MLRO

Confidential; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 500,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential in Abu Dhabi seeks a senior financial crime leader to design, implement, and oversee the firm's AML/CFT and sanctions framework in line with UAE regulations across banking, payments, and fintech clients.

The role combines strategic oversight with hands-on execution—leading reviews of suspicious activity, developing risk assessment programs, blockchain analytics, Travel Rule compliance, and regulator liaison, with direct reporting to senior management.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in financial crime, AML/CFT, or sanctions within regulated financial services.
• Strong knowledge of UAE AML legislation, sanctions requirements, and regulatory expectations.
• Experience in virtual assets, digital assets, banking, payments, brokerage, fintech, or related regulated environments.
• Hands-on leader with strategic and execution capability in financial crime programs.
• Willing to be based in Abu Dhabi or relocate as needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the implementation and ongoing effectiveness of the AML/CFT and sanctions programme per UAE requirements.
• Review, investigate, and escalate on internal suspicious activity reports with reporting to authorities when required.
• Develop and maintain AML policies, risk assessment frameworks, CDD/EDD, transaction monitoring and sanctions screening.
• Oversee controls relating to virtual asset financial crime risks including blockchain analytics and wallet screening.
• Ensure Travel Rule compliance and related monitoring/reporting obligations.
• Maintain BRA and CRA frameworks and oversee investigations and monitoring activities.
• Oversee AML/CFT training programmes and ensure proper documentation.
• Act as primary contact with regulators and authorities on financial crime matters and provide AML reporting to senior management.

Skills

AML/CFT leadership

Regulatory compliance

Sanctions

Blockchain analytics

Stakeholder management

AI in AML

Strategic execution

Job description

The role is responsible for leading and overseeing the firm's AML/CFT and sanctions framework, ensuring compliance with applicable UAE financial crime regulations.

This is a hands‑on senior leadership role for an experienced financial crime professional with deep expertise in AML/CFT, sanctions, virtual asset risks, blockchain analytics, and the evolving regulatory landscape across digital assets.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the implementation and ongoing effectiveness of the firm's AML/CFT and sanctions programme in accordance with applicable UAE regulatory requirements.
• Review, investigate, and determine appropriate action on internal suspicious activity reports, ensuring timely escalation and reporting to the relevant authorities where required.
• Develop and maintain AML policies, risk assessment frameworks, customer due diligence (CDD), enhanced due diligence (EDD), transaction monitoring, and sanctions screening programmes.
• Oversee controls relating to virtual asset financial crime risks, including blockchain analytics, wallet screening, sanctions exposure, and high‑risk jurisdictions.
• Ensure compliance with applicable Travel Rule requirements and associated monitoring and reporting obligations.
• Maintain and periodically review the firm's Business Risk Assessment (BRA) and Customer Risk Assessment (CRA) frameworks.
• Oversee AML investigations, transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, and customer risk management activities.
• Ensure AML/CFT and sanctions training programmes remain current, effective, and appropriately documented across the organisation.
• Act as the primary point of contact with regulators and relevant authorities on financial crime matters and provide regular AML reporting to senior management and governance committees.

Requirements

• 10+ years of significant experience in financial crime, AML/CFT, or sanctions within regulated financial services environments.
• Strong working knowledge of UAE AML legislation, sanctions requirements, and financial crime regulatory expectations.
• Experience within virtual assets, digital assets, banking, payments, brokerage, capital markets, fintech, or other regulated financial services businesses.
• Strong understanding of virtual asset products, blockchain‑related financial crime risks, blockchain analytics, sanctions compliance, and Travel Rule requirements.
• Experience engaging with regulators, law enforcement agencies, or financial intelligence units on AML/CFT matters.
• Ability to operate strategically while remaining hands‑on in execution.
• Strong judgement, stakeholder management, and decision‑making capability.
• Demonstrated interest in, and practical application of AI technologies to enhance AML, transaction monitoring, investigations, or operational effectiveness will be viewed favourably.
• Candidate must be based in, or willing to relocate to, Abu Dhabi.

Profile

• Prior experience leading a financial crime compliance function or holding an equivalent senior financial crime leadership role within a regulated financial services firm.
• Strong UAE financial crime regulatory credibility, ideally gained within virtual assets, banking, payments, brokerage, capital markets, fintech, or other regulated financial services environments.
• Strong understanding of the virtual asset ecosystem and its evolving financial crime risks.
• Practical, commercially minded leader with the ability to build, enhance, and execute financial crime compliance frameworks in a hands‑on environment.
• Eligible to satisfy applicable UAE regulatory fit and proper requirements for a senior financial crime leadership role.