Head of Compliance, United Kingdom
Aspire is the leading all-in-one finance operating system for growing businesses in APAC. We are on a mission to reinvent business finance for a new generation of entrepreneurs and business owners, empowering startups and MSME 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 helped more than 15,000 businesses using our suite of products.
For 2 consecutive years in 2022 & 2023, Aspire has been awarded Best Employer of the Year and Startup of the year by Asia FinTech Awards, and also LinkedIn’s Top Startup in Singapore. In 2023, we also made it to CB Insights’ Top 100 Global Fintech List.
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 an experienced Compliance professional with experience in the Payment Services, FinTech, Banking or Financial Services industries, and have a strong track record of execution of Compliance programs. You will play a critical role in working with the Global Head of Compliance (based in Singapore) to develop a regulatory framework and compliance program for Aspire’s payment products and services as it prepares to scale its operations in the United Kingdom (UK).
You will be closely supporting Aspire’s Global Head of Compliance which includes dealing with any and all regulatory and compliance matters, such as designing compliance strategies in line with legal requirements and guidelines, drafting and implementing policies, SOPs, systems, governance, internal controls, and support Aspire in complying with our regulatory obligations.
- Develop our UK Compliance and AML programs to meet the needs of local regulators.
- Act as a subject matter expert on compliance matters in the UK.
- Act as a key stakeholder for our UK license application projects.
- Develop, maintain, and enforce corporate compliance policies and procedures, including risk assessments.
- Establish, chair and report to appropriate governance structures including working groups and committees.
- On a regular basis, report and advise the organization’s Executive Risk Committee and Board of Directors.
- At least 10 years of experience in senior compliance roles within regulated companies.
- Strong knowledge of Compliance topics (KYB/KYC, AML/CFT, Sanctions, etc.).
- Good understanding of the Payments/Fintech industry, especially in the UK.
- Well-versed in Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) requirements, specifically those related to electronic money (E-money), payment services, CASS and safeguarding of client funds.
- Familiar with the Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2) and its implementation within the UK, including strong knowledge of Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) and operational resilience requirements.
- Strong expertise in Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) regulations, including the UK Money Laundering Regulations 2017 and relevant guidance from the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group (JMLSG).
- Solid understanding of data protection laws, including GDPR and how they apply to financial services, especially with regard to managing and safeguarding customer information.
- Strong analytical skills and experience in problem-solving and implementing solutions.
- Team player with collaborative qualities and experience or willingness to build, lead, and motivate a team.
- Willingness to learn continuously and stay updated with the Payments industry and regulatory landscape globally.
- Experience in a FinTech Scale Up
- Experience in compliance across other European countries a plus
- FCA Approved Person specifically for the Senior Manager Functions such as SMF16 (Compliance Oversight) and SMF17 (Money Laundering Reporting Officer)
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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