Senior Manager, Financial Intelligence Unit, MEA

Overview

Circle (NYSE: CRCL) is one of the world’s leading internet financial platform companies, building the foundation of a more open, global economy through digital assets, payment applications, and programmable blockchain infrastructure. Circle’s platform includes the world’s largest regulated stablecoin network anchored by USDC, Circle Payments Network for global money movement, and Arc, an enterprise-grade blockchain designed to become the Economic OS for the internet.

Enterprises, financial institutions, and developers use Circle to power trusted, internet-scale financial innovation. Learn more at

Circle is committed to visibility and stability in everything we do. As we grow as an organization, we  expanding into some of the world  strongest jurisdictions. Speed and efficiency are motivators for our success and our employees live by our company values:
High Integrity, Future Forward, Multistakeholder, Mindful, and Driven by Excellence. We have built a flexible work environment where new ideas are encouraged and everyone is a stakeholder.

As a Manager within Circle’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), you will safeguard Circle’s integrity by leading financial crime investigations and intelligence efforts across the UAE and broader MEA region. You will identify, analyze, and report suspicious activity while ensuring compliance with AML and sanctions regulations. This role requires close collaboration with global FIU and compliance teams, product stakeholders, and regional regulators.

You will enhance detection capabilities, respond to evolving typologies, and ensure that Circle meets the highest standards of integrity and compliance excellence in the region.

• Design and implement MEA-specific compliance frameworks, including developing alignments with both local regulatory requirements (CBUAE, VARA) and global standards.
• Lead comprehensive financial crime risk assessments to identify regional vulnerabilities, ensuring Circle’s risk appetite and controls are optimized for MEA’s evolving landscape.
• Act cross-functionally within Financial Crime Compliance, providing expert support across broader compliance domains including Sanctions, KYC, and Transaction Monitoring.
• Oversee and perform complex investigations into potential financial crimes and suspicious activities, leveraging deep local major markets knowledge to interpret regional transaction patterns and behaviors.
• Review and analyze sophisticated transaction data using blockchain analytics tooling, identifying illicit activity typologies unique to the Middle East and virtual asset markets.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for regional regulators, law enforcement, and industry bodies.
• Strengthen the Second Line of Defense (2
  
  LoD) by developing oversight processes, escalation protocols, and high-impact training programs for regional analysts.
• Collaborate with global product and engineering teams to enhance automated monitoring tools and rulesets based on regional risk profiles.

• 10+ years of experience conducting complex financial crime investigations, ideally 2+ years within fintech or native virtual asset environments.
• Proven experience navigating the MEA’s regulatory environment and a nuanced understanding of the local financial ecosystem.
• A background that spans beyond investigations into broader compliance areas including Transaction Monitoring, KYC framework design, and regulatory advisory.
• Proficiency in blockchain forensic tools, including TRM Labs and Elliptic and the ability to translate complex data into actionable compliance strategies.
• The ability to influence both internal stakeholders and external regulators, acting as a credible subject matter expert in the MEA market.
• Strong knowledge of UAE AML/CFT regulations and regional regulatory frameworks, including requirements from the UAE FIU and the ADGM.
• Strong knowledge of regional virtual asset typologies and risks within the Middle East and North Africa.
• Hands-on experience using blockchain analytics and transaction monitoring systems to identify suspicious activity.
• Demonstrated ability to write…