UAE Compliance Officer & MLRO

About the role: We are seeking a Compliance Officer & Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) who takes end-to-end ownership of the company’s compliance framework and regulatory operations across all UAE jurisdictions. Serving as the appointed Compliance Officer and MLRO, this is a key accountable regulatory role where the postholder is registered with regulatory authorities as a Responsible Individual.Operating across a multi-regime landscape, the role oversees compliance with applicable frameworks based on active licences, including the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), the federal Capital Market Authority (CMA), the Central Bank of the UAE, and financial free zone authorities (DFSA in DIFC, FSRA in ADGM), while ensuring full adherence to federal AML/CFT standards.ResponsibilitiesRegulatory licensing and Responsible Individual duties. Act as named Responsible Individual on the company’s licences and primary contact with the regulator. Own the licence lifecycle — applications, variations, activity additions, conditions, renewals and fees — and maintain a licence register. Manage regulatory correspondence, information requests, inspections and thematic reviews, and track findings to closure. Submit all periodic returns and notifications accurately and on time. Assess new and amended regulation and drive implementation through a tracked change log.Policies and procedures. Draft, implement and maintain the full compliance policy suite under version control, mapped to the specific rule or law each policy satisfies, with annual review and documented Board approval. Translate policies into workable procedures and controls with named ownersFinancial crime — MLRO duties. Act as MLRO and designated contact with the UAE Financial Intelligence Unit and the Executive Office for Control & Non-Proliferation. Own the enterprise-wide ML/TF/PF risk assessment and the customer risk methodology. Run the internal suspicion escalation process and manage tipping-off risk. Oversee sanctions, PEP and adverse media screening, transaction monitoring calibration, blockchain analytics coverage and wallet risk scoring. Approve or decline high-risk relationships and own the exit process. Report to the Board quarterly and produce the annual MLRO report.Compliance training. Design and deliver the annual compliance and AML/CFT training plan for all staff, senior management and the Board, calibrated to role and risk exposure. Deliver induction training before or immediately upon new joiners taking up duties, and refresher training at least annually. Provide role-specific sessions for KYC and onboarding, front office, customer support, technology and product teams. Train on each new or amended policy, regulatory change and thematic risk, and on lessons learned from breaches and inspection findings. Test effectiveness through assessments and scenario exercises rather than treating attendance as competence, and maintain auditable records of content, dates, attendees, results and remediation for non-completion.Monitoring, testing and assurance. Develop and execute a risk-based annual compliance monitoring programme covering every material obligation, with a documented methodology and rating scale. Perform thematic reviews and control testing; issue findings with owners and deadlines and track remediation. Maintain the compliance risk register, regulatory obligations register and breach register. Investigate breaches and near misses, determine root cause and notifiability, and act as first point of contact for internal audit and external reviewers.Governance, reporting and advisory. Prepare and present the periodic compliance report to the Board, covering regulatory developments, monitoring outcomes, breaches, complaints, training completion and financial crime metrics, and produce the annual compliance report and any required attestations. Advise the business on the regulatory implications of new products, tokens, services, markets and partnerships, and operate the new product approval gateway. Review marketing materials, client communications and disclosures before release. Manage complaints handling and root-cause analysis. Notify the Board in writing where the function is insufficiently resourced.RequirementsCurrently UAE-resident with a valid residence visa, or a UAE/GCC national, and able to remain Dubai-based throughout employment.Minimum 5 years in a compliance function, including at least 2 years in AML/CFT, within a regulated financial services, fintech, payments or virtual asset business.Demonstrable experience drafting and implementing compliance and AML policies from first principles, not only maintaining an inherited framework.Working knowledge of the UAE AML/CFT regime, including Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2018 and its implementing regulations, targeted financial sanctions obligations and goAML reporting.Experience designing and delivering compliance training to staff and senior management.Clean regulatory, criminal and credit record, and able to satisfy the regulator’s fit and proper assessment.Preferred ExperienceExisting regulatory approval as a Compliance Officer, MLRO, Responsible Individual, Authorised Individual or Approved Person with a UAE regulator.Experience taking a firm through a VARA, CMA/SCA, DFSA, FSRA or Central Bank licence application, or through a regulatory inspection or enforcement matter.Familiarity with the virtual asset Travel Rule and blockchain analytics tooling (e.g. Chainalysis, Elliptic, TRM).