Senior Compliance

The Bahrain-based MLRO (Senior Manager ) will report to the Regional MEA Head of Compliance. You will be responsible for supporting

's Bahrain business in their regulatory licensing application(s) with the Central Bank of Bahrain, compliance obligations, including daily management of the Bahrain Compliance Program, management of independent reviews/external audits, preparing and submitting regulatory reports, maintaining program documentation tracking, and providing recommendations in program improvements.

You will also support the Regional MEA Head of Compliance in other Middle East markets.

Responsibilities

• Facilitates the development and maintenance of an appropriate compliance culture within the Company in Bahrain
• Ensures robust policies and controls are in place and in line with regulatory requirements in Bahrain
• Provides regulatory updates to the Board on the state of the Compliance Program in Bahrain and escalates any significant risks as soon as appropriate
• Acts as the Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) for the Bahrain operations
• Monitors, reviews, and communicates to all relevant stakeholders any significant regulatory developments within the business environment in Bahrain, actively developing technical knowledge in relation to the regulatory framework governing card issuance activities
• Supports regulatory license applications and acts as our regulatory liaison in Bahrain
• Maintains relationships with regulators such as the Central Bank of Bahrain and other relevant authorities in Bahrain
• Oversees the effective implementation of internal compliance policies and procedures for card issuance in
• Liaises with internal (e.g., Legal, Compliance, Finance, IT, Security, etc.) and external (external counsel, consultants, etc.) stakeholders to ensure accurate reporting to regulatory bodies in Bahrain
• Responds to law enforcement requests and inquiries in Bahrain as appropriate
• Performs regular internal reviews to ensure full compliance with all regulatory requirements in Bahrain
• Prepares and implements action plans to remedy any identified regulatory compliance shortfalls for the Bahrain market and escalates recommendations to senior leadership on the required actions
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as needed from time to time to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements in Bahrain in accordance with the company's global standards

Requirements

• Minimum of eight years of relevant experience working within a regulated financial institution; or a regulatory authority; or a law firm handling compliance matters relating to AML and applicable payments services and other traditional finance laws and regulations
• Locally recognized qualification/s related to the role in Bahrain
• Experience within the digital assets industry (cryptocurrency) is strongly preferred and advantageous
• An understanding of AML regulations and payments services legislation within the banking/financial services industry in Bahrain, particularly concerning card issuance
• Demonstrating an understanding of regulatory requirements vs. "best practices" in compliance is critical, coupled with the ability to distill and discern important information from regulatory guidance, statutes and regulations, audit findings, and determine how it impacts the business in Bahrain
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills and a proven history of working effectively with people at all levels across a decentralized international and matrixed environment
• Motivated and solution-oriented, with the ability to work successfully across multiple cultures and with demonstrated success working closely within a team as well as independently
• Perform and execute to a high standard