Head of Compliance & MLRO - Nigeria

About the role

OKX, a leading crypto exchange and developer of OKX Wallet, is looking for an experienced, commercially aware and regulatory-savvy compliance professional to join as Head of Compliance and Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) in Nigeria. The role will build the compliance programme from the ground up and embed a culture of compliance across the organisation; broader team management responsibilities for regulatory strategy, operational execution and governance will be added later.

Key responsibilities

• Serve as the main point of contact with regulators, ensure governance requirements are met (including fit and proper obligations for Approved and Designated Persons), and interpret regulatory developments for senior management and the Board.
• Design, implement and maintain a compliance framework aligned with local requirements, FATF recommendations and international best practice for virtual asset service providers, and oversee the compliance monitoring programme.
• Develop and update policies covering AML/CFT, KYC, CDD, EDD, transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, data protection, cybersecurity and client asset safeguarding, and integrate compliance into new products and marketing materials.
• Act as the MLRO: review internal suspicious transaction reports and decide on external disclosures, oversee transaction monitoring, sanctions screening and risk-based KYC/CDD, and prepare regular compliance reports to the Board.
• Champion a compliance culture through training, communications and leadership, and advise the Board on staffing, systems and budget.
• Maintain the compliance manual and risk register, keep records and SAR documentation, and support regulatory inspections.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Law, Finance, Business or a related field; postgraduate qualification and a professional compliance or AML certification (e.g. CAMS, ICA, CFE) strongly preferred.
• Minimum 8 years in compliance, AML or financial crime prevention, with at least 3 years in a senior or leadership compliance role.
• In-house experience in VASPs, crypto exchanges, fintechs or regulated financial institutions; prior MLRO or Deputy MLRO experience highly desirable.
• Experience engaging directly with regulators and the financial intelligence unit; hands-on experience building compliance programmes in a start-up or scaling environment is a significant advantage.

Required skills

• Deep understanding of FATF Recommendations and the Travel Rule, and knowledge of crypto-specific AML typologies.
• Proficiency with blockchain analytics and transaction monitoring tools such as Chainalysis, Elliptic or TRM Labs.
• Excellent written and spoken English and French, and strong analytical and investigative skills.
• Nice to have: experience in cryptocurrency or blockchain compliance, multi-national financial institutions, compliance technology, and multi-jurisdictional oversight.