Legal and Compliance Specialist at Nairagram

Nairagram is a digital payments company licensed in the United States, Canada, and Nigeria for dedicated payments to Africa. When you need to transfer funds to residents or businesses located in West Africa, East Africa, South, and North Africa few competitors are able to offer the same kind of seamless services we efficiently provide. We’re local and part of your community, so we naturally understand how to navigate major Markets, especially the Nigerian markets with over 250 million people better than our foreign-based competitors in the region. We maintain highly-secure dedicated servers and provide a very comfortable, user-friendly online environment, guaranteeing your transfer within minutes.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Legal and Compliance Specialist

Location: Lagos (Hybrid)

Duties and Responsibilities
Strategic Insight and Integration:

• Identify and implement strategies to drive, develop and enforce implementation of all risk management policies i.e. reputation risk, strategic risk, legal and compliance risk, market risk and operational risk.

Technical / Analysis and Problem Solving:

• Ensure the full set of frameworks and policies arein place that complies with regulation and ensure the upkeep thereof including Enterprise Risk Framework, Risk Appetite Policy, Compliance Policies, Operational Risk Policies etc.
• Conduct the jurisdiction operating-required annual review of the company’s AML/CFT, Code of Ethics policies and compliance manuals & procedures, including testing of the policies and procedures and participates in the drafting of the report to management regarding the same.
• Reviewed transactional and customer records, external data and publicly available information to identify suspicious or unusual activity related to money laundering and terrorist financing.
• Researched and verified parties involved in suspicious activities and transactions against various databases such as World-Check.

Commercial Contracts Advisory:

• Drafting, negotiating and review of contracts and other legal items.
• Support the contract management process of the legal and compliance unit including the keeping of contract records, contractual obligations and terms for the purpose of compliance, required filing, scanning, upload and updates of contractual records and legal documents register

Legal Advisory and Research:

• Provide legal advice in response to a wide range of queries as well as on corporate and commercial matters.
• Ensure that business activities are conducted in conformity with all applicable laws, regulations, internal policies and procedures.
• Prepare legal opinions and statutory reports.
• Undertake in-depth research into any aspect of the law in support of the business
• Gather and analyze research data, such as statutes, decisions, legal articles, and documents as it relates with Nairagram’s business and objectives.

Governance Advisory and Compliance:

• Work with the Legal Compliance Lead/Company Secretary to manage Board meeting scheduling, communication and other records keeping for the Board.
• Assist the in compliance functions of monitoring and maintaining registers, databases and other records required to be maintained by Nairagram and regulatory requirements, as well as identifying and ensuring compliance with statutory and contractual obligations.

Compliance:

• Research on emerging events/trends in compliance; and the creation & promotion of awareness on KYC/AML/CFT/AB&C/Governance issues to all staff via training materials, newsletters, sensitization memos, e-learning.
• Provide guidance to the business as necessary on compliance, client guideline interpretation and regulatory issues.
• Continuously review current policies, procedures, and surveillance activities to seek to modify and improve the compliance function.
• Ensure that a full set of frameworks and policies is in place that complies with regulation and ensure the upkeep thereof including Enterprise Risk Framework, Risk Appetite Policy, Compliance Policies, Operational Risk Policies etc.
• Conduct the jurisdiction operating-required annual review of the company’s AML/CFT, Code of Ethics policies and compliance manuals & procedures, including testing of the policies and procedures and participates in the drafting of the report to management regarding the same.
• Reviewed transactional and customer records, external data and publicly available information to identify suspicious or unusual activity related to money laundering and terrorist financing.
• Analyzed emerging trends to identify risks, policies, and legislation to enhance Customer Due Diligence, Anti-Money Laundering, Counter-Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes prevention.
• Developed and Maintain an AML/CTF Compliance Risk Management Plan/Dashboard to assess the effectiveness of AML/CTF Risk Management Practices and Controls.
• Identifying where risk exceeds risk appetite, or has a heightened likelihood of exceeding risk appetite, and bring management and board attention to this in a timeous manner
• To conduct and document compliance risk assessments for each function in the business unit to ascertain compliance with risk management policy, standard operating procedures and set guidelines.
• Conduct employee training with respect to the compliance program.

Competency Requirements

• Bachelor of Law (LL.B)
• 5+ years’ experience in a similar role (with preferably an ACAMS or equivalent qualification)

Competency, Skills and Behavioural Requirements:

• Strong knowledge of regulatory frameworks across financial services, specifically the payment service provider landscape
• In depth knowledge of BOTH financial crime (not isolated to AML/CTF) AND regulatory compliance
• Previous experience in dealing with regulators including the Financial Conduct Authority and other external stakeholders/law enforcement
• Effective and comfortable in dealing with and liaising with a range of internal stakeholders across the business
• Good knowledge of local terrain/geography and understanding of business landscape (regulatory, legal & policy frameworks) that govern mobile payments/electronic payments & agent networks in Nigeria.
• Previous experience in scaling up and working for a start-up in a fast-paced Fintech environment
• In depth Experience in implementing compliance frameworks that are scaling globally
• Strong communication skills, coupled with being a strong influencer, relationship & change manager
• Hands-on yet the ability to prioritise activities and delegate where required.

Application Closing Date
25th October, 2023.