Position Overview
Located in Carmel, Indiana 46032, the SVP, Chief Compliance Officer leads the organization’s compliance function and drives the enterprise-wide program across banking and mortgage operations. The role ensures adherence to federal and state banking laws, mortgage regulations, consumer protection requirements, and internal policies. As a trusted adviser to executive leadership and the Board of Directors, the CCO sets strategic direction, provides regulatory insight, and recommends risk mitigations to protect the company’s reputation and maintain operational integrity. The role emphasizes proactive oversight, timely issue identification and remediation, and consistent compliance with applicable requirements to support clean audits and examinations, minimize consumer harm, and maintain well-controlled products and processes. The CCO cultivates a culture of compliance, guides business leaders with clear instructions, and delivers transparent reporting to management and the Board, safeguarding financial stability and long-term regulatory standing.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the design, execution, and ongoing enhancement of the enterprise compliance management system (CMS) for banking and mortgage lines.
- Act as the primary liaison to federal and state regulators, including the FDIC, Indiana Department of Financial Institutions, and the CFPB.
- Provide regular reports to the Board of Directors and executive leadership on compliance risk, examination results, emerging issues, and key metrics.
Regulatory Compliance Oversight
- Ensure adherence to applicable regulations across Banking (BSA/AML, UDAP/UDAAP, EFTA, FCRA, FDCPA, GLBA, Reg B, Reg E, Reg CC, Reg D) and Mortgage (RESPA, TILA/Reg Z, HMDA, ECOA, SAFE Act, TCPA, Fair Lending, disclosure laws).
- Monitor legislative and regulatory changes, assess impact, and lead organization-wide implementation plans.
Compliance Program Development
- Oversee policies, procedures, training programs, testing and monitoring activities, complaint management, and issue remediation.
- Develop and maintain risk assessment methodologies for banking and mortgage processes.
- Partner with business leaders to embed robust compliance controls into products, operations, and customer interactions.
CRA, Fair Lending & Consumer Compliance Strategy
- Provide executive oversight of CRA performance, fair lending risk, HMDA and CRA data integrity, and consumer protection compliance.
- Draft and update the organization’s CRA Strategic Plan as needed.
- Collaborate with business line leaders to set goals under the CRA Strategic Plan and community development initiatives.
- Ensure robust fair lending analytics, data reviews, and targeted monitoring activities.
- Schedule and track Community Development service and investment activities through the MPACT program.
Regulatory Examinations & Audits
- Prepare the organization for regulatory examinations, internal audits, and independent reviews.
- Coordinate examination activities, responses, documentation, and remediation efforts.
- Ensure timely resolution of findings and sustainable corrective action plans.
Risk Management & Governance
- Identify compliance risks and work with senior leaders to implement mitigation strategies.
- Chair the Compliance Committee, whose membership includes key executive leaders.
Team Leadership
- Lead, mentor, and develop all members of the Compliance team.
- Establish performance goals, succession plans, and foster a culture of collaboration and accountability.
Requirements
What we are looking for
- Experience
- 12+ years of progressive compliance, risk, regulatory, or legal experience within the banking and/or mortgage industry.
- Deep knowledge of federal and state banking and mortgage regulations.
- Experience interfacing with regulators and managing examinations.
- Prior leadership of a compliance function or large compliance team.
- Skills & Competencies
- Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence at all levels.
- Extensive knowledge of regulatory frameworks and consumer protection requirements.
- Strategic thinker with a practical, solution-oriented mindset.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
- High integrity, judgment, and organizational awareness.
- Education
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in Law, Business, Finance, or related field preferred.
- JD or CRCM certification strongly preferred.
About Merchants
Merchants Bancorp is a diversified bank holding company headquartered in Carmel, Indiana. It operates multiple segments, including Multi-family Mortgage Banking which finances and services multi-family housing and healthcare facilities, Mortgage Warehousing offering mortgage warehouse financing, and Banking providing retail and correspondent residential mortgage banking, agricultural lending, and traditional community banking. As of December 31, 2024, the company reported $18.8 billion in assets and $11.9 billion in deposits. Merchants conducts business primarily through its direct and indirect subsidiaries, including Merchants Bank of Indiana, Merchants Capital Corp., Merchants Capital Investments, LLC, Merchants Capital Servicing, LLC, Merchants Asset Management, LLC, and Merchants Mortgage, a division of Merchants Bank of Indiana.
Merchants Bank and Merchants Capital have recently been honored with the 2025 USA Today Top Workplaces recognition, ranking 22nd nationally in the 500-999 employee category. This follows a history of workplace recognition, including being named a Best Place to Work in Indiana for seven consecutive years (2016–2022). For more information read the entire article here.
