Compliance Officer – DFSA Regulated Brokerage (DIFC)

About This Role

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced and proactive Compliance Officer to support the launch and ongoing oversight of a DFSA-regulated brokerage in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). This is a full-time position based in the DIFC, reporting to the Group Head of Compliance.

The successful candidate will hold (or be eligible to obtain) the relevant DFSA Authorised Individual status (e.g., Compliance Officer and/or MLRO, as applicable) and will play a critical role in establishing and maintaining a robust regulatory framework in line with the DFSA Rulebook and international best practice.

Experience with commodities markets, trading venues (including OTFs/MTFs), and energy markets will be highly advantageous.

Key Responsibilities

Regulatory Compliance & Advisory

• Act as the DFSA-approved Compliance Officer (and/or MLRO, where applicable) for the DIFC entity, maintaining all required registrations, notifications, and regulatory filings.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), including responding to regulatory enquiries, coordinating inspections, and managing ongoing supervisory engagement.
• Oversee compliance with the DFSA Rulebook (including GEN, COB, AML, CIR, PIB and relevant modules as applicable to the firm’s licence category).
• Advise senior management and front-office teams on regulatory risks, conduct standards, client classification, financial promotion, and market conduct obligations.
• Ensure compliance with reporting requirements, including regulatory returns, client money reporting (if applicable), suspicious activity reporting, and internal MI to Group Compliance.
• Support horizon scanning and implementation of regulatory change initiatives affecting brokerage and commodities activities.

Financial Crime & Client Onboarding

• Establish and maintain AML/CTF frameworks in accordance with the DFSA AML Module and UAE Federal AML legislation.
• Oversee client onboarding processes, including customer due diligence, beneficial ownership verification, sanctions screening, risk classification, and enhanced due diligence where required.
• Act as the firm’s MLRO (if applicable), including responsibility for internal SAR assessment and submission of Suspicious Activity Reports to the UAE Financial Intelligence Unit.
• Manage complex onboarding escalations and maintain appropriate oversight of high-risk relationships.

Policy, Monitoring & Governance

• Develop and maintain compliance policies, procedures, and internal controls tailored to a DFSA-regulated brokerage.
• Design and implement a risk-based Compliance Monitoring Programme aligned with the firm’s regulatory permissions and risk profile.
• Ensure appropriate governance arrangements, including reporting to the Board and senior management on compliance risks, breaches, and regulatory developments.
• Maintain regulatory documentation, including compliance manuals, AML business risk assessments, and regulatory submissions.

Market Conduct & Surveillance

• Oversee controls relating to market conduct, conflicts of interest, and prevention of market abuse.
• Support the implementation and calibration of trade and communications surveillance systems where applicable.
• Ensure appropriate controls are in place for commodities brokerage activities, including order handling, best execution (where relevant), and client classification.

Training & Culture

• Deliver regulatory and AML training to front-office and support staff in line with DFSA requirements.
• Promote a strong compliance culture aligned with DIFC standards and international best practice.
• Collaborate closely with Group Legal, Risk, IT, and Operations to ensure robust systems and controls are embedded from inception.

Requirements

• Demonstrable experience as a Compliance Officer, MLRO, or authorised individual within a DFSA-regulated firm or comparable financial services regulator.
• Strong working knowledge of the DFSA Rulebook and UAE AML framework.
• Experience within a brokerage, commodities trading firm, or investment firm environment.
• Experience with trading venues (OTFs/MTFs) and energy or physical commodities markets is highly desirable.
• Eligible to hold (or currently holding) DFSA Authorised Individual status.
• Strong understanding of financial crime risks, client onboarding, and regulatory reporting obligations.
• Proven ability to engage confidently with regulators and senior stakeholders.
• Experience drafting compliance frameworks in a start-up or greenfield regulatory environment is advantageous.
• Independent, pragmatic, and solutions-oriented, with strong organisational and communication skills.
• Ability to operate as the local compliance lead while collaborating effectively with a wider international compliance function.
• Competitive salary up to the equivalent of £120,000 per annum.