Senior Manager - Fintech Compliance

Careem is building the Everything App for the greater Middle East — making it easy to move around, order food and groceries, manage payments, and more. Our purpose is simple: to simplify and improve people’s lives and build an awesome organisation that inspires.
Since 2012, Careem has enabled earnings for over 2.5 million Captains, simplified the lives of more than 70 million customers, and built a platform where the region’s best talent and entrepreneurs thrive. We operate in 70+ cities across 10 countries, from Morocco to Pakistan.

We’re now entering our next chapter — one powered by AI. We’re looking for AI talent: curious problem-solvers who know how to apply AI to build tools, automate workflows, and create real impact. Whether it’s streamlining operations, enhancing customer experience, or reimagining internal systems — we want people who can make Careem work smarter and move faster.

About the team

Join the Careem Pay team as we redefine digital payments across the region. Part of the Compliance Department, this role is the guardian of our fintech growth. This is a strategic fintech compliance role that doesn't just tick boxes but actively shapes our product journey. We are looking for a leader to drive ethical business practices and anti-financial crime frameworks that move as fast as our technology does.

About the role

As the Senior Manager - Pay Compliance, you will be responsible for leading the compliance framework across all Careem Pay markets. You will be a hands-on leader, managing a team of 8 AML professionals to ensure operational excellence. This role requires a strategic thinker who can manage high-volume operations, navigate regional regulations, and represent the compliance function in senior management and product forums.

What you'll do

• Team Leadership & Onboarding: Lead a team of 8 AML professionals, ensuring that customers across all markets are reviewed, screened, and onboarded timely and in strict accordance with relevant SLAs.

• Continuous Monitoring: Perform and oversee continuous monitoring of all transaction alerts. Ensure prompt review, deep-dive investigation, and accurate adjudication to mitigate risk.

• Partner Management: Work closely with our regulated partners to ensure all requests for information (RFIs) are furnished timely and accurately. Work closely with onboarding new partners to ensure a seamless customer experience

• Board & Management Reporting: Lead the preparation and delivery of quarterly board and management reports. Identify key risks and trends, ensuring they are reported to leadership with clear mitigation plans.

• AML Investigations: Personally lead and oversee complex AML investigations, ensuring high-quality documentation and timely escalation where required.

• Lead Group Initiatives: Represent Careem Pay compliance initiatives across the e& group, including quarterly forums and initiatives.

• Policy Formulation: Lead the review and formulation of policies, ensuring adherence to all relevant legislation and regulatory requirements in the markets we operate.

• Product Management: Own the AML programme and drive enhancements in partnership with relevant teams including Product, engineering, care, marketing, etc.

• General Oversight: Handle other compliance related activities as needed to support the growth of the Careem Pay Business.

What you'll need

• Fintech Expertise: 7–9 years of hands-on AML/KYC experience specifically within a Fintech environment. You must understand the speed and technical nuances of digital payments.

• Customer Focus: Demonstrated ability to clearly understand and improve the customer journey.

• People Leadership: Proven, hands-on experience leading a team of professionals. You should be adept at coaching, workload management, and driving performance against SLAs.

• Regional Regulatory Knowledge: Strong awareness of KYC/AML regulations across the region (including UAE, and KSA). You must understand how to apply these regulations to a digital wallet/payment ecosystem.

• Communication: Excellent communicator with the leadership presence to participate in management forums and influence product discussions.

• Analytical Mindset: Ability to identify emerging risks through data and report them clearly to the Board and senior management.

What we’ll provide you

We offer colleagues the opportunity to drive impact in the region while they learn and grow. As a full time Careem colleague, you will be able to:

• Work and learn from great minds by joining a community of inspiring colleagues.

• Put your passion to work in a purposeful organisation dedicated to creating impact in a region with a lot of untapped potential.

• Explore new opportunities to learn and grow every day.

• Work 4 days a week in office & 1 day from home, and remotely from any country in the world for 30 days a year with unlimited vacation days per year. (If you are in an individual contributor role in tech, you will have 2 office days a week and 3 to work from home.)

• Access to healthcare benefits and fitness reimbursements for health activities including gym, health club, and training classes.