Stripe is seeking a highly experienced Chief Risk Officer and Compliance and Money Laundering Reporting Officer (CRO/COMLRO) to lead our financial crimes program in the UAE. This role sits within the Financial Crime, Compliance & Risk Oversight (FinCRO) organization. You will be the principal decision-maker on financial crime risk management, a formally approved officer with the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), and the public face of Stripe's AML/CFT program in the region.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement a robust AML/CFT compliance strategy across Stripe's UAE regulated retail payment services and stored value facility entities, aligned with global FinCRO objectives. Leverage AI, data science, and automation to scale the program. Provide regular reporting to UAE Boards and Senior Management on program health and effectiveness.
AML/CFT Program Oversight: Own and continuously enhance Stripe's AML/CFT program, ensuring it effectively prevents, detects, and reports money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing, and other financial crimes in line with Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2018, Cabinet Decision No. 10 of 2019, and CBUAE's AML/CFT Standards, Retail Payment Services and Card Scheme Regulations, and Stored Value Facilities Regulations Framework.
Regulatory Compliance: Ensure ongoing compliance with all applicable CBUAE licensing conditions, payment services regulations, and broader UAE financial services laws across both entities. Monitor the regulatory environment for changes, assess business impact, and drive timely implementation of compliance obligations. Maintain a regulatory obligations register and own the internal compliance assurance framework.
Regulatory Management & Reporting: Serve as the primary point of contact for the CBUAE and UAE Financial Intelligence Unit (UAEFIU) for all inspections, inquiries, and examinations. Own the end-to-end STR/SAR process via the goAML platform and all other mandatory regulatory submissions.
Sanctions Compliance: Oversee UAE sanctions compliance across both entities, including screening against the UAE Local Terrorist List, UN Security Council Consolidated List, and applicable international regimes (OFAC, EU, UK).
SVF & PSP Risk Management: Design and maintain AML/CFT risk frameworks tailored to the distinct risk profiles of both license types — including high-volume payment flows (PSP) and e-wallet abuse, prepaid instrument layering, and anonymous loading risks (SVF). Ensure transaction monitoring typologies are appropriately calibrated across both product sets.
Advisory & External Influence: Provide expert AML/CFT and regulatory compliance guidance to product, engineering, and business teams on new products and market expansion. Represent Stripe in external forums, regulatory consultations, and industry groups across the UAE and GCC.
Training & Culture: Champion a strong compliance culture across UAE teams. Oversee delivery of UAE-regulatory-compliant training programs covering PSP and SVF-specific risks.
Qualifications
- Experience: 10+ years in financial crime or regulatory compliance, with significant focus on fintech, payments, e-money, or stored value products. Prior experience as a designated Chief Risk Officer or Compliance Officer or MLRO or Deputy MLRO under a CBUAE-regulated or comparable GCC-regulated entity strongly preferred.
- Regulatory Knowledge: Deep knowledge of UAE AML/CFT laws (Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2018, Cabinet Decision No. 10 of 2019), CBUAE AML/CFT Standards, PSP and SVF regulatory frameworks, and relevant FATF Recommendations. Familiarity with broader UAE financial services regulation and licensing requirements.
- Fit & Proper: Must satisfy CBUAE fit and proper requirements and be willing to undergo formal regulatory approval prior to commencement.
- Communication & Mindset: Exceptional ability to articulate complex regulatory concepts to technical and non-technical audiences. Able to translate regulatory requirements into practical, scalable compliance solutions in a high-growth environment.
- Data Proficiency: High data literacy; able to work closely with data and engineering teams to identify emerging financial crime patterns and validate detection model effectiveness.
- Certifications: CAMS, ICA International Diploma in AML, or equivalent strongly preferred.
- Languages: Fluency in English required; Arabic is a significant advantage.
- Location: Hybrid-office based, Dubai.
Nice to Have
- Experience in a global, matrixed fintech organization across multiple jurisdictions.
- Existing relationships with CBUAE and UAEFIU officials.
- Familiarity with the UAE's Financial Infrastructure Transformation programme and its AML/CFT implications.
- Experience designing AML/CFT and regulatory compliance controls for high-volume payment and stored value products at scale.
---
This position offers an exciting opportunity to lead a multi-license financial crimes and regulatory compliance program at the forefront of payments and fintech in the UAE.