Head Compliance in London

At Xe, we live currencies. We provide a comprehensive range of currency services and products, including our Currency Converter, Market Analysis, Currency Data API and quick, easy, secure Money Transfers for individuals and businesses. We leverage technology to deliver these services through our website, mobile app and by phone. Last year, we helped over 300 million people access information about the currencies that matter to them and over 225,000 people used us to send money overseas. We’re proud of what we do and how we do it, but most importantly why we’re here. We empower people to know more and do better…because behind every currency exchange query or transaction is a person trying to accomplish something important.

About This Role

We are currently looking for a Head of Compliance UK to join our growing team who will be responsible for the following. The Head of Compliance ("HOC") is a Controlled Function and assumes the relevant regulatory position covering Compliance Oversight and MLRO for the UK-regulated entities with FCA. Reporting into the Compliance Director EMEA, the HOC is responsible for HIFX (XE) UK financial crime management, governance and compliance function across the UK business, driving and embedding quality practice to ensure systems and procedural excellence.

Our Principles

• AMBITION – We dream big, try things out and always ask "why not?" and "what if?" We’re ambitious in our thinking and our delivery.
• RESPONSIBILITY – We get involved, bring our perspective, and are always open to new ideas. We take personal responsibility.
• COMMUNITY – We value a sense of belonging, trusting each other and encouraging authenticity. We contribute to our community.

Roles & Responsibilities

Regulatory Compliance

• Oversight for all money laundering, counter‑terrorist financing, and financial crime systems and controls, ensuring compliance with current legal and regulatory conditions and aligning the business and its operations with future legal and regulatory requirements and conditions.
• Drive the regulatory change from Payment Service Provider to Electronic Money Institution.
• Possess a strong understanding of Electronic Money Institution (EMI) frameworks, including regulatory requirements, governance, and operational models.
• Understand EMI outsourcing models, including third‑party dependencies, risk management, and oversight requirements.
• Board of Directors reporting on quarterly basics.

Commercial & Business Partnership

• Business partner / "trusted advisor" to the Global Board/Management teams supporting the business.
• Commercial awareness balanced with regulatory prudence.
• Ability to operate in a fast‑paced, dynamic fintech environment.
• Comfortable with change, innovation, and digital transformation.
• Proactive, independent, and solution‑oriented mindset while communicating with other departments such as product and client services.

Regulatory Compliance (continued)

• Develops, manages and is responsible for policy and decisions in relation to AML / Compliance across the business.
• Ensures UK compliance suite of policies are up to date and the compliance risks are managed appropriately; responsible for the UK‑related AML, Customer duty, and Senior members training.
• Provides input and consultancy (operational) into relevant business policies and operational plans impacted by legal, regulatory, and risk/compliance issues.
• Maintains up‑to‑date knowledge and expertise on core business activities and assists in the analysis of proposed business initiatives from a risk‑based regulatory perspective.
• Champions a commercial approach to managing compliance across the business, which includes weekly communication with internal stakeholders.
• Strives towards a continuous improvement of the UK compliance function, Compliance Assurance Program, and Customer Duty program.

Compliance Governance

• Oversees implementation and maintenance of routine regulatory compliance monitoring for the business, ensuring adequate/timely flow of information to relevant forums/individuals.
• Responsible for the execution of the Compliance Assurance Program (CAP).
• Responsible for making decisions in relation to policy exceptions and issues escalation.
• Feeds into the global risk forum and contributes to the quarterly risk committee report.

Relationship Management (Regulatory)

• Maintains relationship management and liaison with internal and external parties as necessary (including EWI legal counsel, auditors, law enforcement, regulators, banking suppliers, lawyers & other relevant parties).
• Develops and maintains an open and positive relationship with external regulators and ensures all regulatory reporting requirements are met.
• Co‑ordinates company resources for audit reviews, partner reviews and regulatory risk assessments.
• Represents HIFX/XE within the FX/Payments industry.

People Management And Influencing Skills

• Leads and manages direct reports, ensures regular feedback on performance is given to direct reports and conducts performance reviews to guide the team where it matters.
• Makes sure that clear goals are set to teams and are regularly assessed (quarterly minimum).

Position Requirements

• You’ll demonstrate a track record gained working within a similar role as Head of Compliance or Deputy role and/or held responsibility as Compliance Head either within the FX/Payments industry, E‑money industry or within a highly regulated organisation; broad understanding of the industry and legal framework of UK payment regulated infrastructure.
• You will have held CF10/11 positions previously for a minimum of 2 years.
• Minimum of 4–5 years of direct exposure to electronic money products, payments, or EMI‑related environments.
• You will have strong people management skills and experience of managing team and making an impact on their development.
• Client and product mindset to build tailored controls for our clients.
• You will possess a strong ability to articulate and communicate compliance across all levels and hierarchies in the business (from team members, managers, directors to the board).
• Strong skillset of system understanding to build best‑in‑class compliance integration.
• Product teams need your regulatory balanced feedback.
• You will have experience of working within FX/PI/EMI industry and must have experience of compliance with the PSD2, MiFID II, EMIR, PSP regulation.

Perks & Benefits

• Discounted Euronet Employee Share Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Life Cover, Income Protections Scheme & Critical Illness cover
• Healthcare Plumm
• Mental Health and Wellbeing
• Volunteering day for a charity of your choice

We want Xe to be a great place to work and to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organization that encourages diversity in all respects. At Xe we are committed to making our recruitment practices barrier‑free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long‑term health conditions. If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please contact us on.

The position responsibilities outlined above are intended to define the general contents and requirements to perform this job. It is not to be taken as a complete statement of responsibilities or requirements. This job description does not restrict the Company’s right to assign or re‑assign duties and responsibilities to this job as needed.