Money Laundering Reporting Officer

About Us

Tamara is the leading fintech platform in Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC region with a mission to help people make their dreams come true by building the most customer-centric financial super-app on earth. The company serves millions of users in KSA, UAE and Kuwait, and partners with leading global and regional brands such as SHEIN, Jarir, noon, Amazon, IKEA, eXtra and Farfetch as well as small and medium businesses.

Tamara is Saudi's first fintech unicorn and is backed by Sanabil Investments, SNB Capital, Checkout.com, amongst others, operating out its headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with other regional and global support offices.

Your role

The MLRO/Compliance Officer will be responsible for establishing and maintaining Tamara’s Compliance and AML framework in the UAE, ensuring full adherence to the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) regulations. This role requires deep knowledge of UAE Financial Regulations, AML/CFT frameworks, global sanctions requirements, and payment industry standards. The candidate will act as the primary liaison with the CBUAE and other regulatory bodies while overseeing AML/CFT compliance, transaction monitoring, and regulatory reporting obligations

Your responsibilities

Regulatory Compliance with relevant Regulators:

• Act as a liaison and a primary point of contact for CBUAE and other local regulatory authorities.
• Support the Risk & Compliance Manager with Tamara’s licensing activities and adherence to regulatory requirements and reporting with CBUAE, ensuring all regulatory requirements are met.
• Develop and implement compliance policies and procedures aligned with UAE regulatory frameworks.
• Conduct regular regulatory gap analyses to assess and address potential compliance deficiencies.
• Stay up to date with UAE financial regulations and advise senior management on necessary compliance actions.

AML & Sanctions Framework

• Develop and implement an AML/CFT framework in accordance with CBUAE requirements.
• Oversee transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, and customer risk assessments for UAE operations.
• Ensure proper reporting of suspicious activities (STR/SAR) to the UAE Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) via the goAML system.
• Conduct AML risk assessments, including business-wide and product-specific risk evaluations.
• Ensure compliance with global sanctions regimes (OFAC, UN, EU, UAE Central Bank).

Governance, Risk Management & Monitoring

• Support the establishment and implementation of a comprehensive risk management framework tailored to UAE operations.
• Conduct internal compliance audits and regulatory assessments, identifying areas of improvement.
• Oversee customer due diligence (CDD) and enhanced due diligence (EDD) processes to ensure compliance with UAE regulations.
• Provide advisory support on regulatory risks related to new products and services.

Stakeholder & Regulatory Engagement

• Serve as a point of contact with CBUAE, banks, and other financial institutions for compliance-related matters.
• Maintain effective relationships with internal teams and external regulatory bodies to ensure ongoing compliance.
• Collaborate with global compliance teams to align UAE operations with company-wide regulatory standards.

Your expertise

• 3–5 years of experience in Compliance, AML/CFT and Financial Crime within the UAE financial sector.
• Strong experience in implementing Regulatory Compliance Frameworks and AML/CFT frameworks, particularly within CBUAE-regulated institutions.
• Proven track record in handling regulatory license applications and approvals with CBUAE.
• Expertise in AML/CFT regulations, sanctions screening, transaction monitoring, and regulatory reporting (STR/SAR/goAML).
• Familiarity with the UAE financial services ecosystem, including banks, FinTechs, and payment institutions.
• Strong understanding of risk assessment methodologies and compliance governance structures.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage regulators and internal teams.
• Arabic proficiency is a plus.
• Pre-Approved by CBUAE for MLRO is a plus.
• ACAMS, ICA, or equivalent AML certification is preferred

All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.

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