Alexander Barnes is supporting one of the most exciting companies in the digital assets and payments space at a pivotal moment in their growth. Backed by world‑class venture capital and strategic investors from some of the biggest names in global finance and technology, this business is building the infrastructure that will power the next generation of global payments.
This is your opportunity to be the financial crime expert at the heart of that mission.
The Role
As Financial Crime Operations Manager, you will be the hands‑on owner of the financial crime function – building and running the operational processes, investigations capability, and compliance procedures that the business will scale with. This is not a role where you maintain what already exists. This is a role where you build, shape, and own.
You will work closely with the Head of Compliance and MLRO, sitting at the centre of a lean, high‑calibre compliance team that operates with real authority and direct access to leadership.
What You Will Own
- Lead institutional and corporate KYC and EDD reviews, including complex ownership structures, UBO analysis, and risk assessments across a global client base
- Own ongoing due diligence, periodic reviews, and trigger‑based refresh processes end to end
- Oversee and perform monitoring of both crypto and fiat transactions – identifying, investigating, and escalating suspicious activity
- Manage alert handling, investigations, and escalation workflows in line with regulatory obligations and the company's risk appetite
- Partner with the Compliance team to develop and continuously optimise transaction monitoring rules, thresholds, and investigative processes
- Draft, own, and maintain financial crime operational procedures and SOPs – building the frameworks the business will grow with
- Support the Compliance team with regulatory change implementation, audits, and internal reviews
What We Are Looking For
- 5+ years of hands‑on experience in financial crime, AML/KYC, transaction monitoring, or related operational roles
- Crypto and fiat experience is essential – you must have worked in a cryptocurrency, digital assets, or stablecoin environment and have genuine hands‑on investigative experience across both
- Proficiency with industry‑leading blockchain analytics and compliance tools such as Chainalysis, SumSub, and/or Notabene
- A proven track record of drafting, owning, and operationalising procedures and SOPs – not just following them
- Experience partnering closely with Compliance teams in a regulated environment, ideally FCA‑regulated
- A strong working knowledge of UK and international AML and financial crime regulatory expectations
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills – you can document complex processes clearly and practically
- Sharp, organised, and genuinely energised by fast‑growth, build‑phase environments where no two days are the same
Why This Role?
- Real ownership from day one – you are not joining a large, established team. You are the expert. Your decisions matter and your fingerprints will be on everything the function builds
- Mission‑driven product – stablecoins and digital asset infrastructure are at the centre of the biggest shift in global payments in a generation. You will be working on something that genuinely matters
- Learn from the best – the founding team are proven operators with decades of experience scaling payments businesses at the highest level. This is genuine mentorship from people who have done it
- Backed by the best – top‑tier VC backing from investors with deep roots in payments, fintech, and digital assets, alongside strategic shareholders from some of the most recognised names in global finance and technology
- Career‑defining timing – early enough to shape the function, credible enough to be a serious career move
