Head of Compliance - South African Qualified & AI Native

Head of Compliance | South African-Qualified | AI Native | Global Fintech | Remote

• Title: Head of Compliance - South African Qualified & AI Native
• Location: Remote
• Salary: Negotiable, dependent on experience. Top-quartile package
• Reports to: CEO (direct API access, no middleware)
• Contract: Permanent, full time
• Seniority: Senior / Head of function
• Benefits: Equity options and a home-office budget
• Non Negotiable: SA-Qualified (CAMS,RE5, FSCA, FICA/FAIS)

Overview

Sataya is representing a confidential search on behalf of a fast-scaling global fintech platform operating at the intersection of AI, tokenised assets, and real-world investing. With tens of thousands of clients across multiple jurisdictions and backing from respected international investors, this is a business that has already earned its credibility and is now building the compliance infrastructure to match its ambition.

This is not a role for a box-ticker. We are looking for an operator and a builder: an AI fanatic who is ruthless about standards and almost forensic about detail. You read the FSCA handbook as logic to be engineered, not paperwork to be filed. You move at the speed of the tools you work with, you ship, and you would rather automate a problem out of existence than manage it by hand forever. The right person is rare precisely because they pair genuine regulatory rigour with the instincts of an engineer.

1) AI-Native Compliance Architecture

• Design and build autonomous and semi-autonomous compliance agents using agentic AI tooling (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini) to run FICA and FAIS reporting pipelines.
• Automate routine compliance tasks, surface risk intelligently, and turn a lean team into a force multiplier.
• Build and maintain a living suite of policies, SOPs, risk assessments, and procedures that reflect both regulatory requirements and operational reality.

2) Regulatory Oversight & Engagement

• Hold ultimate responsibility for the business meeting all applicable South African regulatory requirements, with primary focus on FSCA, FICA, and FAIS.

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• Maintain and develop Category I, and ideally Category II, FSP compliance frameworks.
• Lead direct engagement with regulators and own the regulatory correspondence end to end.
• Stay ahead of emerging legislation in crypto and digital assets, and translate change into operational action, including Travel Rule and blockchain monitoring obligations.

3) Enablement & Product Partnership

• Partner with product, operations, and customer-facing teams to embed compliance thinking at every stage.
• Design and deliver internal training that lands with non-compliance colleagues.
• Build a culture where regulatory standards are understood and owned across the organisation, not siloed in one team.

4) AML, KYC/KYB & Data Integrity

• Lead the organisation's approach to AML, data protection, and broader risk management.
• Oversee KYC and KYB review processes and maintain the quality and integrity of due-diligence outputs.
• Apply CAMS-grade thinking to transaction monitoring as an automated, always-on process.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• An AI fanatic. You do not just use the tools, you build with them every day, and you can point to compliance work you have genuinely automated.
• A true operator. Bias to action, ships working systems, and would rather solve a problem in software than carry it manually forever.
• Ruthless about standards. Zero tolerance for sloppy controls, gaps, or "good enough"; you raise the bar wherever you go.
• Forensic attention to detail. Nothing slips, and you build the checks that make sure nothing slips for the team either.
• A degree in Law, Finance, Investments, or Accounting, plus an FSCA-recognised qualification.
• Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS).
• Passed the RE5 exam.
• Category I, and ideally Category II, FSP experience.

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• Crypto compliance experience, including the Travel Rule and blockchain monitoring.
• Minimum 5 years in compliance or risk management in a similar role, ideally within high-growth fintech.
• Good working knowledge of FICA and FAIS and a sound grasp of risk management principles.
• Hands-on experience with Sumsub across KYC, KYB, blockchain analytics, and transaction monitoring is strongly preferred.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication, equally clear with technical and non-technical audiences.
• A start-up mentality. You welcome being assessed, tested, and challenged, and you thrive on the rigour.

Tech Stack

• AI tooling: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini
• KYC, KYB, Travel Rule, blockchain analytics: Sumsub
• Transaction monitoring: Sumsub, Crystal Intelligence
• Crypto custody: Fireblocks
• Operations and comms: Google Workspace, Slack
• Design and wireframing: Figma

Why This Opportunity

• Direct API access to the CEO and a real seat at the table on compliance and AI strategy.
• Work where AI is the foundation, not a buzzword, and help automate the future of asset investing.
• A genuinely high bar. You will be surrounded by people who operate at your level.
• Fully remote flexibility with a world-class home-computer budget.
• Top-quartile compensation plus equity in a high-growth AI-fintech business.

This represents a confidential search conducted on behalf of our client. To protect the confidentiality of the business, specific company details will be shared exclusively with shortlisted candidates. Please note this role involves a structured assessment process: candidates should be prepared to demonstrate both technical compliance knowledge and applied AI capability as part of the selection journey. If you have not received a response within two weeks, please consider your application unsuccessful at this time.