Group Head of Compliance & MLRO

About Cellulant:

Cellulant is Africa’s leading payments company, providing seamless, secure and innovative solutions that empower businesses, banks, and global brands to thrive in a fast-changing global economy. 

With a presence in over 24 countries and 200+ payment methods, including cards, bank transfers, and mobile money, our single API payment platform, Tingg, simplifies collections, disbursements, and reconciliations. It processes over 4.5 million transactions daily for market leaders across sectors such as Airlines, Telecoms, E-commerce, Ride-Hailing, Retail, and Remittances. 

By simplifying how people pay and get paid, we drive trust, commerce and scale – and connect companies to their ambitions.  

Our Story:

Across Africa, payments are more than transactions. They are gateways to prosperity, connecting people, businesses and communities to opportunities and growth.

From enabling a logistics company in Lusaka to pay suppliers across borders, to enabling a hospitality brand in Lagos to scale effortlessly, to supporting an airline in Nairobi to reconcile payments from multiple platforms, Cellulant is the bridge that makes it all possible. 

Through trusted technology and customer-centric innovation, we build connections that inspire progress, strengthen economies and transform payments into a tool for progress.

Since our founding in 2003, we've continuously adapted and grown, leveraging our experiences to simplify payments for businesses. We are driven by an unshakable belief that seamless people-centred payments are the key to unlocking prosperity. 

Today, Cellulant powers online and offline payment processing, allowing businesses to collect payments, send payouts, and accelerate business growth.

Our Mission: 

To deliver seamless, secure and innovative payment solutions for businesses. 

Our Vision: 

To create a connected world where businesses move money as easily as they share ideas.

Role Overview: 

Function: Compliance

Reports:Chief Risk Officer or as Appropriate 

Scope: All operating markets, pipeline markets, and Group-level compliance governance.

The Opportunity: Leading Group Compliance at Cellulant

Cellulant is seeking a seasoned and decisive compliance leader to become the Group Head of Compliance. This is the organisation's most senior internal authority on compliance, responsible for building, leading, and continuously strengthening our Group compliance function.

You will be the person the Chief Risk Officer (CRO), Executive Committee (ExCo), and the business turn to for a clear, honest, and actionable view of the organisation's compliance posture, obligations, and risks.

Your primary mandate is to own and govern the Group compliance framework, ensuring consistent, evidence-based, and risk-proportionate application of Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), data protection, safeguarding, and operational compliance standards across all markets. We require a leader who can embed compliance into the culture, processes, and commercial decisions of the business, rather than bolt it on after the fact.

What You'll do:

As Group Head of Compliance, you will lead the global compliance strategy and execution, focusing on the following critical areas:

• Group Compliance Framework Ownership: Design, own, and maintain the Group compliance framework, encompassing AML/CFT policy, customer due diligence (CDD/EDD/SDD) standards, transaction monitoring parameters, sanctions screening protocols, data protection obligations, and outsourcing compliance. You will establish and maintain a compliance policy register and ensure minimum compliance standards are deployed consistently across all markets.

• AML/CFT Programme Leadership: Own and govern the Group's AML/CFT programme across all markets, ensuring adherence to FATF standards and local central bank requirements. This includes overseeing the transaction monitoring framework, leading the sanctions screening programme, and serving as the Group’s Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) or ensuring appropriate coverage.

• Compliance Monitoring and Assurance: Design and execute a structured, risk-based compliance monitoring and testing programme across all markets. You will coordinate assurance activities with Internal Audit and external providers, track remediation of findings, and maintain compliance management information for the CRO, ExCo, and Board.

• Data Protection & Privacy: Own the Group’s data protection compliance programme, meeting obligations under applicable laws including Kenya DPA, Nigeria NDPR, South Africa POPIA, and GDPR where applicable. This involves managing Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) and overseeing data breach response and notification obligations.

• Product and Business Advisory: Serve as the compliance authority in product design, launch, and change processes. You will embed Compliance-by-Design principles into the product development lifecycle and provide guidance t