UK Compliance Manager and MLRO

About the role

OpenFX is on a mission to move money as freely as data, unrestricted by time zones, banking hours, or legacy systems. We are building the infrastructure that will power the next generation of cross-border payment systems for institutions. The team's execution has been exceptional, and we're scaling at a remarkable pace. Our stellar early team comes with experience in companies like J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, FalconX, Paypal, Affirm, Polygon, Kraken, Nium & others. We're backed by Accel, Lightspeed, NfX and other top-tier investors. Role Overview We are seeking a Compliance Manager and Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) , someone who is hands-on and can take full ownership to build and scale our compliance program in the UK. This is a foundational role critical to establishing OpenFX's compliance infrastructure for our UK-regulated entity that will operate as a key hub for our European and global operations. You will build the UK compliance function from the ground up, establishing the UK compliance policies, procedures, and systems that will enable strong growth as well as effective compliance and risk management across our payments and crypto-asset services. You will serve as the MLRO and primary point of contact with our UK regulators, including on our FCA license applications and regulatory filings.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support licensing initiatives in the UK, including UK EMI licensure and FCA crypto asset registration, serving as the primary point of contact with the FCA
• Leverage compliance tools, RegTech solutions, and analytics to enhance program effectiveness, efficiency, and scalability, including transaction monitoring systems and blockchain analytics platforms
• Stay current on UK and FCA regulatory developments, assess impact on OpenFX operations and develop and implement expanded compliance policies and procedures as needed
• Partner with Product, Engineering, Legal, and Operations, and provide compliance advice on market expansion, new product development, and operational changes to ensure compliance as the company scales
• Manage compliance requirements from banking partners, digital asset partners, and payment networks to ensure operational alignment and trust, and serve as the primary compliance point of contact for partner-related compliance inquiries and audits
• Report on the UK AML/CFT and sanctions program to the UK Board

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
• 8+ years of compliance experience in payments, fintech, or financial services
• Strong understanding of UK financial regulations, including the Money Laundering Regulations, FCA Handbook requirements for AML/CFT, Payment Services Regulations, and Electronic Money Regulations
• Hands-on proven experience building and executing compliance programs, policies, and controls at a financial services company, including administration of AML/KYC processes, transaction monitoring, and suspicious activity reporting
• Proven experience serving as MLRO or in a senior AML compliance role at an FCA-regulated entity
• Attention to detail and excellent communication skills
• Proven track record working effectively with cross-functional partners and external stakeholders, including the FCA
• Commitment to teamwork and ability to work in a fast-paced start-up environment
• What helps you stand out:
• Experience in cross-border payments, FX, and/or crypto asset compliance
• Prior work at a start-up or high-growth company
• Familiarity with compliance technology platforms, including transaction monitoring systems (e.g., Actimize, SAS, ComplyAdvantage) and blockchain analytics tools (Chainalysis, Elliptic, TRM Labs)
• Prior experience securing UK licenses (EMI, payment instit

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