Team Lead — Compliance Monitoring, Assurance & Testing (CMAT)

Binance; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Lever, Inc. in Abu Dhabi is seeking a senior leader to drive the CMAT program, ensuring independent testing of AML/CFT, sanctions, and financial crime controls. You will provide board-ready reporting and escalate findings with remediation tracking.

The role requires 7–10+ years in compliance/assurance, strong ADGM FSRA knowledge, and leadership experience in a second-line or audit function. English fluency and regulatory reporting skills are essential.

Qualifications

• 7–10+ years in compliance, assurance, internal audit, or regulatory supervision in financial services or fintech, crypto/VASP preferred.
• 3+ years leading teams or workstreams in a second-line or audit function.
• Strong knowledge of ADGM FSRA rulebooks and UAE AML/CFT landscape; MAS/HKMA/FCA/DIFC-DFSA experience considered.
• Proven track record designing and executing risk-based compliance monitoring/testing programmes.
• Depth in AML/CFT, sanctions, and financial-crime testing.
• Excellent written and verbal English; strong report-writing and stakeholder-presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage a risk-based annual Compliance Monitoring & Assurance Plan (CMAP).
• Design and execute control testing across AML/CFT, sanctions, market abuse, client-asset safeguarding, and more.
• Apply full-cycle assurance: scoping, walkthroughs, sampling, testing, root-cause, remediation, closure.
• Deliver thematic deep-dives aligned to FSRA priorities and regulatory expectations.
• Produce board-ready assurance reports with findings, severity and action plans.
• Lead governance through robust issue-management and remediation tracking.

Skills

Compliance

Regulatory supervision

Auditing

AML/CFT

Sanctions

Financial crime testing

Leadership

Stakeholder communication

Second-line experience

English report-writing

Education

AML certifications (CAMS/CGSS/CRMA/CIA/ACCA/ACA/ICA)

Tools

SQL

Job description

The Team Lead for the Compliance Monitoring, Assurance & Testing (CMAT) team is responsible for designing and running Binance ADGM's independent, risk-based compliance monitoring and assurance programme. The role assures the Board, Senior Management and the FSRA that the firm's AML/CFT, market conduct, client-asset, and prudential controls are operating effectively and remain compliant with the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) rulebooks and applicable UAE federal requirements.

This is a senior second-line-of-defence leadership role accountable for the disciplined testing of controls, timely escalation of findings, and evidence-based regulatory reporting that stands up to FSRA supervisory scrutiny.

Responsibilities

Compliance Monitoring & Testing Programme

• Own and maintain a risk-based annual Compliance Monitoring & Assurance Plan (CMAP), refreshed on risk assessment outcomes, FSRA thematic reviews, and changes in regulatory posture.

• Design and execute control testing across AML/CFT, sanctions, market abuse, client-asset safeguarding, complaint handling, outsourcing, and technology/cyber governance.

• Apply full-cycle assurance methodology: scoping → walkthroughs → sampling → testing → root-cause analysis → findings rating → remediation tracking → closure validation.

• Deliver thematic deep-dives aligned to FSRA supervisory priorities (e.g., transaction monitoring effectiveness, Travel Rule compliance, EDD for high-risk clients, market abuse surveillance).

Regulatory Alignment (FSRA)

• Ensure monitoring activities map to the FSRA AML/CFT Rulebook, Conduct of Business (COBS), General (GEN), Prudential (PRU), and Virtual Asset framework obligations.

• Support the Compliance Officer and MLRO in demonstrating effective oversight under FSRA's risk-based supervision model.

• Maintain evidence trails that satisfy FSRA information requests, on-site inspections, and thematic reviews.

• Monitor regulatory change (FSRA consultations, ADGM notices, UAE Federal Decree-Law 20/2018 and its Executive Regulations, MoE/EO AML guidance) and reflect updates in the plan.

Findings, Reporting & Escalation

• Produce clear, board-ready assurance reports with quantified findings, severity ratings, and management action plans.

• Operate a robust issue-management and remediation-tracking framework with escalation protocols for overdue or high-risk items.

• Present monitoring results to Risk Committees, Compliance Committees, and where required the Board/Audit Committee.

• Liaise with Internal Audit and external auditors to ensure complementary (non-duplicative) coverage.

AML/CFT & Financial Crime Assurance

• Test the effectiveness of Cdd/edd, Kyc onboarding, periodic review, Pep/sanctions screening, transaction monitoring, and Sar/str escalation processes.

• Assess suspicious activity identification and reporting effectiveness, including FIU-UAE submission quality.

• Verify Targeted Financial Sanctions (TFS) and asset-freeze controls.

Leadership & Team Management

• Build, mentor, and lead a high‑performing assurance team — setting testing standards, quality review, and coaching.

• Foster a culture of challenge, professional scepticism, and integrity, consistent with SMCR conduct expectations.

• Manage resource allocation against the CMAP and ensure delivery within agreed SLAs.

Governance & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain CMAT policies, methodologies, and documentation to an auditable standard.

• Drive automation and data analytics to strengthen monitoring coverage and efficiency.

• Embed lessons learned into first- and second-line processes and training.

Requirements

Essential

• 7–10+ years in compliance, assurance, internal audit, or regulatory supervision within financial services, fintech, preferably within crypto/VASP environments.

• 3+ years leading teams or workstreams in a second-line or audit function.

• Strong working knowledge of ADGM FSRA rulebooks and the UAE AML/CFT landscape; comparable MAS, HKMA, FCA, or DIFC/DFSA experience will be considered.

• Proven track record designing and executing risk-based compliance monitoring/testing programmes.

• Depth in AML/CFT, sanctions, and financial-crime control testing.

• Excellent written and verbal English; strong report-writing and stakeholder-presentation skills.

Desirable

• CAMS, CGSS, CRMA, CIA, ACCA/ACA, ICA, or equivalent certification

• Prior experience in a regulated crypto/VASP or high-growth fintech.

• Data analytics, SQL, or audit-automation tooling skills.

• Arabic language proficiency (advantageous, not required).