The Compliance Officer ensures that the organization adheres to all applicable laws and regulations, particularly with respect to anti-money laundering (AML) and other financial crimes prevention standards. This role is critical in mitigating the risks associated with non-compliance and ensuring that the crypto exchange maintains a strong reputation.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, implement, and continuously enhance the compliance framework, ensuring alignment with applicable UAE regulatory requirements (including but not limited to VARA, the Central Bank of the UAE, ADGM/FSRA, where relevant).
- Proactively monitor regulatory developments, supervisory notices, enforcement trends, and legislative updates impacting virtual asset activities, payments, financial services, and cross-border operations; assess implications and drive timely internal adoption.
- Oversee the accurate and timely preparation, submission, and retention of all regulatory reports, notifications, periodic returns, and incident filings, ensuring full adherence to regulatory disclosure standards.
- Conduct independent internal compliance reviews, thematic audits, and control-effectiveness assessments across business units; identify gaps, escalate issues, and recommend corrective actions supported by documented risk rationales.
- Establish and deliver compliance training programs covering AML/CTF, sanctions, market conduct, data protection, and operational risk, tailored to different stakeholder groups.
- Serve as a key point of contact for compliance-related inquiries, regulatory examinations, requests for information, and ad-hoc supervisory engagements.
- Investigate and report instances of potential non-compliance or regulatory breaches to senior management, and where required, prepare formal notifications to relevant authorities.
- Partner closely with product, operations, legal, AML, and risk teams to ensure new business initiatives, campaigns, and product launches meet regulatory expectations and internal policy requirements.
Requirements
- Minimum 5 years of hands-on compliance experience within regulated financial institutions, fintechs, or virtual asset service providers, with demonstrated familiarity with UAE regulatory frameworks.
- Bachelor's degree in law, finance, business, economics, or a related discipline; a relevant compliance certification (e.g., ICA, ACAMS) is advantageous.
- Strong knowledge of AML/CTF regulations, sanctions requirements, KYC/CDD standards, governance practices, and risk-based supervision models used by UAE regulators.
- Proven ability to interpret complex regulatory texts, evaluate compliance risks, and communicate requirements effectively to senior stakeholders, operational teams, and cross-functional partners.
