Chief Compliance Officer

About Our Client

Our client is a Dubai based fintech company focused on alternative investments across the MENA region. Its flagship platform is the first tokenized real estate and gold investment platform in the region, developed in partnership with the Dubai Land Department, the Central Bank of the UAE, the Dubai Future Foundation and a UAE digital bank. The business holds a Broker Dealer licence from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), enabling investors to purchase fractional, blockchain backed shares in Dubai property and gold.

The Role

Our client is hiring a Chief Compliance Officer to build and lead its compliance function from the ground up. Reporting directly to the CEO and leading a team of four, this is a genuine builder mandate for someone who wants to own the regulatory relationship with VARA and shape how a fast growing, regulated virtual asset business operates in one of the world's most closely watched digital asset markets.

Key Responsibilities

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  Act as the business's registered VARA Compliance Officer and/or MLRO, holding personal regulatory approval for the role

  
  


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  Design, implement and continuously improve the firm's compliance framework, policies and controls across AML, CFT, sanctions, market conduct and consumer protection

  
  


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  Own the ongoing relationship with VARA, including licence maintenance, regulatory reporting, examinations and approvals for new activities as the product suite grows

  
  


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  Build and lead a compliance team of four, setting standards, training and career development

  
  


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  Advise the CEO and Board on regulatory risk and on upcoming changes to the VARA rulebook, and their impact on product and commercial strategy

  
  


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  Oversee transaction monitoring, KYC/KYB onboarding standards and suspicious activity reporting across the platform

  
  


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  Partner with Legal, Product and Engineering to ensure new features, including tokenization mechanics, secondary market trading and custody arrangements, are compliant by design

  
  


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  Maintain relationships with key regulatory and government stakeholders, including the Dubai Land Department and the Central Bank of the UAE, where relevant to the business's licensed activities

  
  


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  Prepare and present compliance MI, risk assessments and regulatory updates to senior management

  
  

What We're Looking For

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  Holds, or is eligible to hold, an approved MLRO or Compliance Officer registration with VARA, DFSA, FSRA, FCA or MAS

  
  


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  Hands on experience within a licensed Virtual Asset Service Provider or crypto exchange, not solely a traditional bank

  
  


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  Has built or materially rebuilt a compliance function, rather than only operated within an existing one

  
  


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  Strong working knowledge of AML/CFT, sanctions and market conduct requirements as they apply to virtual assets

  
  


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  Comfortable operating as a senior, board facing voice in a fast paced, entrepreneurial environment

  
  


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  Based in or willing to relocate to Dubai; candidates relocating from London, Singapore or Hong Kong are welcome to apply

  
  

Reporting Line: CEO

Team: Leads a compliance team of four

Location: Dubai, UAE