About Paybis
Paybis launched in 2014 with one goal: make crypto accessible using payment methods people already trust. Twelve years later, 6.9 million customers across 251 countries have used the platform, and $5.47 billion has moved through it. 2025 was our strongest year on record — $2 billion in volume, 266% year-on-year growth.
We are not a startup figuring out product-market fit. We are a regulated, profitable, bootstrapped business expanding into new markets — including a dual-authorisation strategy in the UK. Compliance here is not overhead. It is what makes the product sellable to regulated partners, and what keeps us operating across 180+ countries.
About the Role
We are hiring a MLRO in UK to hold both the Compliance Oversight Function (SMF16) and the Money Laundering Reporting Officer Function (SMF17) for our UK entity.
This is not a process-execution role or a junior MLRO role with a senior title. This is a named Senior Management Function with personal statutory accountability under the FCA's SM&CR regime. You will be the authoritative voice on UK compliance and financial crime matters — independent enough to challenge senior management, credible enough to engage the FCA directly, and experienced enough to own the SAR process from day one.
We are pursuing a dual-authorisation strategy in the UK: FCA registration as a cryptoasset business under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 and FCA authorisation as an Electronic Money Institution. This hire is central to making that happen.
What You'll Be Doing
MLRO (SMF17)
- Receiving, assessing, and filing Suspicious Activity Reports with the NCA — including consent SARs and moratorium management
- Owning the firm's AML/CTF and sanctions framework end-to-end — policies, controls, risk assessments, transaction monitoring
- Producing and presenting the Annual MLRO Report to senior management and governance bodies
- Acting as primary point of contact for the NCA and other competent authorities on financial crime matters
- Overseeing CDD, EDD, ongoing monitoring, and AML training
Compliance Oversight (SMF16)
- Establishing and maintaining the UK compliance framework and governance arrangements from scratch
- Running the Compliance Monitoring Programme — thematic reviews, compliance testing, issue remediation, management reporting
- Supporting FCA registration and EMI authorisation workstreams
- Implementing regulatory change and ensuring alignment with FCA Handbook, FCG, JMLSG, MLR 2017, POCA 2002
- Preparing Board-level compliance reporting and providing effective challenge to senior management
What We Expect
Must-have
- Currently FCA-approvable for both SMF16 and SMF17 — clean regulatory record, willing to be named on the Financial Services Register
- 5+ years in UK compliance and/or financial crime leadership within an FCA-regulated entity — EMI, PI, bank, or VASP
- Direct personal experience filing SARs with the NCA, including consent SARs and moratorium management — this cannot be learned on the job
- Strong working knowledge of POCA 2002, TA 2000, MLR 2017, FCA FCG, JMLSG, and OFSI sanctions
- Crypto or virtual asset compliance experience — a traditional banking MLRO without crypto exposure will not be considered
- Proven ability to independently produce Board reports, Annual MLRO Reports, regulatory submissions, and governance documentation
- Experience supporting FCA and/or HMRC registration or authorisation projects, supervisory interactions, or regulatory remediation
Nice-to-have
- Previous experience holding both SMF16 and SMF17 (or equivalent) simultaneously
- Direct FCA supervisory engagement — s165 requests, inspections, skilled person reviews
- Familiarity with UK Travel Rule obligations (SI 2023/1212)
- Blockchain analytics tools — Chainalysis, Elliptic, Scorechain, TRM Labs
- Experience across both cryptoasset and payments/e-money regulatory frameworks
- CAMS, ICA Diploma, or equivalent professional certification
What Success Looks Like
30 days — Audit and initiation
- FCA approval process initiated and on track
- Full assessment of the UK compliance and financial crime framework completed
- Key stakeholders across Compliance, Legal, Product, Operations, and Senior Management met
- Material risks identified and initial remediation plan produced
90 days — Framework in place
- UK compliance and financial crime frameworks reviewed and enhanced
- Compliance Monitoring Programme implemented
- Regular reporting cadence established with Group CCO and senior management
- AML training, sanctions controls, and escalation processes operational
6 months — Fully independent
- Operating independently as SMF16 and SMF17
- Regulatory interactions and internal escalations managed without support
- Demonstrable improvements in governance, monitoring, audit-readiness, or AML effectiveness
Interview Process
- Head of HR interview — FCA approvability confirmed, culture fit, motivation
- Hiring Manager interview — regulatory depth, SAR experience, governance evidence
- Reference checks
Why Join Paybis?
$5.47 billion in volume, 6.9 million customers, 266% growth in 2025 — bootstrapped, profitable, and expanding. The UK is not a side project. It is a strategic market with a dual-authorisation track already in motion.
- Named accountability, real authority — you hold SMF16 and SMF17, you own the function, you make the calls
- Build from scratch — no inherited bureaucracy, no existing team to manage around; you design the UK compliance framework
- Competitive salary plus bi-annual performance bonuses.
- Professional development budget for courses, seminars, and conferences.
- Health insurance after the probation period.
- Corporate events, team-building activities, and a supportive work environment.
- Regulated crypto at scale — one of the longest-running, most globally distributed crypto on-ramps in the market
- High autonomy — you exercise independent judgement; no micromanagement
- Remote — UK-based, work from anywhere in the UK
Pay: £95,000.00-£115,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Gym membership
- Private medical insurance
- Referral programme
- Sick pay
- Work from home
Work Location: Remote
