Head of Compliance (Payments / FinTech)

Location: Singapore

Function: Compliance & Regulatory Affairs

About the Role

Our client is a Singapore-headquartered payments / fintech platform operating across multiple markets, holding a Major Payment Institution (MPI) licence under the Payment Services Act. As the business scales its regional footprint and product suite, they are investing in senior compliance leadership to take direct ownership of regulatory strategy, financial crime compliance, and ongoing supervisory engagement with MAS.

This is a genuine build-and-own mandate — the successful candidate will have real autonomy to shape compliance frameworks and governance structures for a fast-scaling business, rather than inheriting a fully mature function.

Key Responsibilities

Regulatory Ownership

Act as the Compliance Officer and Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) for the regulated MPI licence
Own and lead the group's regulatory strategy, engagement, and relationship management with MAS, including licensing matters, inspections, audits, and day-to-day supervisory interactions
Monitor and interpret regulatory developments (e.g. PSA amendments, the MAS stablecoin/DPT framework) and translate them into practical internal policy changes
Lead and support new licence applications or licence variations as the business expands into new products, services, or jurisdictions

Compliance Framework and Governance

Build, scale, and continuously enhance compliance frameworks, policies, governance structures, and internal controls across multiple entities and jurisdictions
Oversee compliance with customer asset safeguarding and segregation requirements
Coordinate with IT/security on Technology Risk Management (TRM) related compliance obligations
Ensure group-wide alignment with local regulatory requirements across all markets the business operates in

Financial Crime Compliance

Lead AML/CFT, sanctions, and anti-bribery & corruption (ABC) compliance, including risk assessments, transaction monitoring frameworks, and control effectiveness testing
Own Travel Rule compliance for cross-border payment flows

Business Partnership

Partner closely with product, business, and operations teams to support new product launches, market expansion, and regulatory approvals
Balance regulatory rigour with commercial pace in a fast-moving, high-growth environment
Report regularly to senior leadership and the Board on compliance risk posture

Team Leadership

Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing compliance and risk team as the function scales

Requirements

10+ years of experience in compliance, risk, or regulatory roles within payments, fintech, digital assets, or broader regulated financial services
Proven experience as a Compliance Officer, MLRO, or senior compliance leader within an MPI, bank, or payments platform (direct ownership, not solely a supporting role)
Deep, hands-on working knowledge of the Payment Services Act and relevant MAS Notices on AML/CFT (e.g. PSN01)
Familiarity with the MAS stablecoin/Digital Payment Token regulatory framework and the broader digital asset regulatory landscape is a strong advantage
Demonstrated track record building or scaling a compliance framework from a nascent to mature state, ideally across multiple entities or jurisdictions
Direct experience managing regulatory engagements, licensing, audits, and inspections
Commercially minded, with the judgement to balance regulatory expectations against business growth objectives
Prior direct engagement with MAS (or other regional regulators such as Indonesia's OJK, the Philippines BSP, or Thailand's SEC/BOT) is a strong plus for roles with regional scope
Strong stakeholder management skills; comfortable operating as an embedded partner to product and commercial teams rather than at arm's length
Bachelor's degree in Law, Finance, Business, or a related field; relevant certifications (e.g. ICA, CAMS, CCEP) are a plus
Mandarin language proficiency is an advantage, particularly given cross-border, China-linked payment flows common in this sector
High integrity, sound judgement, and the ability to operate effectively amid ambiguity in a fast-scaling environment

What's on Offer

A genuine Head of Compliance / MLRO mandate with real ownership, not an inherited, static function
High visibility with senior leadership and the Board
Competitive base salary plus performance-based bonus
The opportunity to directly shape regulatory strategy through a period of rapid regional expansion