MLRO Financial Crime Manager

Edenred UAE; Dubai; On-site; AED 536,000 - 804,000; Full time

Job summary

Edenred UAE is seeking a dedicated MLRO / Financial Crime Manager to own the organization’s AML/CFT program end‑to‑end. You will oversee transaction monitoring, SAR/STR processes, and risk assessments, while reporting to Senior Management and regulators.

You will lead the FinCrime and Fraud team, coordinate with the CBUAE, FIU, and law enforcement, and provide clear board‑level updates on program effectiveness and improvements.

Qualifications

• Own the AML/CFT program end-to-end in UAE, aligning with regulations and guidelines.
• Lead risk-based monitoring, detection, and reporting of suspicious activity.
• Provide board-level reporting and regulatory liaison with authorities.

Responsibilities

• Act as designated MLRO under UAE regulations and govern AML/CFT controls.
• Detect and investigate suspicious transactions and SAR/STR filings.
• Decide on reporting to FIU and manage post-filing actions and remediation.
• Lead AML/CFT risk assessments and coordinate with Compliance and Risk teams.
• Serve as primary liaison to CBUAE, FIU, and law enforcement; report program effectiveness.
• Oversee sanctions, watchlists, and PEP screening programs; ensure proper governance.

Skills

AML/CFT

Transaction monitoring

Fraud prevention

Regulatory liaison

Team management

Tools

NICE Actimize

FICO TONBELLER

Oracle Mantas

SAS AML

World-Check

Dow Jones Risk & Compliance

LexisNexis Bridger Insight

ComplyAdvantage

IdentityMind

Onfido

Trulioo

Job description

ABOUT EDENRED

Edenred is the leading digital platform for corporate services in the areas of benefits, professional mobility, and B2B payments.

Operating in 44 countries, it connects more than 60 million users to over 2 million partner merchants through more than 1 million client companies.

Edenred offers solutions dedicated to employee engagement (meal vouchers, commuting, gift vouchers, wellness, rewards, and preferential offers to boost purchasing power), mobility (multi-energy solutions, including EV charging, fleet management services, maintenance, toll, and parking), and corporate payments (virtual cards). In addition to its own solutions, Edenred also distributes offers from more than 120 partners on its platform.

True to the Groups purpose, "Enrich connections. For good.", these solutions enhance users well-being and purchasing power and simplify the lives of professional drivers while promoting access to healthier food, more environmentally friendly products, and more sustainable mobility. They improve the attractiveness and efficiency of businesses and vitalize the employment market and the local economy.

Edenreds 12,000 employees are committed to making the world of work a connected ecosystem that is safer, more efficient and more responsible every day.

In 2024, thanks to its global technology assets, the Group generated a business volume of nearly €45 billion, mainly through mobile applications, online platforms and cards.

Edenred is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange and included in the following indices: CAC Next 20, CAC Large 60, Euronext 100, Euronext Tech Leaders, FTSE4Good, DJSI Europe Index, DJSI World Index, and MSCI Europe.

THE UAE CONTEXT

Edenred UAE is a fast growing payroll service provider serving more than 15,000 business and more than 2.2 million unbanked employees. We service over 10 banks and 35 financial institutions. We offer a unique value proposition for companies to manage their payroll and for employees to receive their salaries and use it in the simplest way offering multiple value added services via our mobile app (money transfer, mobile recharge and card services).

THE ROLE

The MLRO / Financial Crime Manager is the designated Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) and Compliance Officer, within the meaning of the UAE AML/CFT Decision and CBUAE Guidelines, and owns the organizations AML/CFT program end-to-end. The role holder is ultimately responsible for ensuring an appropriate AML/CFT program exists, that the organization deploys an effective risk-based approach to detect and report suspicious activity, and for the identification, investigation, and reporting of suspicious activity related to money laundering, terrorist financing, financial crime, and fraud. The role owns the design, tuning, and effectiveness of transaction monitoring and screening for both financial crime and fraud typologies, manages the FinCrime and Fraud team, and acts with independence in decision-making on matters within its remit. The MLRO / Financial Crime Manager is the organizations primary point of contact with the CBUAE, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), and law enforcement agencies on AML/CFT and financial crime matters, and provides Senior Management, the Head of Compliance/CLCO, and the Board with clear, regular reporting on program effectiveness. This role is subject to CBUAE approval as the Companys Money Laundering Reporting Officer.

Responsibilities

• MLRO Designation and Program Ownership: Act as the designated MLRO in line with Financial Crime Regulations, owning, designing, and continuously enhancing the organizations AML/CFT program, including its governance, policies, procedures, and controls, aligned with UAE law, CBUAE regulations and Guidelines, and international standards.
• Detection and Investigation: Detect and monitor transactions relating to money laundering, the financing of terrorism, the financing of illegal organizations, fraud, and other predicate crimes; review and investigate internal SARs/STRs and other flagged transactions or activities, obtaining legal advice as necessary, and documenting findings and next steps.
• SAR/STR Decision and Filing: Decide, in full confidentiality, whether to notify the FIU by submitting an STR/SAR or to maintain the transaction, documenting the rationale for that decision, and report suspicious activity to the FIU and relevant regulators in a timely and accurate manner.
• Post-Filing Actions: Implement appropriate follow-on actions after an STR, SAR, or other suspicious activity report is filed, including placing the subject on internal watchlists or blacklists for close monitoring, updating the customers risk rating, and tracking remediation of related control gaps.
• AML/CFT Risk Assessment: Lead regular, organization-wide AML/CFT risk assessments to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities to money laundering and terrorist financing, and review all AML/CFT risk matters on an ongoing basis with the Compliance Lead and Risk Officer.
• Regulatory and Law Enforcement Liaison: Act as the primary point of contact for the CBUAE, the FIU, and law enforcement agencies on AML/CFT and financial crime matters, including leading responses to law enforcement production orders and other formal requests; cooperate with the Supervisory Authority and the FIU by providing requested data and enabling authorized personnel to access necessary records and documents; and, where possible, share knowledge, report cases, and develop best practices to improve coordination within the financial sector.
• Database and Screening Checks: Ensure accurate checking of relevant sanctions, watchlist, and other databases following notices from regulatory authorities or law enforcement, and own the organizations sanctions, watchlist, and politically exposed persons (PEP) screening programs, including escalation and Senior Management approval processes for high‑risk relationships.
• Register Maintenance: Maintain the Internal, External, Enquiries, and PEP Registers along with supporting team.
• Advisory to Head of Compliance: Advise the Head of Compliance on financial crime compliance related matters.
• Committee Participation: Participate in the Fraud, Compliance, and Risk Committee(s).
• Compliance/MLRO Sign-Off: Review payments and activities that require Compliance/MLRO sign-off.
• Policy and Procedure Review: Review internal AML/CFT and financial crime rules and procedures, assess their consistency with relevant laws and regulations, evaluate the organizations level of compliance with them, and propose what is needed to update and develop them.
• Independent Assessment: Assess the establishments level of compliance with AML/CFT and financial crime internal systems and procedures and propose enhancements.
• Reporting to the Board and CLCO: Report directly to the Board and elevate relevant issues as needed; prepare and deliver reports to the CLCO; and prepare and submit periodic reports (including semi‑annual reports) on the effectiveness of the AML/CFT and financial crime program directly to Senior Management, sending a copy to the relevant Supervisory Authority upon its request, together with Senior Managements observations and decisions.
• Training: Monitor the developpment, implementation, and document ongoing training and development programs and plans for employees on money laundering, the financing of terrorism and of illegal organizations, fraud and financial crime, and the means to combat them, and support the Compliance Lead in delivering AML/CFT training to employees.
• Transaction Monitoring and Fraud Prevention: Own the design, implementation, continuous optimization, and periodic review of transaction monitoring and screening rules and controls to prevent fraud and detect suspicious financial activity, collaborating with internal stakeholders to strengthen fraud prevention frameworks and enhance monitoring capabilities through data‑driven insights and technology‑enabled solutions.
• Team Management: Manage the performance of, and develop, the FinCrime and Fraud team, driving investigative and escalation processes and ensuring effective oversight of regulatory and compliance reporting activities, including timely submission of reports in line with internal policies and regulatory requirements.
• Fitness and Propriety: Support screening procedures to ensure high standards of fitness and propriety in the appointment of employees performing AML/CFT and financial crime functions.
• CBUAE Approval and Fit and Proper Status: Maintain CBUAE approval as MLRO, including satisfying ongoing fit‑and‑proper requirements, and promptly notify the CBUAE of any change in circumstances affecting that approval.
• Ongoing Awareness: Maintain awareness of obligations under relevant AML/CFT legislation, CBUAE Guidelines, and industry best practices.
• Collaborate closely with the Compliance Lead, Director, Risk Manager, Legal, and other stakeholders to support overall compliance and risk mitigation strategies.

Aml/Financial Crime Tools And Systems Familiarity

• Transaction Monitoring Systems (e.g., NICE Actimize, FICO TONBELLER, Oracle Mantas, SAS AML)
• Sanctions Screening Tools (e.g., World‑Check, Dow Jones Risk & Compliance, LexisNexis Bridger Insight)
• Customer Due Diligence (CDD)/KYC Platforms (e.g., ComplyAdvantage, IdentityMind, Onfido, Trulioo)
• Case Management Systems (e