Our client, a real-time payment services company established under the National Payment System (NPS) Act, to address the challenge of inter-bank money transfers in the country and beyond, is seeking to onboard a Manager - Compliance.
- The Manager - Compliance is responsible for leading regulatory compliance execution, AML/CFT/CPF operations, transaction surveillance, data protection and privacy governance, KYC/KYB oversight, regulatory horizon-scanning, compliance quality assurance, and related legal and regulatory advisory activities. S/he will work closely with both internal and external stakeholders and partners to there is effective AML/CFT/CPF & transaction surveillance, data protection, privacy & AI compliance, KYC/KYB & due diligence governance. The Manager - Compliance will be responsible for regulatory compliance & horizon scanning while also supporting operationalization and governance of the business Scheme Council. S/he will establish and maintain a compliance QA process across key business operations. The Manager - Compliance will also support legal and regulatory advisory activities relevant to business operations.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
AML/CFT/CPF & Transaction Surveillance
- Oversee daily transaction screening and PEP, sanctions, and adverse/negative-news monitoring
- Supervise resolution of Level 2 sanctions and screening alerts
- Review, validate, and track high-priority Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs)
- Ensure applicable STR/SAR filings are appropriately prepared and submitted to the Financial Reporting Centre (FRC) and CBK
- Regularly calibrate and test transaction-monitoring rules to improve detection effectiveness.
- Monitor emerging financial-crime typologies and recommend appropriate control enhancements.
Data Protection, Privacy & AI Compliance
- Conduct Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) for new products, tools, systems, and processing activities
- Ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act, 2019, and coordinate applicable Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) requirements and filings
- Maintain appropriate privacy governance and data-processing controls
- Establish governance controls for AI/ML models, including fairness, transparency, accountability, and explainability
- Provide compliance oversight for automated decision-making and data-driven technologies
- Support privacy-by-design principles across new products and systems.
KYC/KYB & Due Diligence Governance
- Establish and execute enterprise-wide KYC and KYB onboarding and periodic refresh procedures.
- Ensure participant and merchant onboarding applications are verified and risk-scored within defined turnaround times.
- Maintain scheduled periodic due diligence refresh cycles.
- Ensure high-risk relationships receive appropriate enhanced due diligence.
- Verify Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO), PEP involvement, corporate structures, licenses, and identification documentation.
- Maintain an audit-ready centralized compliance repository.
- Implement automated triggers for expiring licenses, identification documents, and risk-profile updates.
Regulatory Compliance & Horizon Scanning
- Conduct regular regulatory horizon-scanning activities
- Identify legislative and regulatory developments affecting payment operations
- Assess regulatory changes and coordinate implementation of required control or policy changes
- Maintain a centralized repository of regulatory requirements, legal precedents, and relevant compliance opinions.
- Support management with regulatory interpretation and compliance advisory services.
Scheme Governance & Industry Dispute Management
- Support operationalization and governance of the business Scheme Council
- Monitor interbank dispute-resolution SLAs
- Prepare compliance and risk governance packs for Scheme Council meetings
- Conduct quality assurance reviews of interbank clearing and settlement message workflows
- Monitor participant compliance with applicable scheme requirements.
Compliance Quality Assurance
- Establish and maintain compliance QA processes across key operational activities
- Conduct periodic compliance reviews and control testing
- Identify control weaknesses and coordinate remediation
- Maintain evidence and documentation required for internal, external, and regulatory reviews.
- Track compliance issues through to closure.
Legal & Regulatory Governance
- Support legal and regulatory advisory activities relevant to business operations
- Maintain and develop a searchable Digital Legal Opinion Library
- Support interpretation and implementation of applicable regulatory requirements
- Collaborate with Legal, Risk, Operations, Technology, and other functions to resolve compliance matters.
- Maintain knowledge of the compliance function and stay abreast with the latest practices, trends, and technologies
- Model best practices in compliance operations and activities in order to ensure maintenance of quality performance
- Update job knowledge by participating in conferences and educational opportunities, reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks, and participating in relevant professional associations
- Maintain quality service and partnerships by establishing and enforcing company compliance policies, procedures, standards, and values
- Put in place proper quality control checks and balances within each operational activity assigned to the function
- Regularly report on key performance indicators (KPIs) for all compliance-led projects and operations, demonstrating progress towards established goals and identifying areas for improvement.
Any other duties as required.
EDUCATION, SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Bachelor's Degree in Law, Compliance, Risk Management, Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Information Systems, or any other relevant and/or related discipline
- Professional qualifications in compliance, AML, risk, privacy, audit, or law is highly desirable
- Relevant certifications such as CAMS, ICA Compliance, CIPP/E, CIPM, CISA, CIA, CPA/ACCA, or equivalent are desirable depending on the area of specialization
- At least 7 years of relevant work experience in compliance, AML/CFT, regulatory affairs, data protection, risk, financial crime, or related functions
- At least 3 years of work experience in a managerial or senior supervisory position
- Experience within banking, payments, FinTech, financial services, or another regulated environment is highly desirable
- Experience with AML transaction monitoring, KYC/KYB, regulatory compliance, and data protection
- Experience dealing with regulators, auditors, law enforcement, or industry scheme stakeholders is an advantage
- AML/CFT/CPF compliance and financial-crime risk management experience
- Sanctions, PEP, adverse media, and transaction screening experience
- Experience with STR/SAR review and regulatory reporting
- Experience conducting KYC/KYB and Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD)
- UBO and corporate-structure analysis skills
- Data protection and privacy compliance as well as DPIA preparation and privacy risk assessment skills
- Regulatory interpretation, horizon-scanning, compliance monitoring, testing, and QA skills
- Experience with AI/ML governance and responsible automated decision-making controls
- Strong understanding of regulatory obligations affecting payment and financial services
- Proficiency with transaction-monitoring, KYC, screening, GRC, case management, and data analysis systems
- Strong investigative and analytical skills
- Excellent report writing and documentation skills
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
- Ability to exercise independent compliance judgment and escalate material issues
- Strong attention to detail and ability to manage confidential information
- Ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams (compliance, legal, technology, operations, risk, and business).