MLRO & Head of Compliance

Job Description

REQUIREMENTS

• Must have personally led at least one financial license application from start to finish (EMI/PI/e-Money/VASP or equivalent, any jurisdiction) — i.e., hands-on experience with application drafting, regulator engagement, and securing final approval, not just BAU compliance maintenance at an already-licensed institution
• 5+ years of experience in Compliance, AML, or Risk Management within fintech, cross-border payments, or licensed financial institutions
• Strong grounding in FATF standards, KYC/KYB, transaction monitoring, and sanctions screening
• Ability to independently engage and negotiate with regulators, law firms, and banking partners, and to make sound judgment calls under regulatory ambiguity
• Fluent in English (working language); experience in emerging markets (Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia, or South Asia) strongly preferred
• Working understanding of stablecoins/crypto assets; on-chain AML or crypto-specific compliance experience is a plus but not required

Nice to Have

• Portuguese or Spanish language proficiency (for LatAm markets)
• Prior compliance/licensing role at an EMI, cross-border payments company, or crypto exchange/wallet
• Direct experience coordinating with card network (Visa/Mastercard) compliance teams
• MLRO (Money Laundering Reporting Officer) qualification or prior appointment experience

RESPONSIBILITES

• Lead feasibility studies for financial licensing (EMI/PI/e-money/VASP or equivalent) in 1-2 priority emerging markets, evaluating application pathways, capital requirements, approval timelines, and long-term compliance cost
• Coordinate with local licensed law firms and regulatory consultants to manage the end-to-end license application process, including documentation, regulator engagement, and follow-up
• Build the company’s core Compliance, AML, and Risk frameworks from scratch — including KYC/KYB processes, transaction monitoring rules, risk assessment matrices, and Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) procedures
• Assess and manage compliance risk exposure related to existing channel partners (licensed card issuers), including due diligence, contract review, and ongoing monitoring
• Liaise with card network (Visa/Mastercard, etc.) and banking partner compliance teams to ensure card programs remain within network risk tolerance
• Establish a regular risk reporting cadence to leadership, proactively flagging early signals of regulatory tightening
• Develop a repeatable methodology for evaluating licensing feasibility as the company expands into additional emerging markets

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