Head of Compliance & MLRO

We are seeking an experienced and hands-on Head of Compliance & MLRO to join a growing B2B organization operating within the financial services space and expanding to Bahrain.

The role will be responsible for overseeing the organization’s compliance and financial crime framework, ensuring strong regulatory governance, risk management, and compliance practices across the business.

The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge of the Bahrain regulatory environment, particularly within financial services, payments, fintech, or related sectors, and will be comfortable operating in a high-ownership environment where they can build and develop compliance frameworks and processes from the ground up.

The Head of Compliance & MLRO will work closely with senior management, the Board, and relevant regulatory stakeholders, while supporting the business in ensuring that new products, partnerships, and initiatives are developed with compliance considerations embedded from the outset.

Main Responsibilities

• Serve as the Compliance Officer and MLRO, subject to the relevant regulatory approval requirements.
• Oversee the organization’s compliance with applicable Bahrain regulatory requirements and maintain ongoing regulatory obligations.
• Act as the primary liaison with the relevant regulator across regulatory notifications, returns, and supervisory engagement.
• Track and interpret regulatory changes, translating new requirements into internal policies, processes, and controls.
• Own and maintain the AML & CTF framework, including risk assessments, transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, and suspicious transaction reporting.
• Discharge MLRO responsibilities, including filing STRs/SARs and liaising with the Financial Intelligence Unit and relevant authorities.
• Oversee customer onboarding, KYC/KYB, and eKYC controls in line with applicable regulatory expectations.
• Develop, maintain, and govern the organization’s compliance and policy framework, including AML/CTF, onboarding, outsourcing, enterprise risk management, business continuity, and related policies.
• Establish the compliance monitoring programme and reporting cadence to management and the Board.
• Oversee regulatory reporting obligations and internal governance forums.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Law, Finance, Business, or a related field.
• 4+ years of experience in compliance and/or financial crime roles, with meaningful experience in payments, e-money, fintech, or financial services.
• Strong knowledge of the Bahrain regulatory environment and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Demonstrated experience as, or readiness to be approved as, a Compliance Officer and/or MLRO.
• Strong understanding of AML/CTF frameworks, KYC/KYB, sanctions, and transaction monitoring.
• Experience developing and implementing compliance policies, frameworks, and controls.
• Strong understanding of risk management, regulatory reporting, and compliance monitoring.
• Professional certification such as ICA, CAMS/ACAMS, or equivalent is preferred.
• Comfortable operating hands-on in an early-stage, fast-moving environment.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and Arabic.
• High level of ownership, attention to detail, and integrity.
• Able to work effectively with senior stakeholders, management, and cross-functional teams.