Risk & Compliance Officer

What we do?

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 Risk & Compliance Officer (RCO) for our Irish entity — a critical senior-level control function reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This Dublin-based role is a key part of the leadership team and plays a central role in safeguarding the integrity of our regulatory and risk environment.

The RCO will assume primary responsibility for several Pre-Approved Controlled Functions (PCFs) as designated by the Central Bank of Ireland — specifically:

• PCF-12 – Head of Compliance (with responsibility for the compliance function)
• PCF-13 – Head of Internal Audit
• PCF-14 – Chief Risk Officer
• PCF-52 – Head of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Compliance

The successful candidate will lead the ongoing development and enhancement of our compliance, risk, and oversight frameworks, ensuring that Fire (EU) operates in full alignment with all applicable Irish and EU 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. They will act as the organisation’s primary point of contact for all relevant Irish regulatory and enforcement bodies, including the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI), An Garda Síochána, Data Protection Commission (DPC), and the Revenue Commissioners.

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 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 the timely and accurate submission of all regulatory reports, including Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs), in accordance with statutory obligations and regulatory requirements set out by the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Acts, the Central Bank of Ireland, and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU Ireland).
• 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 you should 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 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 Central Bank of Ireland’s “fit and proper” standards for Pre-Approved Controlled Functions (PCFs), including PCF-12, PCF-13, PCF-14, and PCF-52.
• In-depth knowledge of the Irish and EU regulatory landscape for payments and e-money institutions, including key legislation, CBI expectations, AML/CTF obligations under Irish law, and data protection requirements under 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?

As a scaling and ambitious business, we offer the opportunity to learn, grow, and make a meaningful impact. You’ll be joining us on our mission to empower businesses to bring innovative solutions to market by providing access to a broad suite of integrated payment services.

This is a hybrid role, with three days per week based in our Dublin office. We operate across two vibrant hubs — London and Dublin — and foster a collaborative, fast-paced environment where your expertise will help shape the next phase of our growth.