Compliance Officer & MLRO - FCA Investment Firm (London based)

Money sitting idle is money lost. We're fixing that.

Founded in 2023 by Antoine and Paul-Adrien, Spiko gives SMEs, non-profits, financial advisers and fintechs access to institutional-grade cash management, via app or API. We are building the full infrastructure: issuing, operating, and distributing the products ourselves.

Two years after launch, we serve thousands ****of organizations across Europe and process hundreds of millions of euros in flows every month.

Our ambition: become the world's leading treasury management infrastructure in a market worth trillions.

We are backed by Index Ventures, the CEO of Revolut, the founder of Kyriba, and the CTO of Wise.

Spiko runs on excellence, transparency, and straight talk.

The role: Compliance & Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO)

Spiko is seeking a Compliance Officer & MLRO to build and lead the compliance function of our newly created UK entity. This is an investment firm compliance role, we are seeking FCA authorisation as an investment firm under MiFID, and the person in this role will lead that application and own the ongoing compliance framework that follows.

This role is not suited to candidates whose experience is primarily in payments, e-money, or banking AML. We are looking for someone who has worked inside an FCA-regulated investment firm (broker-dealer, asset manager, wealth manager) and understands MiFID obligations from the inside.

You will serve as the MLRO and primary point of contact with UK regulators, including on potential license applications and regulatory filings.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Spiko’s licensing initiatives in the UK, including an investment firm application with the FCA, and serve as the primary point of contact with the FCA
  Contribute to building Spiko’s compliance infrastructure, including comprehensive compliance policies, procedures, and systems for Spiko’s UK-regulated entity

• Serve as the Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) and AML/CFT Compliance Officer for our UK-regulated entity; own Spiko UK’s AML/CFT programs

• Report on compliance matters to the board of the UK entity

• Ensure the timely submission of all mandatory regulatory reporting and reports

• Provide independent oversight of the UK compliance framework, ensuring that program requirements are robust and effectively implemented

• Provide compliance advice on market expansion, new product development, and operational changes

• Manage compliance requirements from counterparties (banks, asset managers, PSPs, digital asset partners), and serve as the primary compliance point of contact for partner-related compliance inquiries and audit

• Stay current on UK and FCA regulatory developments, assess impact on Spiko’s operations and develop and implement expanded compliance policies and procedures as needed

Who we’re looking for

Requirements (must-haves):

• 5 to 12 years of compliance experience in financial services

• Direct, hands-on experience working in compliance at an FCA-regulated investment firm, broker-dealer, asset manager, or wealth manager

• Strong working knowledge of MiFID Org Reg, COBS, SYSC, SMCR and the FCA Handbook as applied to investment firms

• Prior experience leading or co-leading an FCA investment firm licence application, EMI or payment institution licences are relevant but not sufficient on their own

• Proven experience as a MLRO or in a senior AML compliance role at an FCA-regulated entity, including ownership of AML/KYC processes, transaction monitoring and SAR reporting

• Excellent written communication skills, you will be drafting regulatory submissions and board reports

• Comfortable in a fast-paced, early-stage environment where you will be building from scratch

Nice to have:

• Prior work at a start-up or high growth fintech company

• Law degree or professional compliance certifications (ICA, ACAMS, CAMS)

What we offer

• 💰Compensation: a competitive salary depending on experience + Stock Options

• 📍 Office: in central London

• 🏡 Remote work: up to 2 days per week and one full remote week per month

• 💻 The best tech for your job: latest-generation laptops and industry-leading software

• 💳 Monthly Budget to cover different perks of choice

• 👥 Referral Bonus

• 🎊 Social life: regular afterworks and biannual offsites

Our hiring process

1. Screening Interview - 30 mins with Nathalie, Talent Acquisition

2. Hiring Manager interview - 30 mins with Victor, Head of Legal & Compliance

3. Business Case: To work on at home and present online

4. Final Interviews with the Founders

5. Reference Check: we'll reach out to your references to gather further insights

6. Offer 🎉

At Spiko, we hire for what you can bring - your skills, your judgment, your drive - not for what you look like, where you come from, or what your background is. We're committed to building a team that reflects the breadth of the customers we serve, and to creating an environment where everyone can do their best work. If something in this job description doesn't match your background perfectly but you believe you'd thrive in the role, we encourage you to apply anyway. Tell us why.