Vice President - Compliance & Operations

Job Purpose

The Vice President – Compliance & Operations provides strategic leadership for the firm's compliance operations while driving the continued enhancement of Lighthouse Canton's regulatory compliance, governance and risk management framework to support the organization’s business objectives and regulatory obligations.

The incumbent will provide strategic oversight of the firm's client lifecycle management framework, leading client onboarding, KYC, CDD, Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD), AML/CFT controls, sanctions screening, transaction monitoring, periodic reviews and ongoing client surveillance to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, internal governance standards and industry best practices, while supporting effective risk management across the organization.

Beyond overseeing day-to-day compliance operations, the Vice President partners closely with Senior Management to provide commercially balanced regulatory advice, strengthen governance and risk management frameworks, lead strategic compliance initiatives, and cultivate a strong culture of integrity, accountability and regulatory compliance throughout the organization.

The incumbent is expected to exercise sound judgement and independent decision-making, proactively identify and manage regulatory risks, effectively influence business stakeholders, and ensure that Lighthouse Canton's compliance framework remains aligned with evolving regulatory expectations, industry best practices and the firm's strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities

1.Compliance Leadership, Governance & Regulatory Oversight

Maintain and enhance Lighthouse Canton's enterprise-wide compliance, governance and risk management framework, ensuring adherence to applicable regulatory requirements and industry best practices.

Responsibilities include

• Support the implementation, enhancement and ongoing effectiveness of the firm’ Compliance Management Framework.
• Develop, review, implement and maintain compliance policies, procedures, standards and governance frameworks to support the firm's regulatory obligations.
• Ensure compliance controls remain aligned with applicable regulatory requirements, including MAS Acts, Notices, Guidelines and Circulars, the Securities and Futures Act, the Financial Advisers Act, AML/CFT requirements, DFSA regulations and other applicable regulatory obligations.
• Lead and support the execution of the annual Compliance Monitoring Programme, thematic reviews and compliance testing activities to assess the effectiveness of internal controls.
• Monitor regulatory developments, assess their impact on the business, and recommend appropriate policy, procedural and control enhancements.
• Prepare regulatory submissions, management reports, Board and Committee papers, compliance dashboards and other governance reporting for Senior Management and relevant governance committees.
• Coordinate and manage regulatory inspections, supervisory reviews, internal audits, external audits and regulatory enquiries, ensuring timely and effective responses.
• Lead the implementation and monitoring of remediation plans arising from regulatory findings, audit observations and compliance reviews to ensure timely closure.
• Promote strong governance, effective risk management and a culture of regulatory compliance across the Group.
• Provide strategic regulatory guidance to business stakeholders and Senior Management on emerging regulatory developments, governance matters and compliance risks.

2.Compliance Operations & Client Lifecycle Management

Lead and oversee the firm's Compliance Operations function, ensuring the effective management of client lifecycle processes, including client onboarding, periodic reviews and ongoing monitoring, in accordance with internal policies, regulatory requirements and industry best practices.

Responsibilities include

• Lead and oversee end-to-end client onboarding processes across Wealth Management and other regulated business lines, ensuring timely, efficient and compliant execution.
• Review and approve Know Your Customer (KYC), Customer Due Diligence (CDD) and Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) assessments, applying a risk-based approach in accordance with regulatory requirements and internal policies.
• Assess and approve higher-risk client relationships, including Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), sanctions sensitive clients, complex ownership structures and other high-risk customer profiles.
• Review and evaluate Source of Wealth (SOW), Source of Funds (SOF), client risk classifications and other customer risk assessments to ensure appropriate risk identification and mitigation.
• Determine and approve Accredited Investor (AI) eligibility, where applicable, in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements.
• Ensure all client onboarding documentation is complete, accurate and compliant with regulatory expectations and internal standards.
• Oversee periodic client reviews, trigger event reviews and ongoing client risk reassessments to ensure customer information remains current and risk ratings remain appropriate.
• Supervise transaction monitoring, funds flow analysis, sanctions screening and ongoing client surveillance activities, ensuring timely escalation and resolution of identified risks.
• Escalate suspicious transactions, unusual activities and AML/CFT concerns to the Chief Compliance Officer and support regulatory reporting obligations, where appropriate.
• Maintain the integrity, accuracy and completeness of client records and compliance data within relevant systems and repositories.
• Establish and monitor operational service standards, quality assurance measures and key performance indicators to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of Compliance Operations.
• Drive continuous process improvements, operational efficiencies and automation initiatives to enhance the client onboarding experience while maintaining robust compliance controls and regulatory standards.

3.AML/CFT, Sanctions & Financial Crime Compliance

Support the firm's financial crime prevention framework through effective implementation of AML/CFT controls.

Responsibilities include:

• Oversee customer due diligence and financial crime risk assessments.
• Review sanctions screening, adverse media screening and PEP screening results.
• Support investigations relating to unusual transactions, financial crime risks and suspicious activities.
• Participate in suspicious transaction assessments and regulatory reporting, where required.
• Monitor AML/CFT regulatory developments and recommend enhancements to internal controls.
• Support enterprise-wide AML/CFT risk assessments and financial crime compliance reviews.
• Promote financial crime awareness and compliance across the organization.

4. Vendor& Third-Party Risk Management

Support the firm's outsourcing governance and third-party risk management framework.

Responsibilities include:

• Oversee due diligence reviews of vendors, outsourced service providers and strategic business partners.
• Assess vendor compliance with regulatory outsourcing requirements and internal governance standards.
• Review third-party risk assessments and recommend appropriate mitigating controls.
• Monitor vendor performance and ongoing compliance throughout the engagement lifecycle.
• Support periodic outsourcing reviews, governance reporting and regulatory obligations.

5.Compliance Advisory & Business Partnership

Serve as a trusted compliance advisor to business units and Senior Management by providing practical, commercially balanced regulatory guidance.

Responsibilities include:

• Advise business stakeholders on regulatory obligations, compliance requirements and operational risk matters.
• Review new business initiatives, products, distribution channels and strategic projects from a regulatory perspective.
• Provide guidance on client onboarding, product suitability, AML/CFT requirements and operational processes.
• Partner closely with Legal, Operations, Technology, Finance, Risk Management, Internal Audit and external service providers.
• Support business growth initiatives while ensuring appropriate regulatory compliance and risk management.

6.Operational Excellence & Process Improvement

Drive operational excellence through continuous enhancement of compliance processes, controls and technology.

Responsibilities include:

• Lead initiatives to improve operational efficiency and service delivery within the Compliance function.
• Identify opportunities to automate compliance processes and leverage compliance technology solutions.
• Develop operational metrics, management dashboards and key risk indicators.
• Standardize compliance processes and controls across business units where appropriate.
• Promote best practices to enhance operational resilience, consistency and service quality.
• Support business continuity planning relating to Compliance Operations.

7.Regulatory Projects & Strategic Initiatives

Support strategic regulatory initiatives across Lighthouse Canton.

Responsibilities include:

• Lead or participate in regulatory implementation projects arising from new legislation and regulatory developments.
• Support enterprise-wide governance, risk management and compliance transformation initiatives.
• Coordinate implementation of new regulatory requirements across business functions.
• Participate in compliance technology implementation and process enhancement projects.
• Support post-implementation reviews and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Undertake special assignments as directed by the Chief Compliance Officer or Senior Management.

8.Training & Compliance Culture

Promote a strong culture of compliance, governance and ethical conduct throughout Lighthouse Canton.

Responsibilities include:

• Develop and deliver compliance, AML/CFT, sanctions, outsourcing and regulatory training programmes.
• Promote regulatory awareness across business functions.
• Provide practical guidance on regulatory developments and compliance expectations.
• Encourage a proactive risk and compliance culture throughout the organization.
• Support compliance awareness campaigns and regulatory communications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Business Administration, Accounting, Economics or a related discipline.
• Professional qualifications such as ICA Diploma, ICA Advanced Certificate, ACAMS/CAMS, CRCM or equivalent professional certifications are highly preferred.
• Additional qualifications in governance, enterprise risk management or financial crime compliance will be advantageous.

Experience

• Minimum 8–10 years of progressive experience in Regulatory Compliance, AML/CFT, Financial Crime Compliance, Risk Management or Internal Audit within the financial services industry.
• Experience within private banking, external asset management, wealth management, asset management, capital markets or other licensed financial institutions.
• Demonstrated experience managing client onboarding, KYC/CDD, AML investigations, transaction monitoring, sanctions reviews and periodic client reviews.
• Experience supporting regulatory inspections, internal audits, external audits and regulator engagements.
• Proven track record leading compliance projects, regulatory implementation initiatives and process improvement programmes.

Knowledge

The successful candidate should possess strong working knowledge of:

• Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Acts, Notices, Guidelines and Circulars.
• Securities and Futures Act (Singapore).
• Financial Advisers Act (Singapore).
• MAS AML/CFT Notices applicable to regulated financial institutions.
• FATF Recommendations.
• Sanctions compliance frameworks.
• Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA).
• MAS Outsourcing Guidelines.
• Corporate governance principles.
• Enterprise Risk Management frameworks.
• Internal controls and compliance monitoring methodologies.
• Regulatory reporting requirements.
• Knowledge of DFSA, DIFC or other regional regulatory frameworks will be an advantage.

Key Competencies

• Strong regulatory compliance and financial crime expertise.
• Strategic thinking with sound commercial judgement.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills.
• Project management and change management capabilities.
• Ability to balance commercial objectives with regulatory expectations.
• High ethical standards and professional integrity.
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills.
• Ability to exercise independent judgement and make risk-based decisions.
• Resilient, adaptable and solution oriented.