Director of Compliance & MLRO (Urgent Hiring)

Job Overview

AX Coin is the first and only licensed stablecoin issuer under the regulation of the Central Bank of Bahrain. We are looking for a Director of Compliance & MLRO to join our team. This is a senior regulatory leadership role with direct accountability for regulatory integrity, compliance architecture, and MLRO of AX Coin. This role is critical to ensuring AX Coin operates at the highest regulatory standards, with strong, transparent relationships with the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) and other regulatory stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

1. Own and lead all regulatory engagement with the Central Bank of Bahrain and relevant authorities, including licensing applications, regulatory approvals, and ongoing supervisory correspondence.
2. Act as the designated MLRO with full independence and direct access to the Board: receive and assess internal suspicious transaction reports, decide on and file external STRs, and manage related investigations.
3. Design, implement, and continuously enhance the AML/CFT, sanctions, KYC/CDD, and transaction monitoring frameworks.
4. Draft, govern, and maintain all compliance, risk, and governance policies and procedures.
5. Oversee regulatory reporting, internal and external audits, inspections, and remediation programs.
6. Advise product, technology, operations, and leadership teams on regulatory interpretation and embed compliance-by-design into stablecoin issuance, payments, custody, and settlement flows.
7. Build and lead a strong compliance culture, including staff training and awareness programs.
8. Own the enterprise risk management framework covering regulatory risk, operational risk, financial crime risk, and security & technology risk.
9. Prepare and present the annual MLRO report to senior management and the Board on the effectiveness of the AML/CFT controls, risk posture, and key issues.

Key Requirements

1. 5+ years in compliance, legal, or risk roles within banking, fintech, payments, or digital assets.
2. Strong regulator-facing experience, ideally within Bahrain or broader GCC markets.
3. Deep expertise in AML/CFT, sanctions, and financial crime compliance, with proven ability to act as MLRO.
4. Experience operating in regulated financial or digital asset environments.
5. International exposure and relevant professional qualifications (e.g., ICA, ACAMS) highly desirable.
6. Strong judgment, leadership presence, and excellent stakeholder communication skills.
7. Exceptional stress resilience, strong sense of responsibility, and high achievement motivation.

Priority will be given to candidates who can join immediately or within a short notice period.