Head of Compliance | MLRO

Responsibilities

Regulatory Leadership & Oversight
• Act as BTSE Dubai’s principal contact for VARA, Central Bank of the UAE, FIU, and other relevant authorities.
• Lead and manage all regulatory filings, notifications, inspections, and correspondence.
• Ensure timely implementation of new or updated regulations, circulars, and guidance issued by VARA or other supervisory bodies.
• Represent the firm in regulatory meetings and audits, ensuring all inquiries are addressed promptly and accurately.
AML / CTF & Financial Crime Compliance
• Serve as the designated MLRO for the Dubai entity.
• Oversee customer due diligence (CDD/KYC), transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, investigations, and suspicious transaction reporting in line with Federal Decree-Law No. (20) of 2018 and Cabinet Decision No. (10) of 2019.
• Maintain and update the AML/CTF framework, including policies, procedures, and risk assessments tailored to the virtual asset sector.
• Ensure all employees receive adequate AML/CTF and compliance training, including onboarding and annual refreshers.
• Conduct periodic internal compliance reviews and testing to assess control effectiveness and recommend improvements.
Governance, Policy & Advisory
• Develop and maintain BTSE Dubai’s compliance policy framework, ensuring alignment with BTSE Group standards.
• Provide strategic compliance and regulatory advice to management and product teams on new initiatives, business models, and partnerships.
• Participate in risk committees, ensuring that compliance risks are properly identified, documented, and mitigated.
• Oversee the data protection and regulatory reporting functions in collaboration with legal and risk counterparts.
Monitoring & Reporting
• Maintain detailed records of compliance monitoring activities, breaches, and remedial actions.
• Prepare periodic compliance and AML reports for the Board and the Group Chief Compliance Officer.
• Establish and track Key Compliance Indicators (KCIs) to measure program effectiveness.
• Lead the annual review of the entity’s Risk Assessment and Compliance Monitoring Plan.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Law, Finance, Business, or related field (Master’s preferred).
• Minimum 7–10 years of compliance and AML/CTF experience within financial services, fintech, or virtual asset/crypto industries.
• Deep understanding of UAE regulatory landscape (VARA, CBUAE, DFSA, FSRA) and related AML/CTF obligations.
• Proven experience dealing directly with regulators and leading compliance programs in the UAE.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex regulatory requirements.
• Native-level Arabic proficiency, with strong written and verbal communication skills in English.
• UAE citizenship is required for this role, along with legal authorization to work locally.

Nice to haves

• Professional certifications such as CAMS, ICA, CCAS, or equivalent.
• Experience with blockchain analytics tools (Chainalysis, TRM Labs, Elliptic, etc.).
• Previous involvement in license applications or regulatory inspections under VARA, ADGM or similar regimes.
• Familiarity with market surveillance tools (e.g., Solidus Labs, NASDAQ SMARTS).