MLRO & Financial Crime Manager (part-time)

Who are we looking for

We are seeking an experienced Compliance & Financial Crime Manager to serve as the Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) for our  UK-regulated entity. This is an SMF 17 role. This pivotal role requires a deep understanding of the financial crime risk landscape and comprehensive knowledge of UK regulatory expectations.

This role is a unique opportunity to lead the financial crime agenda and shape the compliance culture of a dynamic, UK-regulated financial entity as well as to support the Company in other areas of regulatory compliance and risk management. If you are a strategic thinker with a passion for regulatory compliance and risk management, we invite you to apply and make a significant impact.

• Support the FCA License Application Process: Work closely with senior leadership and regulatory advisors to support the FCA authorization process, ensuring that all financial crime-related policies, frameworks, and controls meet regulatory expectations.

• Lead and Manage the Financial Crime Program:  Develop, implement, and continuously enhance the AML/CFT and financial crime framework, ensuring robust controls against money laundering, terrorism financing, and sanctions risks.

• Domain Expert for AML/CFT and Sanctions Compliance: Act as the senior subject matter expert for Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Counter Financing of Terrorism (CFT), and Sanctions regulations, providing strategic guidance and operational support.

• MLRO Duties: As the appointed MLRO, ensure timely reporting of suspicious activity to the relevant authorities, maintaining full compliance with UK regulatory requirements.

• Strategic Advisory and Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with the Board of Directors, the compliance & ops team to provide strategic direction and operational insights on financial crime risks and regulatory changes.

• Reporting Structure: Report directly to the Board of Directors, ensuring clear communication and alignment on compliance objectives and risk management strategies.

• Extensive experience in AML, CFT, and financial crime compliance within a regulated financial institution (EMI, PSP, Bank, or FinTech).

• Approved or previously approved as an SMF17 (MLRO) by the FCA, or eligible for approval.

• Strong understanding of UK AML laws, FCA expectations, JMLSG guidance, and sanctions regulations.

• Proven experience leading financial crime compliance programs, including transaction monitoring, SAR reporting, fraud risk management, and regulatory audits.

• Hands-on experience supporting FCA license applications and regulatory engagement is a strong plus.

• Exceptional communication skills and ability to engage with regulators, law enforcement, and senior stakeholders.

• Experience with payments, embedded finance, or fintech platforms is a plus.

• Impactful Role: An opportunity to have an impact on what we aspire to become the global leading payments platform for Vertical SaaS. 

• Competitive Compensation: Attractive salary, equity, and benefits.

• Flexible & Strategic Opportunity – This is a part-time, remote role based in the UK,with the opportunity to take a foundational leadership position in the UK entity as we scale.

Recruitment Process:

• Screening Call (30-45 mins): An initial conversation with a member of our team to discuss your background, the role, and how we operate.

• Compliance & Regulatory Discussion (1 hour): A deep dive into your expertise in AML, financial crime compliance, and UK regulatory expectations, including how you would approach the MLRO (SMF17) role.

• Final Interview/Case Study (1 hour): A structured discussion with our leadership team, where you’ll walk through a realistic case study related to financial crime risks, regulatory challenges, or FCA engagement. This will give us insight into your approach to problem-solving and decision-making.