Head of Risk, Compliance and MLRO

What you'll do

• Your responsibilities will be broad, encompassing all Risk, Compliance, and Anti-Money Laundering policies for the company.
Governance, Strategy & Leadership
• Serve as a key advisor to the Board, CEO, and Senior Management on all risk and compliance matters.
• Play a crucial role in developing and maintaining the firm's Risk Appetite Statement, ensuring risk strategy aligns with the overall business strategy.
• Ensure that accurate, timely, and relevant risk and compliance information is provided to the Board, Senior Management, and regulators.
• Take full ownership of all Risk, Compliance, and AML/CTF policies, ensuring they are fit for purpose, regularly reviewed, and effectively embedded.
• Liaise with the Third Line of Defence (Internal Audit) to ensure controls are effective and remedial actions are tracked to completion.
Risk Management 
• Oversee the implementation and continuous improvement of the company's Risk Management Framework.
• Ensure all material risks (operational, financial, regulatory, etc.) are identified, assessed, controlled, and mitigated.
• Conduct comprehensive Risk Assessments of the entity’s operations, including business, products, customers, and outsourcing relationships.
• Ensure adherence to the Risk Strategy & Appetite Framework, including continuous monitoring and reporting.
Compliance 
• Develop, implement, and maintain an effective, UK-wide compliance framework, policies, and controls.
• Oversee the monitoring of compliance with all relevant regulatory obligations (e.g., PSRs, Open Banking regulations), including proactive surveillance to identify potential breaches.
• Advise the business on payment regulatory questions related to product development, merchant agreements, end-user terms, and partner relationships.
• Ensure and uphold data confidentiality, integrity, and availability, acting as the owner for reporting any data privacy incidents to relevant authorities.
• Provide oversight of the client fund safeguarding and reconciliation functions.
• Act as the final point of escalation to evaluate and decide on actions for all reported cases.
Financial Crime & MLRO
• Act as the nominated Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) and Nominated Officer, holding personal responsibility for the firm's anti-financial crime framework.
• Serve as the primary contact for the National Crime Agency (NCA), Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), and law enforcement, managing all external SAR submissions.
• Establish, maintain, and oversee an effective anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF) framework.
• Own the firm's general AML Risk Assessment, customer risk assessment methodologies, and transaction monitoring models.
• Provide final sign-off and review of all higher-risk customer relationships.
• Own and develop efficient KYC and underwriting processes to prevent the firm from being used for illicit transactions, including sanctions screening.
Regulatory & UK Oversight
• Act as the primary contact person for the FCA and other authorities, maintaining a proactive and transparent relationship.
• Manage all risk and compliance-related regulatory reporting, ensuring timely and accurate submissions.
• UK Oversight: While the subsidiary has its own MLRO and Head of Compliance, you will be responsible for the parent company's oversight of the subsidiary's risk and compliance functions.
This includes:
• Ensuring strategic alignment of risk frameworks and policies across the group.
• Reviewing group-level risks and controls.Providing strategic guidance and support to the subsidiary's leadership.

Who you are

• Experience: A minimum of 6-10 years of relevant experience in risk and compliance roles within an FCA-regulated payments or e-money institution.
• Nominated Officer Experience: A minimum of 3-5 years of demonstrable experience as a nominated MLRO and/or Head of Compliance.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Expert-level understanding of the UK regulatory landscape, including the Payment Services Regulations (PSRs), FCA Handbook, Proceeds of a Crime Act, Money Laundering Regulations,  JMLSG guidance, and Open Banking.
• Financial Crime Expertise: Deep and practical expertise in KYC, transaction monitoring, sanctions, SAR reporting, and managing investigations.
• Leadership: Proven experience in a senior leadership role with the ability to influence C-suite executives, board members, and regulators.
• Regulatory Relations: Demonstrable experience as the primary point of contact with the FCA and NCA.
• Previous experience as a statutory director or board member would be advantageous.
• Experience managing compliance in a complex group structure (parent/subsidiary) would be highly beneficial.
• Holding a relevant professional qualification (e.g., ICA Diploma, ACAMS) would be an asset.
• A legal background or qualification would be preferable.
• Strategic Thinker: Ability to see the bigger picture and align risk management with business goals.
• Unquestionable Integrity: A strong ethical compass and the courage to make difficult decisions.
• Excellent Communicator: Ability to distill complex regulatory concepts into clear, concise advice for stakeholders at all levels.
• Resilient & Pragmatic: A hands-on, problem-solving attitude with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced scale-up environment.