Head of Compliance & MLRO (f/m/d)

Location: London

Employment Type: Full time

Department: Banking

Upvest is on a mission to make investing as easy as spending money. The company empowers businesses to offer a wide range of investment products and the best experience in the field of capital market investment and retirement planning. Upvest’s Investment API is easy to integrate so that fintechs and enterprises alike can save resources and fully focus on their core business. Upvest is one of the few fintechs in Europe that can provide its B2B clients with the full range of investment opportunities in the areas of principal broking business, proprietary trading, and safe custody business for traditional securities.

This role is based in London (hybrid), with some travel expected to the Upvest HQ in Berlin.

Your Mission:

• As the Head of Compliance and MLRO, you are responsible for the strategic oversight and execution of our regulatory framework in the UK.
• You will hold the SMF 16 and SMF 17 functions for Upvest Securities Ltd, acting as a senior business partner to ensure our growth is built on a foundation of regulatory excellence.
• You will lead the development of a robust compliance and AML function that aligns with FCA standards and supports our ambitious product roadmap, including the launch of our SIPP (pensions) offering.
• By fostering a "Compliance by Design" culture, you will enable Upvest to scale its financial infrastructure to millions of end-users while maintaining the highest levels of integrity and trust with regulators, clients, and partners.

This role offers you the opportunity to:

• Serve as the primary UK regulatory lead, holding the Senior Management Functions (SMF 16/17) and acting as one of the main points of contact for the FCA.
• Lead the regulatory workstream for our UK SIPP launch, ensuring our pension products meet all specific tax and FCA requirements from day one.
• Oversee Financial Crime prevention, providing AML guidance, and maintaining oversight of fraud, bribery, and sanctions risks.
• Review and enhance the risk based Compliance Monitoring Programme (CMP).
• Ensure that our B2B partners are meeting their integrated compliance obligations.
• Implement data-driven monitoring and reporting to ensure continuous adherence to COBS, CASS, SYSC, and the Consumer Duty.
• Partner with Product, Engineering and Growth teams to integrate compliance considerations into the development of new investment products and automated workflows, and provide guidance and support for client discussions on regulatory topics where required.
• Act as a senior advisor to the Board and Management providing independent challenge and translating complex UK regulatory developments into actionable strategic insights and policies.
• Lead and develop a high-performing UK compliance function, fostering a culture of technical excellence, autonomy, and proactive risk mitigation.

What you’ll bring:

• 7+ years of experience in compliance and AML within a UK-regulated investment firm, wealth manager, or brokerage.
• Direct experience holding or being ready to hold SMF 16/17 (Head of Compliance & MLRO) status.
• Proven expertise in the UK wealth/investments landscape, with a deep understanding of FCA rules (COBS, Consumer Duty).
• Significant experience with SIPPs/Pensions is highly desirable to support our retirement planning product expansion.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to scale compliance practices in a high-growth, fast-paced fintech environment.
• Pragmatic and commercial problem solving applied to the specific needs of our B2B and B2B2C business models.
• Leadership experience in managing stakeholders and building a compliance-focused culture that supports business innovation.
• A legal background (lawyer or significant legal experience) is considered a plus for interpreting complex regulatory frameworks.

How we Upvest in you:

• Impact-driven work: We’re building the infrastructure that will power the future of investing in Europe. It’s complex, ambitious, and meaningful.
• Wellbeing: Recharge with 30 days of annual leave and maintain a healthy lifestyle with sports benefits.
• Access confidential professional coaching and enjoy the flexibility to work remotely abroad for up to 183 days a year.
• Recharge with UpRest, a one-month fully paid sabbatical after every 4 years of working at Upvest.
• Development: Growth is in our DNA. Each Upvenger has access to a personal development budget and the freedom to decide how to use it.
• Flexible work environment: Work from any of our hubs in Berlin, London or Tallinn hybrid or remotely across Europe, depending on the role.
• Compensation and equity: We believe that all Upvengers contribute to our success and deserve a competitive, above-market salary and a participation in our employee equity program.
• Team celebrations: Participate in company-wide events, such as UpFest, dinners, offsites and our Holiday party, to connect with colleagues and celebrate our achievements.
• Inclusion: We’re committed to a culture where everyone belongs and thrives.

Our Values:

• Make it easy for others. We simplify the complex and act with the best intentions.
• Own the outcome. We are proactive, fast and confident to get the job done, valuing progress over perfection.
• Rise to the challenge. We aim high and push the boundaries. We stay curious, learn and celebrate our wins together.
• Tell the story. We start with the Why to align on purpose. We are transparent and share knowledge to empower and inspire others.

Upvest is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.