Director of Research & Insights - London

About Flagright:

Flagright is an AI operating system for financial crime compliance used globally by Fortune 500 companies, large banks, fintechs, and fast growing startups. Flagright enables real-time risk detection, automated investigations, and intelligent decisioning, helping compliance teams operate at their full potential in the fight against financial crime.

We operate as a lean, high-performance team with high individual ownership and direct access to leadership.

Role overview:

Our Marketing team drives our brand presence across target markets. From customer engagements to integrated campaigns, they champion Flagright’s story, drive pipeline acceleration, and help customers discover our value through strategic, impactful programs.

We are hiring a Director of Research & Insights to lead how Flagright produces and publishes industry insights, positioning us as a trusted thought leader in financial crime and compliance. You will own the research agenda end to end, identifying key themes, conducting deep analysis, and translating findings into high-quality reports and perspectives that shape industry conversations.

You will work closely with Product, Sales, customers, and industry experts to research emerging trends, regulatory developments, and evolving risks across financial institutions and fintechs. You will turn these insights into clear, data-driven narratives and uphold a high standard of rigor, clarity, and originality in everything we publish.

People who thrive at Flagright:

• Have been knocked down before and gotten back up

• Are resourceful—they figure things out with whatever tools are available

• Have strong opinions and can defend them

• Learn fast because they're hungry

• Want to work with no-BS people building something important

People who struggle here:

• Need extensive hand-holding

• View high expectations as “unreasonable”

• Actually prioritize work-life balance

• Can’t handle ambiguity or rejection

• Prefer consistent routine over fast-changing priorities

Key responsibilities:

• Define and own Flagright’s research and insights agenda, ensuring topics are timely, relevant, and aligned with industry developments and commercial priorities

• Conduct in-depth research on market trends, regulatory developments, and emerging risks, synthesizing complex information into clear, actionable insights

• Write, produce and publish high-quality thought leadership content and materials, including reports, whitepapers, and executive perspectives that position Flagright as an industry authority

• Act as editor-in-chief for Flagright’s flagship publications, setting the editorial vision, maintaining consistency in quality, and ensuring all outputs meet a high standard of rigor and clarity

• Translate product capabilities, customer experiences, and market signals into compelling, data-driven narratives that support positioning

• Engage with internal teams, customers, partners, and industry experts to gather primary insights and validate research perspectives

• Establish and maintain a high standard of analytical rigor, clarity, and originality across all published content

• Build and scale internal research processes, frameworks, and best practices to ensure consistency and quality over time

Who we are looking for:

• Proven subject matter expertise in AML, financial crime, or compliance, with a strong understanding of industry trends, regulatory frameworks, and emerging risks

• Demonstrated experience producing and publishing high-quality thought leadership content such as reports, whitepapers, or industry analyses

• Strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to synthesize complex topics into clear, structured, and insightful narratives

• Experience interviewing industry experts, customers, and stakeholders to extract meaningful insights and incorporate them into compelling content

• Excellent writing and editorial judgment, with a track record of creating content that is both authoritative and engaging for enterprise or technical audiences

• Experience owning or contributing to a research or editorial agenda, with the ability to identify timely and relevant topics

• Ability to translate product capabilities and customer insights into compelling positioning and strategic narratives

• Comfortable working cross-functionally with Product, Sales, and Marketing teams in a fast-paced environment

• High standards for rigor, accuracy, and originality, with strong attention to detail

• Self-directed and proactive, with the ability to take ownership of initiatives from concept to publication

• Based in or near London with right to work in the UK (visa sponsorship not available)

Preferred experience

• IRS special agents, FBI, Interpol, FCA, Scotland Yard, FinCEN, NCA, or other financial crime investigators

• Fincrime Leadership experience at a bank

What we offer:

• Direct exposure to leadership

• Influence how financial institutions manage financial crime risk as a global thought leader

• Product with clear, real-world differentiation

• High-bar environment focused on execution, learning, and continuous improvement

• Get equity from day 1 at a Y Combinator startup

• Work alongside a highly competent, top-tier team, including professionals from Y Combinator, ex AWS, and Palantir

• Enjoy a low-bureaucracy environment, minimal meetings, and an asynchronous communications culture