BD in collaboration with the Chief Compliance Officer
  • Exam window management and qualification status monitoring
  • Web CRD and Gateway alerts, updates, and follow-up
  • Submission of waiver requests
• Oversee monthly Safe Harbor filings related to business expansion
• Coordinate and submit FINRA Preliminary and Final Statement of Assessment reports
• Perform review and complete annual FINRA Contact System Verification
• Maintain roster of associated personnel, their licenses and who they report to.

Employee Lifecycle, HR Coordination & Background Checks

• Lead all aspects of onboarding and offboarding for registered representatives
• Conduct pre-hire background checks in coordination with Human Resources for associated persons and report findings to appropriate supervisors, Legal, and Human Resources
• Partner with Citizens Financial Group’s Human Resources department to ensure alignment of employment changes with licensing and disclosure requirements
• Manage new hire U4 filings, fingerprinting, CE enrollment, and supervisory disclosures
• Oversee FINRA Rule 4530 event disclosures, including timely internal reporting and submission
• Review, disclose, and escalate customer complaints

Education, Training & CE Program Management

• Perform the firm’s annual FINRA Needs Analysis and develop an appropriate Firm Element continuing education program for all associated persons
• Develop, administer and track all aspects of the continuing education program, including:
  • Regulatory Element
  • Firm Element
  • New hire compliance onboarding
  • Annual Compliance Meetings and Questionnaires
  • Ad hoc regulatory and business-specific training as needed
• Provide targeted training to supervisors and staff in licensing and registration
• Cross-train Compliance colleagues and maintain documented procedures
• Ensure at least one fully trained backup is designated for each key responsibility
• Actively contribute to weekly Compliance team meetings

Relationship Management

• Build strong working relationships with:
  • Business line supervisors and senior management
  • Legal, Risk, Operations, and Human Resources
  • Citizens Financial Group Compliance teams
• Be visible, proactive, and collaborative with senior management, supervisors, your Compliance team, and other colleagues
• Engage and build strong partnerships with supervisors and colleagues in licensing and registration
• Collaborate effectively with Human Resources, Legal, Risk, and Operations teams on licensing and registration

Audit & Regulatory Readiness

• Manage internal audits and regulatory examinations related to licensing and registration
• Draft responses to regulatory inquiries and exams related to licensing & registration, under the direction of the Chief Compliance Officer
• Maintain a comprehensive inventory of responsibilities and documented standard operating procedures
• Monitor and interpret FINRA, SEC, and state regulatory developments; take ownership of all updates relevant to licensing and registration

Important Systems and Tools

Experience with the following systems is highly preferred:

• FINRA: Web CRD (Central Registration Depository), Gateway, Contact System (FCS)
• FINRA Firm Gateway for 4530 reporting and other filings
• FINRA eBill and Statement of Assessment tools
• CE Transformation Platform for Regulatory Element
• LMS platforms for Firm Element/CE administration (e.g., Quest CE)
• Background check platforms (e.g., BIG)
• Internal HRIS systems (e.g., Workday or PeopleSoft)
• Compliance tracking and reporting tools (e.g., MyComplianceOffice, FIS, Global Relay, etc.)
• Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel and SharePoint

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years of institutional broker-dealer compliance experience, with significant licensing and registration responsibilities
• Active FINRA Series 7 and Series 24 licenses are required
• Expert knowledge of Web CRD, Gateway, Form BD/U4/U5/BR processes, and regulatory reporting
• Demonstrated experience managing a firm’s continuing education program and FINRA Needs Analysis
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills
• Able to manage high-volume, deadline-driven responsibilities with accuracy and professionalism
• Collaborative mindset with a strong sense of ownership and accountability

Ideal Candidate Attributes

• Subject matter expert who will take full ownership of licensing and registration
• Efficient, organized, and proactive with a solutions-oriented mindset
• Strong communicator and relationship builder across business and control functions
• Continuous learner who adapts quickly to regulatory changes and evolving business needs
• Forward thinker who proactively identifies and addresses risk and procedural gaps
• Reliable team player with a high level of integrity
• Maintains thorough and well-documented procedures for all responsibilities, with backup cross-training in place
• Satisfies in-office attendance expectations in coordination with other Compliance team members
• Ability to trave as needed.

Hours & Work Schedule

• Hours per Week: 40+
• Work Schedule: M-F 8:00-5:00

Pay Transparency

The salary range for this position is $119,480-$179,220 per year, plus an opportunity to earn an annual discretionary bonus. Actual pay is based on various factors including but not limited to the work location, and relevant skills and experience.  

We offer competitive pay, comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, maternity/paternity leave, flexible work arrangements, education reimbursement, wellness programs and more. Note, Citizens’ paid time off policy exceeds the mandatory, paid sick or paid time-away policy of very local and state jurisdiction in the United States. For an overview of our benefits, visit https://jobs.citizensbank.com/benefits.

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Some job boards have started using jobseeker-reported data to estimate salary ranges for roles. If you apply and qualify for this role, a recruiter will discuss accurate pay guidance.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Citizens, its parent, subsidiaries, and related companies (Citizens) provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all colleagues and applicants for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, citizenship, physical or mental disability, perceived disability or history or record of a disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, genetic characteristic, marital or domestic partner status, victim of domestic violence, family status/parenthood, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, pregnancy/childbirth/lactation, colleague’s or a dependent’s reproductive health decision making, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by federal, state and/or local laws. At Citizens, we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that enables all colleagues to bring their best selves to work every day and everyone is expected to be treated with respect and professionalism. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, qualifications, performance and capability.