Head of Compliance

The role

is looking for a Head of Compliance & MLRO AU/NZ, based in our Sydney office, to support the development of its Australia and New Zealand branch, as a Compliance and AML/CTF professional who will take the initiative to monitor the financial crime and compliance program of its Australia and New Zealand entities.

The stakeholder will join a growing international team dedicated to Compliance. Reporting into the Regional Head of Compliance EMA, this role will work closely with various functional key partners (Sales, Onboarding, Transaction Monitoring, Legal, Product, etc.), ensuring compliance with all applicable regulatory and contractual requirements and ensuring Checkout's Australia and New Zealand Compliance Program is meeting its regulatory and AML obligations in line with the expectations from our banking partners and scheme networks.

The role is positioned to be leveled as Senior Manager, Compliance Advisory. The individual will be the Australia and New Zealand Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO).

How you'll make an impact

• Provide oversight and compliance advice to the local, regional and global teams, ensuring risk management and mitigation policies are embraced and adequately addressed in Australia and New Zealand.
• Contribute to the development and the maintenance of policies and procedures, including ensuring they are up to date with all regulatory and international standard methodologies and in line with the expectation of banking partners and schemes networks.
• Develop and perform the annual country specific AML/CTF/PF and other relevant risk assessments for Australia and New Zealand
• Maintain oversight of regulatory compliance requirements for Australia and New Zealand, including regulatory notifications, conditions for authorisation and regulatory reporting.
• Act as the lead point of contact for Checkout's financial regulators in Australia and New Zealand
• Recent experience as Compliance Lead and/or MLRO for an AUSTRAC-registered financial institution in Australia, ideally with Independent Remittance Dealer knowledge
• Recent experience as Compliance Lead and/or MLRO for a registered financial service provider and a reporting entity under the AML/CFT Act in New Zealand
• Investigate alerts reported to Compliance and draft SARs/notifications to be provided to the regulator and local authorities, if required.
• Assess high-risk clients, delivering well-justified recommendations and ensuring these are being monitored accordingly.
• Provide timely and precise advisory to internal stakeholders
• Participate in Group projects as needed.
• Investigate and, where required, call out any major compliance concerns to
• Management, recommend remediation actions and improve existing processes accordingly.
• Maintain awareness of industry trends on regulatory compliance, emerging threats, investigating and assessing potential risks and taking appropriate steps to mitigate it.
• Contribute to updating AML/CTF risk classifications and assessing new products/activities risk exposure.
• Drafting/maintaining the required local policies (AML/CTF or others) as per regulatory requirements, expectations from banking partners and schemes networks, and in line with the market standards.
• Partner with key stakeholders to develop and implement standards, processes, programs, and best practices related to risk management.
• Be a trusted advisor to the company locally and at group level on the expectations around the compliance programs for Australia and New Zealand.
• Recent experience as compliance officer in an Australian Financial Service Licensee (AFSL) licensed for dealing in non-cash payment facilities, and in interacting with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Previous experience as an approved responsible manager of an AFSL licensed for dealing in non-cash payment facilities would be viewed favourably.

What we're looking for

• Bachelor's or Master's degree or equivalent.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience
  as a Compliance Lead and/or MLRO within a regulated financial institution in Australia and New Zealand.
• Solid understanding
  of
  regulatory interpretation of AML requirements and
  regulatory compliance
  , regulations, and regulatory expectations concerning investigations, risk modelling, and MI across relevant jurisdictions.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills
  , with the ability to translate complex data and findings into clear, actionable insights for diverse audiences.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
  , with a proven ability to collaborate effectively with technical and non-technical teams, as well as influence decision-making.
• A proactive, strategic thinker
  with a strong sense of accountability, a solutions-focused approach, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Prior experience
  as a compliance officer in an Australian Financial Service Licensee (AFSL) licensed for dealing in non-cash payment facilities, and in interacting with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Previous experience as an approved
  responsible manager
  of an AFSL would be viewed favourably.