Manager, Compliance & Financial Crime

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Manager, Compliance & Financial Crime based in Canada. This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for strengthening regulatory compliance and financial crime controls within a Canadian cross-border payments environment. You will serve as the designated Compliance Officer, subject to formal appointment, with responsibility for maintaining an effective and proportionate compliance programme. The role combines independent oversight, regulatory engagement, risk management, investigations, and practical collaboration across the business. You’ll work closely with Operations, Product, Technology, Finance, and Group Compliance while maintaining direct access to senior leadership and the Board. A key focus will be ensuring robust AML/ATF, sanctions, customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, and regulatory reporting frameworks. You’ll also help the business navigate evolving Canadian payments regulation and assess the compliance implications of new products, partners, corridors, and initiatives. This is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a fast-moving, internationally connected FinTech environment where sound judgement and integrity are essential. Own and continuously enhance the Canadian regulatory compliance and financial crime framework, including policies, procedures, risk assessments, training, and the required independent two-year effectiveness review. Serve as the designated Compliance Officer, subject to formal appointment, and act as the primary regulatory contact with FINTRAC. Maintain the organization’s Canadian MSB registration and coordinate FINTRAC examinations, information requests, regulatory submissions, and related correspondence. Oversee suspicious transaction reporting and other regulatory filings, ensuring submissions are accurate, complete, appropriately documented, and delivered within required deadlines. Lead customer due diligence (CDD), enhanced due diligence (EDD), politically exposed person (PEP) controls, beneficial ownership processes, and the review or approval of high-risk customers and relationships. Oversee transaction monitoring and sanctions screening activities and lead complex investigations involving money laundering, terrorist financing, fraud, sanctions evasion, and related financial crime risks. Maintain the Canadian money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF) risk assessment and approve compliance risk assessments for new products, payment corridors, partners, and material business changes. Support compliance with the Retail Payment Activities Act and monitor broader Canadian regulatory developments affecting payment and remittance activities. Conduct compliance due diligence on banking, payment, and outsourcing partners, including oversight of their AML, sanctions, and reporting obligations. Develop and operate a risk-based compliance monitoring and testing programme, ensuring findings are documented, tracked, and remediated through to closure. Provide clear, evidence-based compliance reporting to the CEO, senior management, and Board, escalating material risks and concerns promptly and independently. Partner with Group Risk & Compliance and international teams to maintain consistent standards while ensuring Canadian regulatory responsibilities remain clearly owned locally. Identify emerging compliance risks and recommend practical improvements to policies, controls, processes, and systems as the business and regulatory environment evolves. Requirements: At least 5 years of professional experience in AML/ATF, regulatory compliance, financial crime, risk management, or a closely related field, including 2+ years at manager or Compliance Officer level. Practical experience working within a Canadian money services business, payment or remittance provider, financial institution, regulated FinTech, or comparable regulated environment. Strong wor