Head of Compliance / MLRO - Dubai

About the role

Lorum is a clearing and treasury business founded in 2023, now applying for a U.S. national trust bank charter. It is hiring a Head of Compliance / MLRO for its DFSA-regulated Dubai entity, based in Dubai Internet City with a hybrid setup of 4 days per week in the office. The role is the main point of contact for money-laundering escalations, suspicious activity reporting, policies and governance, and sits within a group framework led by the heads of compliance in Hong Kong, Switzerland, Singapore and the US.

Key responsibilities

• Act as the DFSA's go-to for questions, reviews and inspections, and handle DFSA and DIFC notifications and regulatory reporting
• Own money-laundering escalations and suspicious activity reporting
• Define what is and is not allowed, turn it into usable policy with Compliance Operations, and push back on client, transaction, product and business risk
• Maintain Dubai's AML, CTF and sanctions policies, risk assessments and governance, and run the monitoring plan through to closed actions
• Advise on new products, outsourcing and expansion, report to local and group committees, and lead a group workstream

Required profile

• 5+ years in senior compliance, including time in the MLRO seat or as a substantive deputy MLRO at a regulated firm
• Direct experience dealing with the DFSA or the Central Bank of the UAE
• Knowledge of money-laundering risk in payments and ability to make clear, risk-based calls on AML/CTF, sanctions and suspicious activity
• Ideal background in a fintech, payments or banking firm; calm and credible with regulators and leadership
• Nice to have: experience running local compliance within a group, experience with both the DFSA and the Central Bank of the UAE, ICA, CAMS or similar qualifications

What we offer

• Flexible vacation policy
• Private healthcare
• Employee stock ownership (ESOP)
• Flexible working and autonomy
• 2 annual "pay it forward" days for volunteering
• 3 wellness days every quarter