First Circle

Head of Compliance

First Circle  •  Taguig, PH (Hybrid)  •  9 days ago
Apply
AI can make mistakes so check important info. Chat history is never stored.

Job Description

What You'll Do:

BSP Liaison & Regulatory Affairs

  • Serve as the primary point of contact for all BSP examinations, inquiries, and correspondence
  • Monitor and interpret BSP circulars, memoranda, and issuances; translate these into actionable internal policies
  • Ensure timely and accurate submission of all regulatory reports (MORB, and related submissions)
  • Proactively build and maintain a strong, professional relationship with BSP examiners

Compliance Program Ownership

  • Design, implement, and continuously improve the bank's compliance framework, policies, and procedures
  • Lead the annual compliance risk assessment and testing calendar
  • Manage the bank's AMLA/CTF program end-to-end from KYC/CDD to STR/CTR filing with the AMLC
  • Ensure compliance with BSP regulations on consumer protection, data privacy (NPC), and financial inclusion mandates

MORB Compliance & Policy Governance

  • Own the bank's complete MORB compliance program — mapping all applicable regulations to internal policies, procedures, and controls
  • Maintain a master regulatory inventory tracking every MORB requirement applicable to the bank, with clear owners, deadlines, and status
  • Lead the periodic review and updating of all bank policies required under the MORB — including but not limited to credit, treasury, IT security, anti-fraud, consumer protection, and risk management policies
  • Ensure all policies are board-approved, properly documented, and reviewed on schedule; flag gaps or outdated provisions proactively
  • Drive the bank's self-assessment against MORB standards ahead of BSP examinations — no surprises
  • Translate MORB updates and new BSP circulars into concrete policy changes, and shepherd those changes through the approval process from drafting to board sign-off
  • Collaborate with department heads to ensure their operating procedures are aligned with MORB requirements — and actually followed on the ground

Digital & Fintech Compliance

  • Partner with the tech and product teams on digital banking initiatives, ensuring BSP's e-money, digital payments, and cybersecurity regulations are met from day one
  • Review and clear new products, channels, and partnerships before launch
  • Act as the compliance conscience in the product development process — pushing back where needed, but always offering a compliant alternative

Risk & Culture

  • Champion a culture where compliance is a business enabler, not a bottleneck
  • Train and upskill staff across branches on compliance requirements
  • Report directly to the President/CEO and the Board's Risk and Compliance Committee

What Success Means in this Role

  • BSP examinations result in zero material findings
  • Rural bank license secured and in good standing
  • BSP correspondence responded to within 3 business days
  • No regulatory sanctions, penalties, or enforcement actions
  • All required licenses and authorities secured to support business expansion
  • All new products and channels launched are MORB-compliant

Requirements

Must-haves

  • 5-7 years of banking compliance experience, with meaningful exposure to BSP-regulated entities
  • Deep working knowledge of BSP regulations (MORB, MORNBFI), AMLA law, and BSP's digital banking framework
  • Track record of managing BSP examinations and regulatory relationships
  • Strong problem-solving instinct
  • High ownership mentality; comfortable with ambiguity and working without a large team under you (yet)

Nice-to-haves

  • Exposure to rural banking, microfinance, or financial inclusion programs in Visayas or similar markets
  • Familiarity with compliance tech tools, RegTech, or core banking systems
  • Experience reviewing or clearing digital product launches

Mindset & Culture Fit

  • You're comfortable with iteration. Policies don't need to be perfect on day one
  • You default to systems and documentation, not tribal knowledge
  • You move with urgency and own your timelines
  • You communicate clearly with both regulators and engineers

Benefits

  • Hybrid work set-up: 2 days per week in our BGC office; remote the rest of the time. Occasional travel trips to Visayas whenever needed.
  • Benefits: HMO coverage from month one, free catered lunches, monthly fitness, transportation, and accommodation allowance, and more.
First Circle

About First Circle

Founded in 2016, First Circle is the fastest-growing fintech in the Philippines, led by an ex-Morgan Stanley and ex-Bridgewater Associates management team. We have offices in Manila, London and Hong Kong.

First Circle offers SME financing and are building smart banking solutions for businesses.

First Circle is a trusted partner of the Philippine government and is the official Finance Partner of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). We are also a pioneer data provider to the Credit Information Corporation (CIC) and the very first FinTech company to ever be licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the Philippines.

Industry
Finance & Insurance
Company Size
201-500 employees
Headquarters
Taguig, PH
Year Founded
2015
Social Media