Head of Compliance at LemFi (Formerly Lemonade Finance)

The Role

• As the Nigerian Head of Compliance , you will be the primary guardian of our regulatory integrity and the architect of our local compliance framework. Reporting to the Managing Director, Nigeria with a functional line to the Group Head of Compliance, you will ensure that as we scale, we remain beyond reproach in our dealings with all regulatory and statutory bodies.
• You will have day to day responsibility of the Nigerian AML/CFT compliance program ,. This role offers high autonomy and leadership visibility, giving you the power to shape the future of financial services at scale while working cross-functionally with Product, Operations, and external partners to deliver sustainable, market-leading expansion.

How You'll Contribute

• Regulatory compliance oversight, including consumer compliance
• Ensure our products and services comply with the Central Bank Nigeria rules and other Nigerian and global AML/CFT requirements.
• Be responsible for regulatory reporting
• Develop and execute a comprehensive compliance strategy that bridges LemFi’s fast-paced innovation with the rigorous standards of the Nigerian financial landscape.
• Act as the Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO), overseeing robust Customer Due Diligence (CDD), transaction monitoring, and suspicious activity reporting (STR) to the NFIU.
• Serve as the regulatory point of contact for the CBN, EFCC, Nigeria Police Force, Tax Authorities, and legislative bodies regarding inquiries, investigations, or statutory requests.
• Proactively build and maintain a network with Compliance Officers across the Nigerian Financial Services sector to facilitate information sharing and ensure the rapid reporting and resolution of fraud cases.
• Partner with Product and Engineering to ensure new features and onboarding flows are "compliant by design" while maintaining a seamless user experience.
• Lead the implementation of new regulatory requirements into the business operations.
• Produce regular management information to MD and Global Head of Compliance
• Lead Policy & Ethics: Maintain high-impact policies covering Anti-Bribery, Corruption, and Conduct Risk, ensuring a culture of integrity across all local operations.
• Collaborate with global compliance teams to ensure Nigerian requirements are embedded into group policies.

Who You Are

• A Strategic Guardian: You don’t just spot risks; you build systems to prevent them. You comfortably own the risk register, regulatory deadlines, and regional execution with clear accountability.
• An Expert Translator: You possess the rare ability to translate CBN circulars and legislative updates into actionable business requirements that the Product team can actually build.
• A Master of Diplomacy: You are a skilled communicator and negotiator, capable of navigating high-stakes interactions with law enforcement, government officials, and industry peers with poise.
• Resilient & Rapid: You thrive in the high-pressure environment of a Series B fintech, navigating operational hurdles with the speed required to ensure compliance never lags behind growth.
• A Cross-Functional Unifier: You possess excellent stakeholder management skills, effortlessly aligning Growth, Product, and external partners toward shared commercial success and system reliability.

What You'll Bring

• 5 years experience in senior Compliance or Risk leadership roles within Nigerian fintech, payments, or commercial banking.
• Proven track record of managing relationships and successful examinations with the CBN and NFIU.
• Direct experience handling law enforcement inquiries (EFCC, Police) and engaging with government or legislative stakeholders.
• Deep expertise in the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act and other local financial crime regulations.
• Strong command of AML/CFT frameworks and experience advising on the optimization of compliance software and monitoring tools.
• Relevant professional certifications (e.g., CAMS, CFE, or ICCP) and a strong existing network within the Nigerian compliance community.
• Excellent analytical, research, verbal and written communication skills
• Adaptable to global operational needs and ability to work in a rapidly changing business and regulatory environment
• Ability to thrive as part of a team and be an empowering, constructive and considerate colleague.