Head of AML & Financial Crime Compliance

Head of AML & Financial Crime Compliance (Confidential)About the opportunityA UAE Central Bank-regulated payments business is confidentially hiring a Head of AML & Financial Crime Compliance. The business has been licensed in recent years and its merchant acquiring volumes are growing quickly. The compliance function needs a hands-on leader to scale controls, case quality and the team in step with that growth.This is a build-and-do role. You will lead a lean team (currently 2-3, expected to reach 3-5 over the next 18 months) and stay close to the work: reviewing cases, making calls and engaging the regulator.What you’ll ownAML/CFT strategy and execution under UAE regulation and Central Bank expectationsTransaction monitoring, investigations and escalation processesSTR/SAR decisioning support and regulatory reporting readinessCase management quality, documentation and defensibilityGovernance, audit readiness and regulatory alignmentRecruiting, developing and leading the team as volumes growDay-to-day engagement with the MLRO, executive leadership and the regulatorWhat you’ll bring8-12 years in AML or financial crime, including at least 3 years in a UAE regulated payments, fintech or banking environmentDirect exposure to the UAE Central Bank AML/CFT framework (submissions, examinations or regulatory queries)Hands-on experience leading investigations, transaction monitoring or case management, and managing the people doing itExperience in a fast-scaling or recently licensed PSP, acquirer or fintech, where growing volumes put pressure on compliance, and you adapted the controls and team to copeExperience working with an MLRO and compliance committeesThis role is not suited toPurely advisory compliance backgroundsSanctions-only specialists without AML investigations exposureCandidates who prefer to lead through a large team rather than stay hands-onWho this is for This is a step-up role for a strong Head of AML, Deputy MLRO or Senior Financial Crime Manager who is ready to lead a function and grow with the business.Package: AED 38,000-42,000 per month, reflecting a scale-up environment rather than a large-corporate package. Full details shared in confidential conversation.If you’re open to a confidential discussion, please apply or message us. All conversations are handled in strict confidence.