At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead compliance and risk functions to enable safe scaling of NALA's global payments.
- Company: Join NALA, a fast-growing fintech revolutionising global payments for the next billion users.
- Benefits: Enjoy private medical insurance, generous leave, learning budget, and fun monthly socials.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team with alumni from top companies like Wise and Stripe.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a dynamic environment while shaping the future of payments.
- Qualifications: Experience in compliance within fintech or regulated financial services is essential.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
About Us
NALA is building Payments for the Next Billion.
Faster, smarter, and fairer transfers for everyone.
Since 2022, we've grown our business 120x, grew the team from 9 to 150+, raised $50M+ from top-tier investors, and were named to the Forbes Fintech 50 in 2025.
We operate two core products
NALA , our consumer app making cross-border payments cheaper, faster and more reliable for the global diaspora.
Allowing users to send money from the UK, US and EU to Africa and Asia.
Rafiki , our B2B payments infrastructure, is powering global payments.
Our team includes alumni from Wise, Stripe, Monzo, Revolut, and Cash App — operators who’ve scaled world-class products.
We act with urgency, think deeply, and put our customers first always.
At NALA, this isn’t just a job. It’s ownership, impact, and the chance to change global payments forever.
Join us in building [Payments for the Next Billion](https://www. nala. com/blog/nalas-updated-mission#:~: text=When I started building NALA, are more urgent than ever.).
Your Mission
Your mission is to build and lead a world-class compliance and risk function that enables NALA to scale safely across consumer and B2B payments.
You will protect our customers, licences and reputation while helping the business move at the pace that being NALA requires.
Your regulatory leadership is focused on our Western licensed markets - the UK, EU, US, Canada and Australia - with our Africa and emerging-markets footprint folded into your remit over time.
This spans both our consumer app and the infrastructure powering some of the world's largest payments companies.
Compliance at NALA is not a blocker function.
It is the function that decides which corridors we open, which products we launch, which acquisitions we close, and which regulators we earn the trust of.
Done well, it is our most defensible competitive advantage.
This role is both the guardian of NALA's licence to operate and a growth partner that helps us find compliant ways to put innovative financial products in front of customers in frontier markets.
- Your Responsibilities in this Role
- Lead and enable NALA's global group of MLROs and BSA/AML officers across the UK, EU (Belgium), US and Canada.
Our Africa compliance lead joins this group over time - reporting primarily to Benji to begin with, on a dotted line to you.
- Own NALA's global compliance strategy across AML/CTF, sanctions, consumer protection, licensing, regulatory reporting, financial crime and fraud controls, covering both the NALA consumer business and the Rafiki B2B infrastructure platform.
- Act as both the guardian of NALA's licence to operate - maintaining the compliance infrastructure and standards regulators expect, staying clear of any criminal lines, and proactively helping regulators - and a growth- and customer-focused partner who helps the business find compliant ways to deliver innovative financial products to customers in frontier markets.
- Act as NALA's most senior regulatory leader, building trusted relationships with regulators (FCA, NBB, Fin CEN and US state regulators, and others), banking partners, and acquirer counterparties.
- Continuously acquire and maintain the licences NALA needs to operate.
This includes scaling NALA's US footprint from current licensed states to 30+, and building the US-resident compliance presence required for the highest-volume states (CA, NY, TX, NJ, MA, WA).
- Own risk management across the organisation.
Run NALA's enterprise risk framework and steer the Risk Committee, so that risk is identified, owned and managed beyond compliance alone.
- Lead integration and M&A-related compliance activity on a rolling basis, including the in-flight regulated acquisitions in the UK and EU - owning change-of-control submissions, integration planning, and the operationalisation of acquired licence permissions.
- Build, hire and lead a high-performing compliance team.
- Lead compliance input into every new product, corridor, partnership and acquisition, including stablecoin settlement infrastructure, local currency wallets, B2B collections, and emerging markets corridors, so risk is identified early and managed effectively.
- Own the regulatory examinations and audit cycle across NALA's licensed entities, including upcoming audits in Canada, the UK, and the EU.
Manage remediation of any findings to a defensible standard.
- Build the Group risk and compliance framework, including an enterprise risk management system, board-level Risk & Compliance Committee, and the data architecture for direct regulatory reporting that's becoming standard in the EU, Canada and beyond.
- Create clear, decision-useful reporting for the CEO, Ex Co and Board on regulatory and enterprise risk, control performance, and key compliance priorities.
- Be the executive who decides when to enable, when to challenge, and when to stop, and who can defend each of those decisions to a regulator, a board, and an acquirer.
- Must-have requirements
- Led the compliance function at a regulated fintech, payments, EMI, MSB, remittance or banking business. Not pure corporate or banking-only experience.
- Deep, hands-on experience with AML/CTF, sanctions, financial crime, transaction monitoring, regulator engagement, and licence obligations.
- A hands-on leader who can problem-solve and do the work themselves when they need to. Without that capability, we won't get the best out of the team you build.
- Emerging-market exposure.
You understand the realities of how business and regulators actually operate in frontier and emerging markets.
This can be general EM business experience - it does not have to be deep EM compliance experience.
- Exposure to stablecoin, digital asset or crypto regulatory frameworks, particularly in cross-border settlement contexts.
- Experience in cross-border payments, remittance, card issuing/acquiring, banking infrastructure or B2B payments.
- Held an SMF, MLRO, BSA/AML Officer, or equivalent regulated role, or are eligible to be approved for one.
- Built compliance frameworks from the ground up. You have moved a programme from gaps and backlogs to scaled, defensible, audit-ready. You're a builder, not a maintainer.
- Multi-jurisdictional experience.
You've operated across at least two of: UK, EU, US, and emerging markets, and can tell the difference between what a regulator says, what they mean, and what they will accept.
- Clear judgement on when to enable, when to challenge, and when to stop activity. You can defend your decisions in writing, in person, and under pressure.
- Track record advising CEOs, Boards or Ex Co on material regulatory and compliance risk, and being the calm, trusted voice in the room when something has just hit the fan.
- Excellent written and verbal communication with regulators, banking partners, acquirer counterparties and senior internal stakeholders.
- Comfort with a fast-moving, ambiguous, builder-stage environment. This is not a 20-person Big-4-style compliance shop, and won't become one any time soon.
- Nice to have requirements
- Operated across UK and US regulatory regimes simultaneously (FCA + Fin CEN + state regulators).
- Compliance leadership through an M&A transaction: change of control filings, regulatory integration, condition remediation.
- Working understanding of African or other emerging-market regulatory regimes (CBK, Bo T, Bo G, CBN, BCEAO, BEAC, etc.), or the willingness to learn them quickly.
- Built compliance teams through periods of high growth, including hiring in-market MLROs and country compliance officers.
Benefits
UK - In Office
Private Medical Insurance : Full medical cover through a leading UK provider, because your health comes first.
27 Days Off Plus UK Bank Holidays : Take the time to decompress. Working at a startup is hard!
Birthday Leave : Celebrate your special day with a bonus day off to take in that month.
Enhanced Parental Leave : We offer 16 weeks of full pay for the primary caregiver and 4 weeks of full pay for the secondary caregiver (after a 6-month probationary period).
Enhanced Pension : Salary sacrifice pension scheme via Penfold, giving you flexibility and control over how you save for your future.
Life Insurance : 3x salary cover, giving you and your family peace of mind.
Global Workspace : Get access to We Work locations worldwide.
Learning Budget : Fuel your growth with $1000 annually for learning and development.
Sarabi : Themed snacks and Friday lunch focused on building great working relationships with the team.
Monthly Socials : Join fun social events every month for great times.
Free Coffee : Enjoy barista-style coffee at your fingertips.
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Global Head of Compliance employer: Nala Inc
NALA is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and inclusive work culture, empowering employees to thrive in their careers. With a strong focus on professional development and growth opportunities, particularly in the fast-evolving payments landscape, NALA offers a unique chance to make a significant impact across multiple regions including the UK, EU, US, Canada, and Australia. Employees benefit from a collaborative environment that values innovation and compliance excellence, making it a rewarding place to contribute to meaningful projects.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Global Head of Compliance
✨Join Compliance Communities
Get involved in compliance and risk communities — both online and offline. Look for forums, LinkedIn groups, or even local meetups where compliance pros hang out. You never know who might drop a job opportunity your way!
✨Attend Industry Conferences
Keep an eye out for compliance and risk management conferences and workshops in your area. These events are a goldmine for networking, and they often have job boards or recruiters on-site looking for new talent. Plus, it’s a chance to learn what's trending in the field.
✨Leverage Your University Career Services
If you’ve recently graduated or are still studying, head over to your university's career services. Many companies, including those in compliance, actively recruit fresh talent through these services, so make sure you tap into that resource.
✨Showcase Your Knowledge Online
Start writing articles or blog posts about compliance topics that interest you. Share them on platforms like LinkedIn to demonstrate your knowledge and passion. This not only builds your presence in the field but can also catch the attention of companies like Nala Inc looking for candidates who are engaged and informed.
We think you need these skills to ace Global Head of Compliance
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Understanding of Compliance:In the compliance-risk field, it's super important to showcase your understanding of regulations and risk management frameworks. Highlight any relevant coursework, certifications (like ICA or AML), or even projects that demonstrate your knowledge and commitment to this area. We want to see how you can navigate this complex landscape!
Quantify Your Achievements:When detailing your experience, try to quantify your achievements. For example, if you've previously worked on a project that improved compliance metrics or reduced risk exposure, give us the numbers! This data-driven approach really stands out to hiring managers in compliance-risk roles.
Tailor Your CV to Reflect Relevant Skills:Make sure your CV highlights skills that are particularly relevant to compliance, like attention to detail, analytical thinking, and report writing. Ensure these are easy to spot – consider using bullet points to break down your responsibilities and achievements for maximum impact!
Craft a Motivating Cover Letter:In your cover letter, let us know why you’re excited about the compliance-risk role at Nala Inc. Share what motivates you about compliance, and how you believe you can contribute to our mission. This is your chance to showcase not only your skills but also your passion for this important field!
How to prepare for a job interview at Nala Inc
✨Master the Regulations
Brush up on key compliance regulations relevant to the industry you're applying to. Familiarising yourself with specific laws and frameworks used in your field will give you an edge during technical questions. Show that you’re not just aware of them but can also apply them—think real-life scenarios!
✨Show Your Analytical Skills
Compliance roles really focus on analytical skills, so be prepared for case studies or situational questions during the interview. We've got to demonstrate how we approach risk assessments or compliance audits, possibly drawing on examples from past experiences or university projects. Bring some thoughtful case scenarios to discuss!
✨Know Your Tools
Get comfortable with commonly used compliance software and tools. Familiarity with platforms like RSA or MetricStream can really impress during your interview, as it shows you're ready to hit the ground running. If you’ve had any experience with them, make sure to highlight that!
✨Align with Company Culture
Since it's a full-time position, show your long-term commitment and interest in the company’s mission and values. Dive into how your ethics and professional philosophy align with Nala Inc’s stance on compliance. A shared vision can really resonate with interviewers looking for fit as much as skill!
