Head of Compliance, Hong Kong
At Aspire, we’re more than just a FinTech company—we’re the leading all-in-one financial operating system built to empower the world’s innovators and entrepreneurs. We are on a mission to reinvent business finance, empowering startups and businesses to realise their full potential.
Founded in 2018, Aspire has raised over USD 300M+ across equity and debt from world-class investors. In 2023, we successfully closed an oversubscribed USD 100 million Series C equity round led by Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed Ventures with participation of Tencent, Paypal Ventures, LGT Capital Partners, Picus Capital and MassMutual Ventures. To power our solutions, we have partnered with some of the best companies in the world such as Visa and Wise and empowered more than 50,000 businesses using our suite of products.
Aspire has consistently been recognized for excellence, earning Best Employer and Startup of the Year by the Asia FinTech Awards in 2022 and 2023, ranked as LinkedIn’s Top Startup in Singapore, and listed on CB Insights’ Top 100 Global Fintech in 2023 and 2024.
You will be amazed by the energy and experience of our team! Aspire serves as an environment for you to innovate and drive change with our team of ex-entrepreneurs, ex-founders, and high-achievers with international and diverse backgrounds.
Are you a top talent who is passionate about entrepreneurship? Join our rapidly growing team to make an impact in the fintech space!
About the team:
At Aspire, we understand the importance of maintaining a strong culture of compliance to protect our organization and ensure the trust of our customers. Our Compliance Team is at the forefront of identifying and addressing regulatory risks, implementing controls, and ensuring that our policies and procedures align with regulatory requirements. This allows Aspire to stay ahead of evolving regulations, proactively identifying potential risks and developing comprehensive risk mitigation strategies, hence contributing to our long-term success.
About the role :
You are a senior compliance professional with experience in the payment services, fintech, banking or financial services industries in Hong Kong, and a strong track record of execution of compliance programs. As Head of Compliance for Hong Kong, you will play a critical role in maintaining Aspire’s MSO and SFC licenses, ensuring robust compliance programs are in place for its payment and investment products and services as the business scales its offerings in HK and other SEA countries.
You will lead all regulatory and compliance matters, including designing compliance strategies in line with legal requirements and guidelines, acting as MLRO, developing and implementing policies, SOPs, systems, governance frameworks and internal controls, as well as ensuring Aspire continues to meet its ongoing license obligations and reporting requirements.
What will you be doing?
- Appointed as Head of Compliance / MLRO in Hongkong for Money Service Operators License (MSO), reporting to the Group Head of Compliance. Other countries and markets can be covered in the region as we are expanding fast.
- Attending and passing the MSO Competence Assessment as a licensed director.
- Maintaining the company’s adherence to the compliance framework under the Money Service Operators License (MSO) and the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) regulations and licensing requirements.
- Reviewing and maintaing policies, SOPs, and internal controls for regulatory compliance with the MSO and SFC regulations, as well as bank partner expectations
- Monitoring and testing the operational execution of the compliance policies.
- Working with the FinCrime Operations team to train them on the KYC and Transaction Monitoring requirements as per the regulations, bank partner expectations and company policy
- Assisting in internal and external audits of compliance and regulatory processes and procedures.
- Developing content for internal training sessions on the regulatory and compliance framework for the business and compliance teams.
- Providing regulatory advice and review on product development, network partnerships and business initiatives
- Providing support and guidance to Deputy MLRO on AML/CTF matters
- Maintaining a thorough working knowledge of current regulatory requirements, familiarity with company processes, policies, and products.
- Preparing and submitting regulatory reports to HKCE/SFC as and when due.
Minimum qualifications
- Extensive experience in a compliance leadership role within the financial industry, with a focus on Hong Kong regulatory requirements.
- Familiarity with Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (HKCE) Money Service Operators License (MSO) regulations and licensing requirements.
- Proven track record of successful interactions with regulatory authorities and experience in license compliance for MSO and/or SFC
- Strong understanding of Hong Kong regulatory compliance and AML frameworks.
Preferred qualifications
- Familiarity with the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) regulations and licensing requirements
- In-depth knowledge of international AML standards and best practices.
- Professional certifications in compliance and AML (e.g., CAMS, ACAMS)
- Familiarity with technology solutions for AML and compliance monitoring.
- Knowledge of Web 3/Crypto regulatory environment
What we offer
- Uncapped flexible annual leave.
- Hybrid work arrangement.
- Training subsidy for your professional growth.
- Wellness benefit.
- Team bonding budget to foster collaboration and sense of belonging.
- Flexibility to work from anywhere (for up to 90 days per annum).
- Culture is Key: We always strive to cultivate a special culture that brings special talents together - You can learn more about our culture on our careers site and LinkedIn Life page.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Aspire is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by applicable laws.
Please note: by submitting your application, you acknowledge that you have read and understood Aspire’s Data Protection Policy for Employees, Freelancers, Contractors and Job Applicants (the “Policy”), and consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal data by Aspire for the purposes set out in the Policy. You may withdraw consent for such collection, use and disclosure, and make an access or correction request in respect of your personal data, in accordance with the Policy by emailing people@aspireapp.com.
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