Head of Compliance | MLRO

Responsibilities

• Serve as BTSE Dubai's Head of Compliance and designated Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) for the UAE entity.
• Act as principal regulatory liaison for VARA, CBUAE, FIU and other relevant UAE authorities; manage filings, inspections, and regulatory correspondence.
• Lead and maintain the AML/CTF framework: customer due diligence (CDD/KYC), transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, suspicious activity reporting, investigations, and remediation.
• Ensure compliance with UAE federal AML laws (Federal Decree-Law No. (20) of 2018, Cabinet Decision No. (10) of 2019) and VARA requirements for virtual assets.
• Develop, implement and update compliance policies, procedures, risk assessments, and Key Compliance Indicators (KCIs) tailored to virtual asset operations.
• Provide strategic compliance guidance to senior management, product and business teams on new initiatives, partnerships and product launches.
• Design and deliver AML/CTF and compliance training (onboarding and periodic refreshers) across the Dubai entity.
• Conduct periodic internal compliance testing and reviews; prepare reports for the Board and Group Chief Compliance Officer.
• Participate in risk committees and coordinate with legal, risk, and data protection teams to ensure integrated governance and reporting.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Law, Finance, Business or related field (Master's preferred).
• Minimum 7–10 years' experience in compliance and AML/CTF within financial services, fintech or virtual asset/crypto sectors.
• Proven MLRO experience and hands-on KYC/CDD, transaction monitoring and sanctions screening knowledge.
• Deep understanding of UAE regulatory landscape (VARA, CBUAE, DFSA, FSRA) and AML/CTF obligations.
• Proven experience managing regulator engagements and regulatory programs in the UAE.
• Native-level Arabic proficiency and strong written/verbal English communication skills.
• UAE citizenship and legal authorization to work in the UAE (required).
• Strong analytical, investigative and problem-solving skills and ability to interpret complex regulatory requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional AML certifications such as CAMS, ICA or CCAS.
• Experience with blockchain analytics tools (Chainalysis, TRM Labs, Elliptic) and virtual asset risk tooling.
• Prior exposure to VARA or ADGM licensing, inspections or regulatory applications.
• Familiarity with market surveillance and trade monitoring tools.
• Experience establishing compliance functions for regional entities or start-up exchanges.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and bonus.
• Health insurance coverage.
• Paid annual leave and statutory benefits.
• Flight allowance / annual ticket and end-of-service gratuity in line with UAE Labour Law.
• Support with visa and local HR onboarding for eligible employees.

About the Company

BTSE Group is a global fintech and blockchain technology leader operating across Exchange, Payments, and Infrastructure Development. Serving corporate and retail clients worldwide, BTSE provides exchange infrastructure, custody, wallets, payments, blockchain integration, and trading solutions. Ranked among the top global digital asset exchanges, BTSE is expanding its Dubai operations and seeks an experienced compliance leader to help scale business safely and in full regulatory compliance within the MENA region.