Full job description

Location:

UAE

Description:

We are looking for a Compliance Officer to take ownership of our regulatory compliance framework. The role carries responsibility for ensuring the organisation meets its obligations under the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) regime, the UAE's anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) legislation, applicable targeted financial sanctions, and internal governance standards.

The successful candidate will be appointed as the firm's VARA-approved Compliance Officer and must therefore satisfy VARA's fitness and propriety requirements. Operating as the organisation's compliance lead, they will partner with regulators, senior management and teams across the business to maintain the compliance programme.

Key Responsibilities:

Regulatory Compliance

• Act as the firm's VARA-approved Compliance Officer, discharging the responsibilities and personal accountabilities attached to that function under the VARA rulebooks, managing regulatory queries, inspections, audits and thematic reviews.
• Design, deliver and maintain the compliance framework in line with the VARA rulebooks and applicable UAE law.
• Act as principal point of contact for VARA and other relevant authorities, coordinating regulatory correspondence, submissions, and periodic returns.
• Track adherence to licence conditions, managing regulatory reporting requirements and internal policy, escalating gaps as they arise.
• Monitor regulatory and legislative change, evaluate the impact on the business, and update policy and operational approaches.

AML / CTF & Financial Crime

• Contribute to the AML, CTF, sanctions screening, KYC, customer due diligence (CDD) and enhanced due diligence (EDD) programmes.
• Contribute to transaction monitoring, review and investigate alerts and unusual activity, ensuring suspicious activity is escalated and reported to the UAE Financial Intelligence Unit within required timeframes.
• Carry out periodic financial crime risk assessments and implement proportionate controls and mitigants.
• Maintain effective financial crime controls across the organisation.

Governance & Risk Management

• Maintain and refresh compliance policies, procedures and governance arrangements.
• Support enterprise-wide governance, risk and regulatory initiatives.
• Produce management information and compliance reporting for senior leadership and the Board.

Advisory & Training

• Advise on the compliance and regulatory implications of new products, services and strategic initiatives.
• Contribute to and deliver compliance and financial crime training across the organisation.

Qualifications & Experience:

• A recognised compliance or financial crime qualification is desirable (e.g. CAMS, ICA Diploma, CRCM).
• Minimum of 5 years' compliance experience gained in virtual assets, fintech, banking, financial services or another comparable regulated sector.
• Practical, demonstrable knowledge of the VARA framework and UAE AML/CTF requirements.
• Track record of managing regulatory inspections, monitoring programmes and regulatory reporting.
• Prior experience within a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) or similar sector is desirable.
• Able to meet VARA's fitness and propriety requirements for an approved Compliance Officer as set out in the VARA Rulebooks.

Desired Skills:

• Strong command of the VARA rulebooks and the wider UAE regulatory framework for financial services and virtual assets.
• Depth across AML/CTF, financial crime prevention, sanctions and transaction monitoring.
• Confident managing regulatory relationships and regulatory reporting.
• Skilled in compliance monitoring, testing and risk assessment.
• Capable drafting policy and procedure documentation.
• Strong analytical, communication and decision-making skills.
• High personal integrity, professionalism and attention to detail.
• Currently resident in the UAE.
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