Director, Compliance (UAE)

About Zodia Custody   

Zodia Custody is the leading institution-first digital asset custodian, formed through a partnership between Standard Chartered, Northern Trust, SBI Holdings and National Australia Bank. Our mission is to enable institutional investors worldwide to fully embrace the potential of the digital asset future in a secure and reliable manner. By combining cutting-edge technology, robust custody solutions, and a focus on governance and compliance, Zodia Custody meets the complex needs of institutional investors.  

 About the role   

This is a full-time role for a Compliance Director, performing the COMLRO role in the ADGM for an FSRA authorised digital asset custodian. The individual will be responsible for safeguarding Zodia against financial crime by establishing and maintaining a robust compliance framework, proactively managing regulatory requirements, and mitigating emerging risks. This is a fast-paced role within a high-performing environment. The ideal candidate is an experienced compliance professional with deep knowledge of financial crime and compliance regulations in traditional finance, along with experience or a strong interest in digital assets. 

Responsibilities:

• Serve as the FSRA approved Compliance Officer and Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) for Zodia Custody’s ADGM regulated entity, with prescribed senior management responsibility for compliance and financial crime matters. 

• Act as Data Protection Officer (or equivalent responsible person) in accordance with the ADGM Data Protection Regulations, overseeing data protection governance, regulatory engagement and incident reporting. 

• Design, implement and maintain a comprehensive Compliance and Financial Crime framework covering AML/CFT, sanctions, fraud, bribery and corruption, tax evasion, conduct risk, conflicts of interest, data protection and market integrity, aligned to FSRA Rulebooks and Zodia Group standards 

• Development of policies, standards and processes to ensure adherence with all local regulatory requirements, including interpretation and analysis of incoming regulatory requirements.  

• Ensure the timely and accurate submission of all mandatory FSRA regulatory returns, notifications and adhoc information requests, including incident, breach and financial crime reporting. 

• Oversee and, where required, execute client due diligence, sanctions screening, blockchain investigations and enhanced due diligence for UAE clients, ensuring appropriate segregation between first and second-line activities.  

• Primary liaison with the FSRA and other applicable UAE regulatory authorities. 

• Provide compliance oversight of material outsourcing and thirdparty arrangements, including technology providers, blockchain analytics vendors and cloud service providers, in line with FSRA outsourcing requirements.  

• Partner with Risk and Technology teams to ensure compliance input into: Operational resilience frameworks, Incident management and regulatory notification obligations, Data localisation, retention and cyberrisk considerations 

• Overseeing the effective operation of compliance and financial crime process operations, including executing 2nd line control sample testing. 

• Collaborate with Group Compliance leadership to create strategic plans and guarantee the timely achievement of essential compliance initiatives and objectives covering global and UAE local compliance controls.  

• Lead enterprise and productlevel risk assessments and deliver targeted, rolebased compliance and financial crime training for UAE staff and senior management. 

• Representing Zodia Custody at local market events, including participating as a speaker on panels. 

• 7+ years in a Financial Crime and Compliance role in a financial services firm, including previous experience holding an approved COMLRO role with a firm, and overseeing a compliance function.  

• A subject matter expert in UAE, ADGM and FSRA Financial Crime and Compliance requirements including but not limited to AML, CTF, Sanctions, ABC, conflicts of interest, data privacy and conduct. 

• Proactive and deliveryfocused, with a strong ability to engage directly in detailed tasks and execute efficiently. Comfortable managing changing priorities and sustaining high performance in a dynamic, fastpaced environment. 

• Extensive knowledge of FSRA and other UAE appliable regulatory frameworks for digital asset firms and associated financial crime and compliance risks. 

• Experience in managing a team and acting in a leadership capacity 

• You are based in ADGM or can regularly travel to ADGM for work. 

• Exceptional communication skills, fostering trust and transparency across all levels of the organization. 

• You have a strong interest in digital assets and an understanding of digital assets and  blockchain technology. 

• You are a resident of the UAE or hold a UAE passport 

• Desirable: You have experience working in a digital asset firm and/or have extensive knowledge of digital assets, preferably custody, and are proficient in utilising blockchain analytics tools. 

We are a friendly team, with monthly socials and seasonal celebrations as well as offering a range of fantastic benefits including:

• Private health care
• Critical Illness cover
• Life Insurance
• Flexible bank holidays (can chose whether to work on bank holidays and use the leave elsewhere in the year)