Head of Compliance & MLRO

About the role

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 oversee the compliance and financial‑crime framework, ensuring strong regulatory governance, risk management and compliance practices across the business.

Key responsibilities

• Serve as the Compliance Officer and MLRO, obtaining any required regulatory approvals.
• Oversee compliance with Bahrain regulatory requirements and maintain ongoing obligations.
• Act as primary liaison with the regulator for notifications, returns and supervisory engagement.
• Track regulatory changes and translate them into internal policies, processes and controls.
• Own and maintain the AML & CTF framework, including risk assessments, transaction monitoring, sanctions screening and suspicious transaction reporting.
• Manage customer onboarding, KYC/KYB and eKYC controls in line with regulatory expectations.
• Develop, maintain and govern the organization’s compliance and policy framework covering AML/CTF, onboarding, outsourcing, enterprise risk management and business continuity.
• Establish compliance monitoring programmes and reporting cadence to senior management and the Board.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Law, Finance, Business or a related field.
• 4+ years of experience in compliance or financial‑crime roles, preferably within payments, e‑money, fintech or financial services.
• Strong knowledge of the Bahrain regulatory environment and relevant requirements.
• Readiness to be approved as a Compliance Officer and/or MLRO.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing compliance policies, frameworks and controls.
• Professional certification such as ICA, CAMS/ACAMS or equivalent is preferred.
• Fluent in English and Arabic with strong written and verbal communication skills.
• High level of ownership, attention to detail and integrity, able to work effectively with senior stakeholders.