Virtual Assets Compliance Lead

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Risk Management, Law, Business, Statistics, IT or a related discipline.
  
• Minimum 6 years experience in financial crime compliance with demonstrated exposure to virtual assets/VASP regulatory frameworks, fintech product compliance, or digital payments.
  
• Professional certification in AML/CFT/CPF Compliance (e.g. CAMS, CAMS Crypto, ICA or equivalent).
  
• Strong knowledge of virtual assets regulatory frameworks including FATF guidance, CBK and CMA regulations, and global best practice.
  
• Certification in Chainalysis Certifications e.g. Chainalysis Reactor Certification, Crypto Investigator/ Compliance courses will be an added advantage.
  
• Proven track record advising product/ technology teams in a compliance-by-design capacity.
  

Responsibilities

Health and Safety

• Uphold the company code of conduct, policies and procedures, ensuring integrity and accountability in every aspect of your work.
  
• All employees have a responsibility to adhere to safety, health, and wellbeing policies, guidelines and procedures in all actions and decisions.
  

Compliance Management

• Support engagement with CBK, CMA mandated bodies, and the Financial Reporting Centre on virtual assets regulatory compliance, reporting obligations, and emerging policy developments.
  
• Monitor and interpret evolving virtual assets regulations, translating requirements into actionable compliance programmes across the business.
  
• Support risk assessments and due diligence for onboarding virtual assets partnerships.
  
• Ensure timely and accurate submission of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) related to virtual assets activity.
  
• Serve as the reporting lead for virtual assets under applicable AML/CFT/CPF frameworks regulations for virtual assets.
  

Compliance by Design & Product Advisory

• Embed AML/CFT controls at the design and build stage of all virtual assets products, features, and third-party integrations — ensuring compliance is built in, not bolted on.
  
• Act as the trusted compliance advisor to product, technology, and business teams, providing regulatory guidance throughout the Agile delivery lifecycle.
  
• Review and approve new virtual assets product propositions, partnerships, and integrations against applicable regulatory standards before launch.
  
• Champion a compliance-by-design culture across all teams involved in virtual assets development and deployment.
  

Enhanced Due Diligence & Risk Management

• Own and continuously enhance the due diligence framework governing virtual asset partnerships, service providers, and customers.
  
• Ensure robust risk assessment processes are in place for onboarding and ongoing monitoring of virtual assets counterparties, with clear escalation pathways for high-risk relationships.
  
• Conduct and oversee periodic financial crime risk assessments specific to the virtual assets portfolio, ensuring Safaricom's exposure is well-understood and well-managed.
  
• Maintain a current and comprehensive understanding of the virtual assets risk landscape, including emerging threats, typologies, and industry best practice.
  

Stakeholder Engagement & Industry Leadership

• Represent Safaricom in regulatory forums, industry working groups, and policy consultations related to virtual assets financial crime compliance.
  
• Build and maintain strong relationships with regulators, law enforcement, and industry peers to facilitate intelligence sharing and proactive regulatory engagement.
  
• Provide regular reporting and briefings to senior leadership on the virtual assets regulatory environment, compliance programme performance, and emerging risks.
  

Core competencies, knowledge and experience:

Customer Obsession

• Deepen team connection to our customers and communities.
  
• Foster authentic relationships with customers and partners that build trust.
  
• Explicitly take customer-centric decisions and take personal ownership to achieve results.
  
• Simplify processes through digitalization and promote a digital mindset and digital first customer experience.
  

• Stay focused on the big priorities, know when to make meaningful trade-offs and demonstrate brilliant execution.
  

  
  

Purpose

• Create an inspiring vision for your team to drive strategy and performance.
  
• Show ambition and courage, empowering others to go beyond the plan.
  
• Bold and challenge teams to reimagine how things are done.
  
• Prompt new thinking and ideas by asking “what if” questions.
  
• Use knowledge of the external environment (customers, partners, competition, external bodies) to identify and act on opportunities for growth at pace.
  

Innovation

• Create psychological safety so everyone can have an impact.
  
• Fuel innovative ideas from others and test them to enable growth.
  
• Explore successes and failures with curiosity and resilience; fearlessly recognizing lessons learned.
  
• Share your ongoing learning and personal purpose with others.
  
• Learn fast from digital adoption, using learnings to drive simplicity, scale and efficiency.
  

Collaboration

• Articulate your team’s role in making our strategy happen, prioritizing and aligning resources with current and future needs.
  
• Actively collaborate to break silos and hold stakeholders accountable to do the same.
  
• Develop others to make the most of their talents and coach them to take ownership to get things done.
  
• Create an inclusive environment ensuring the safety and wellbeing of others.
  
• Live our Purpose and demonstrate the highest Standard of integrity.