Risk and Compliance Specialist (Fintech/Payments)

Risk and Compliance Specialist (Fintech/Payments)

Our client is a technology company solving payments problems for businesses. Their mission is to help businesses in Africa become profitable, envied, and loved. They provide a suite of products to help businesses accept payments online and offline, manage their operations, and grow their business. Our client is driven by a commitment to excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction.

Role Overview

Our client is looking for a Risk & Compliance Specialist to build and own the enterprise risk management framework for a bank that businesses trust with their cash.

This role goes beyond day-to-day compliance operations. You will design and implement the MFB’s risk management architecture from the ground up - identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks across credit, operational, liquidity, and regulatory domains. You will be the person who ensures the bank doesn’t just meet regulatory requirements, but proactively anticipates and manages risk as we scale.

You will work closely with the Head of Legal and Compliance to strengthen our client’s regulatory compliance operations, while also partnering across Product, Engineering, Operations, and Finance to embed risk-awareness into every process and product decision.

Job Type: Full Time/Permanent

Location: Lagos, Nigeria

Workplace: Hybrid

Reports to: Head, Legal and Compliance

Requirements

• Minimum of 4 years’ experience in risk management, compliance, or internal control within a Commercial Bank, Microfinance Bank, or Digital Bank (Neobank).
• Demonstrated experience building or significantly contributing to an Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework — including risk registers, risk appetite statements, and KRI development.
• Deep knowledge of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA 2020), CBN Circulars regarding MFBs, and NDIC requirements.
• Strong understanding of risk categories relevant to banking: operational risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, market risk, and reputational risk.
• Experience with regulatory examinations, audit readiness, and preparing regulatory returns.
• A strong understanding of payments processing, transaction flows, settlement mechanisms, and dispute resolution.
• Integrity and courage to escalate risks and say “No” when the bank’s licence is at stake with empathy and clarity.
• Meticulous, investigative mindset with the ability to trace risks across systems, processes, and partners.
• Comfortable using modern banking core applications, compliance software, and risk management tools.
• Experience with SQL is a significant advantage.
• A clear interest in leveraging technology to solve operational problems and automate risk and compliance processes.
• Strong communicator who can translate complex risk concepts into clear, actionable guidance for technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Nice to have

• Professional certification in risk management or compliance (e.g., ACAMS, ICA, FRM, CRISC, or equivalent).
• Experience with risk management tools and GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) platforms.
• Familiarity with data analytics tools (e.g., Metabase, SQL, Excel/Power BI) for risk reporting and monitoring.
• Experience building prototypes, workflows, and automations using tools like Retool, Zapier, n8n, Replit, or Cursor.
• Experience managing high-value merchant disputes and financial reconciliations.
• Prior experience in a startup or high-growth environment building compliance or risk functions from scratch.

Responsibilities

• ERM Framework: Design and implement the MFB's Enterprise Risk Management framework, including risk appetite statement, risk register, KRIs, and risk dashboards for real-time leadership visibility.
• Enterprise Risk Assessment: Conduct enterprise-wide risk assessments across operational, credit, market, liquidity, strategic, and reputational risk categories.
• Risk Mitigation & Resilience: Lead risk mitigation strategies and escalation protocols, and own the Business Continuity Plan and Disaster Recovery framework.
• Regulatory Filings: Support the Head of Legal and Compliance with CBN and NDIC filings (e.g., e-FASS, NFIU STRs/SARs), exam-readiness documentation, and sanctions/PEP screening processes.
• Regulatory Monitoring: Track regulatory developments and circulars from the CBN, NDIC, and NFIU, advising on their operational impact and required changes.
• Product Compliance: Partner with Product Managers to risk-assess new banking features (e.g., fixed deposits, overdrafts, lending products) before launch, ensuring BOFIA and CBN compliance.
• Third-Party Risk: Assess and manage vendor and third-party risks across fintech partners, technology providers, and outsourced service arrangements.
• Fraud Risk & Investigations: Monitor and escalate suspected fraud, develop fraud typologies specific to the MFB's products, and refine detection rules with Operations and IT.
• Risk Reporting & Governance: Prepare risk reports for the Board Risk Committee, senior leadership, and regulators, and maintain current compliance and risk policies.
• Risk Culture: Drive risk awareness across the organisation through training programmes, awareness initiatives, and cross-functional engagement.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and compensation package
• Full medical coverage
• Fully covered parental leave
• Smart, kind colleagues who’re invested in your growth

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