Our mission
We're making Africa the first cashless continent.
In 2017, over half the population in Sub-Saharan Africa had no bank account. That's for good reason—the fees are too high, the closest branch can be miles away, and nobody takes cards. Without access to financial institutions, people are forced to keep their savings under the mattress. Small business owners rely on lenders who charge extortionate rates. Parents spend hours waiting in line to pay school fees in cash.
We're solving this by building financial services that just work: no account fees, instantly available, and accepted everywhere. In places where electricity, water and roads don't always work, you can still send money with Wave. In 2017, we launched a mobile app in Senegal for cash deposit, withdrawal, and peer-to-peer and business payments. Now, we have millions of users across six countries and are growing fast.
Our goal is to make Africa the first cashless continent and that's where you come in...
How you'll help us achieve it
Wave is now the largest financial institution in Senegal, with over 7 million users. And we’re still in the early days of our product roadmap and potential impact on people’s everyday lives.
As a Compliance Officer, you will help protect the interests of Wave Mobile Money, its customers, agents, and the business from non-compliance and AML risk while ensuring that our services remain accessible and easy to use by the target users. The position will report to our Agent Compliance Lead.
In this role, you’ll;
- Review KYC / KYA / KYB for compliance.
- Analyze AML monitoring and sanction screening alerts triggered by our screening and monitoring tools.
- Conduct internal reviews periodically to ensure that compliance procedures are followed.
- Conduct the internal investigation of compliance issues, complaints, and stakeholder whistleblowing alerts.
- Participate in non-compliance risk assessments of products, services, and activities.
- Ensure the existence of an effective regulatory watch with an up-to-date library of the applicable Legal & Regulatory texts.
- Conduct and respond to due diligence requests from & to our partners.
- Prepare periodic and ad hoc compliance reports with regulatory agencies.
- Participate in the management of the business relationship with the Bank partners.
- Be the point of contact for Audit requests.
- Contribute to the implementation of the compliance program.
- Provide guidance, advice, and/or training and educational programs to improve business understanding of related laws and regulatory requirements.
- Investigate Suspicious Transactions Reports (STRs) to the Financial Intelligence Authority (CENTIF).
- Other duties may be assigned as the business may require.
Key Details
- Location: You'll work from our office in Ouagadougou and may travel to field locations.
- Work authorization in Burkina Faso is required.
- This is a permanent position.
- Our salaries are competitive and calculated using a transparent formula. We run performance reviews twice a year and award bonuses to strong performers who have been with the company for more than 6 months.
- We offer generous health insurance for yourself and your dependents.
- We support working parents. We offer 26 weeks of parental leave for mothers and 4 weeks for fathers, in addition to subsidized child care when they return to work.
- Airtime reimbursement.
- Free food and a beautiful office space.
Requirements
- Proficiency in spoken and written French and English.
- Minimum of 3 years in Compliance, Internal Audit, Internal Control and Risk functions.
- Bachelor’s degree or above in Law, Compliance, Risk Management, Business & Economics, or other relevant disciplines.
- Any reputable Compliance professional Certificate and relevant experience in mobile money, banking, or other financial sectors would be an advantage.
- Good experience preparing and submitting compliance reports to regulatory bodies and ensuring adherence to deadlines.
- Great skills in conducting internal audits and ensuring all records and documentation meet regulatory standards.
You might be a good fit if you
- Possess strong analytical, interpersonal, and communication skills.
- Are proficient with computer applications and technology.
- Are self-driven and capable of thriving under pressure.
- Have experience working collaboratively as part of a team to achieve key objectives.
- Pay great attention to detail when reviewing documents, policies, and reports for compliance risks.
- Are able to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including legal, HR, finance, and operations.
- Uphold a strong ethical foundation and demonstrate integrity in your decision-making, ensuring compliance aligns with the organization’s values.
- Are committed to staying updated with evolving laws and regulations through continuous learning and professional development.
- Can easily adapt to changes in regulations or company practices, especially in fast-paced industries.
Our team
- We have a rapidly growing in-country team in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, and Uganda, plus remote team members spread across the world.
- We're deeply passionate about our mission of bringing radically affordable financial services to the people who need them most.
- We foster autonomy for our employees. You'll own your projects at every stage, from understanding the problem to monitoring your solution in production.
- We raised the largest Series A in Africa in 2021. Our world-class investors, include Founders Fund, Sequoia Heritage, Stripe, Ribbit Capital, Y Combinator, and Partech Africa.
- We are on Y Combinator's top companies by revenue.
How to apply
Fill out the form below, and upload a resume in English and a cover letter describing your interest in Wave and the role.
We review applications frequently and recommend that you apply to the role that most closely aligns with your skills, experience and career goals.
Wave is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.