Compliance Lead

About Allica Bank

Allica is the UK's fastest growing company - and the fastest-growing financial technology (Fintech) firm ever. Our purpose is to help established SMEs, one of the last major underserved opportunities in Fintech.

Established SMEs are the backbone of local communities - representing over a third of our economy - yet have been largely neglected both by traditional high street banks and modern fintech providers.

Role Description

This is a rare opportunity to own and shape the entire compliance and regulatory strategy for a specific, innovative suite of credit products within a larger banking group.

As the Compliance Lead for Kriya you will be the architect of the compliance framework for our embedded finance and invoice finance products. You will build upon the foundation of the bank's established policies to create tailored, fit-for-purpose strategies for KYC, AML, transaction monitoring, and regulatory engagement that meet the unique needs of our products and customers.

Reporting directly to Kriya's Head of Risk and the bank's compliance function, you will be the key subject matter expert, ensuring our innovative products scale safely and in full alignment with both regulatory expectations and the bank's risk appetite.

You will act as the MLRO for Kriya as an Annex 1 business registered for AML supervision by the FCA, but not otherwise regulated by the FCA.

Prior experience as MLRO is not required.

Principal Accountabilities

• Architect, implement, and own the end-to-end Compliance & Financial Crime Framework specifically for our digital lending product suite which currently includes Embedded Pay Later and Invoice Finance.
• Design and deploy sophisticated, risk-based approach to customer due diligence (CDD/KYC), sanctions screening, and transaction monitoring.
• Act as the primary compliance point of contact and business partner for the product team, providing expert guidance on regulatory requirements and risk mitigation for new product features and market expansions.
• Oversee the day-to-day compliance operations for the product division, ensuring all activities meet the standards set by both regulators and the wider banking group.
• Conduct regular product-specific compliance risk assessments and lead strategic initiatives to remediate any gaps.
• Manage the compliance monitoring programme for the product suite, ensuring all documentation is audit-ready.
• Serve as the crucial bridge between the innovative product team and the bank's central compliance function, ensuring alignment and managing any regulatory variations.
• Foster a culture of compliance awareness within the product division through training and proactive engagement.
• Act as a key point of contact for regulatory bodies on matters pertaining to the specific product suite.

Personal Attributes & Experience

• Proven hands-on experience in a compliance role within Fintech or digital lending
• Proven experience in building or significantly enhancing compliance frameworks for specific products, not just maintaining group-wide policies
• Deep, practical knowledge of the UK regulatory landscape
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate regulatory text into actionable business requirements for tech and product teams
• A confident and influential communicator, able to engage and advise stakeholders at all levels, from engineers to the board
• High integrity, strong organisational skills, and an unwavering attention to detail

Working at Allica Bank

At Allica Bank we want to ensure our employees have the right tools and environment in which to succeed in their role and in support of our customers.

Our employees are at the heart of everything we do, so our benefits are designed with you in mind:

• Full onboarding support and continued development opportunities
• Options for flexible working
• Regular social activities
• Pension contributions
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• Private health cover
• Life assurance
• Family friendly policies including enhanced Maternity & Paternity leave

Don't tick every box?

Don't worry if you don't have all the skills or requirements listed on the job description. If you think you'll be a good fit, we'd still love to hear from you!

Flexible working

We know the '9-to-5' isn't right for everyone. That's why Allica Bank is fully committed to flexible and hybrid working. Please let us know what is best for you and, if we can, we will do our best to accommodate.

Diversity

We're a diverse bunch here at Allica, with all kinds of experiences, backgrounds and lifestyles. Our openness and differences make us stronger, and we want everybody to feel comfortable bringing as much of themselves to work with them as they like.