MLRO New Zealand

Job Title: Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO)
Full-Time, remote
Location: New Zealand

About Us:

Guavapay is a payment platform that drives payment optimisation and stability. Guavapay’s full-stack payment ecosystem includes a range of financial technology products and solutions. Our flagship product is MyGuava, the “all things payments app”. In addition to MyGuava, we offer a range of other payment services to businesses and individuals, including card processing, cross-border payments / remittance, merchant acquiring, card issuing and e-wallets. Whatever our customers’ needs are, our breakthrough platform can help them integrate, process and transact globally. We aim to take our place on the forefront of payment disruption, bringing innovative solutions for flawless and low cost payments on the market.

Role Overview:

As the MLRO for our New Zealand branch, you will play a vital role in ensuring compliance with both local and international anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) regulations. This full-time position involves overseeing regulatory obligations, monitoring transactions, and maintaining key communication channels with government authorities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop Compliance Policies: Establish and monitor comprehensive compliance policies and procedures to ensure adherence to New Zealand and global regulatory standards.
• AML/CTF Oversight: Serve as the MLRO with responsibility for implementing and managing the AML/CTF program, including transaction monitoring, suspicious activity reporting, and risk assessments.
• Regulatory Liaison: Act as the main contact for New Zealand regulatory bodies, facilitating inspections, responding to inquiries, and ensuring timely and accurate report submissions.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with legal, risk, and operational teams to ensure a robust compliance framework for new markets, aligning compliance practices across all regions.
• Internal Policy Development: Continuously update internal policies to reflect regulatory changes and best practices in financial compliance.
• Compliance Training: Educate employees on compliance and AML/CTF responsibilities, promoting ethical practices within the company.
• Monitoring & Reporting: Establish monitoring systems to ensure ongoing compliance and report regularly to senior management on compliance matters.
• Risk Assessment: Conduct periodic compliance risk assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of policies and identify areas for improvement.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Build relationships with regulatory authorities and internal teams to foster a culture of compliance.

Requirements & Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Law, Finance, Business, or a related field.
• Experience: Proven background in compliance management within financial services or FinTech, with a focus on New Zealand’s regulatory environment.
• MLRO Expertise: Demonstrated experience as an MLRO or similar role with in-depth knowledge of AML/CTF practices.
• Licensing & Compliance Knowledge: Strong understanding of regulatory licensing and compliance, especially for expanding into new markets.
• Interpersonal Skills: Excellent ability to communicate effectively with regulatory authorities and stakeholders.
• Analytical Abilities: High attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and adaptability.
• Ethics & Integrity: Commitment to high ethical standards and compliance excellence.