Compliance, Risk and Oversight Officer (CROO)

Who we are?

Fire Financial Services, trading as Fire, is a leading embedded payments provider. We empower businesses to get paid, make payments, and automate their payment processes by offering seamless, integrated access to a comprehensive range of payment services. Regulated in both Ireland and the UK, Fire has been licensed to provide payment services for over a decade, and is a member of multiple payment schemes and networks across the UK and Europe. As an established fintech, we work with some of the region’s largest financial institutions to co-create and deliver innovative payment solutions that drive efficiency, scalability, and customer value.

What is the role?

We are seeking to appoint a Compliance, Risk & Oversight Officer (CROO) for our UK entity —a critical, senior-level control function reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO). This is a London-based role, forming part of the leadership team, and central to maintaining the integrity of our regulatory and risk environment.

The CROO will take primary responsibility for the design, implementation, and continuous enhancement of our compliance, risk, and oversight framework, ensuring Fire (UK) operates in full adherence with all relevant UK regulatory requirements.

As the designated Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) and Data Protection Officer (DPO), the role holder will provide authoritative leadership on financial crime, data protection, and conduct risk. The successful candidate will be the organisation’s key point of contact for all UK regulatory bodies, including the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), National Crime Agency (NCA), Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), and HMRC.

The role holder is accountable for the effective oversight and delivery of the following core areas, ensuring the organisation meets its legal, regulatory, and operational obligations:

Compliance Management

• Own the end-to-end compliance framework, ensuring ongoing alignment with applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards.
• Continuously monitor the regulatory landscape, assess potential impacts, and update policies, frameworks, and standards accordingly.
• Maintain and oversee the execution of the Risk & Compliance (R&C) plan, ensuring alignment with strategic business objectives.

Assurance & Internal Reviews

• Lead and execute second line of defence reviews across the business to verify compliance with internal policies and external regulations.
• Report key findings, risks, and recommendations to the CEO, Senior Management Team (SMT), Audit & Risk Committee (ARC), and the Board of Directors.
• Follow up on assurance outcomes, ensuring timely implementation of corrective actions.

Regulatory Engagement & Reporting

• Act as the principal liaison with regulatory bodies, managing all correspondence and maintaining effective relationships.
• Ensure timely and accurate submission of all regulatory reports, including Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), in line with statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Proactively manage regulatory expectations and maintain awareness of best practice across the industry.

Legal Governance

• Maintain and regularly review all customer-facing legal documentation, including Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policies, and Disclaimers.
• Approve and advise on external communications and marketing materials, ensuring legal and regulatory accuracy and consistency.
• Coordinate with legal advisors when required, ensuring appropriate legal input on key matters.

Enterprise Risk Management

• Own the corporate risk register, ensuring risks are identified, assessed, and effectively mitigated.
• Lead the Risk & Control team, embedding robust risk management practices across the business.
• Provide clear and actionable risk reporting to senior stakeholders, ensuring informed decision-making.

Audit Oversight

• Ensure the planning, coordination, and completion of all internal audits and external reviews in line with the approved audit schedule.
• Track and manage implementation of audit recommendations, ensuring timely resolution of identified issues.

Outsourced Function Oversight

• Oversee and assess the performance of outsourced group company functions, ensuring compliance with Intercompany Agreements.
• Report on service delivery and risk exposure, taking corrective action where necessary.

Governance & Advisory Support

• Produce accurate, insightful, and timely management information to support executive and Board-level governance.
• Provide expert advice and guidance to business units on compliance, risk, and regulatory matters.
• Support the development and implementation of governance policies and procedures.

Training & Awareness

• Design, deliver, and maintain mandatory training programs, including Data Protection, Financial Crime, and Compliance training, for all employees and Directors.
• Foster a strong culture of compliance and ethical behaviour, embedding awareness through effective communication and education.

What should you have?

To be successful in this role, you will bring a strong blend of professional experience, technical expertise, and personal credibility. Specifically, we are looking for candidates who possess the following:

• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in a senior compliance, risk, or regulatory role within the UK financial services sector — ideally within payments, e-money, or fintech environments.
• Educated to degree level, with a relevant professional qualification such as ICA, ACAMS, or an equivalent certification in compliance, anti-financial crime, or risk management.
• Demonstrated ability to meet the “fit and proper” criteria required for designation as an EMD Individual (Approved Person) under FCA guidelines.
• In-depth knowledge of the UK payments and e-money regulatory landscape, including key legislation, FCA expectations, AML/CTF requirements, and data protection regulations (GDPR).
• A proven track record of delivering high-quality compliance outputs with meticulous attention to detail, sound judgment, and commercial awareness.
• Strong understanding of the operational and regulatory implications of our products and services, with the ability to embed compliance in a practical and business-aligned way.
• A genuine enthusiasm for working in a scaling, high-growth environment, with the ability to adapt, lead, and contribute to a fast-paced and collaborative team culture.

What else?