Chief Compliance Officer (CCO)

Job Description Chief Compliance Officer (CCO)
Designation: Chief Compliance Officer (CCO)
Function: Compliance
Reporting To: Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer and Board / Board-level Committee, as applicable
Location: Bengaluru
Qualification CS/LLB
Employment Type: Minimum 3 Years

Role Overview
The Chief Compliance Officer will be responsible for establishing, overseeing, and continuously strengthening the Company's compliance framework to ensure adherence to applicable laws, regulations, regulatory directions, internal policies, and governance standards.
The CCO will act as an independent compliance function and provide timely advice to the Board and Senior Management on regulatory developments, compliance risks, and emerging regulatory expectations. The role will involve close coordination with Legal, Risk, Internal Audit, Operations, Technology, Information Security, Finance, Business, and other relevant functions.

Key Responsibilities
1. Regulatory Compliance & Monitoring

• Ensure compliance with applicable RBI regulations, Master Directions, circulars, notifications, guidelines and regulatory instructions applicable to the NBFC.
• Monitor compliance with the Companies Act, FEMA, PMLA, KYC requirements, data protection and privacy laws, consumer protection requirements, and other applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Establish and maintain a comprehensive regulatory compliance framework and compliance calendar.
• Conduct periodic compliance reviews and gap assessments against applicable regulatory requirements.
• Identify regulatory non-compliances, assess their impact, and ensure timely corrective and preventive actions.
• Track regulatory changes and assess their applicability and impact on the Company's business, products, processes, technology and policies.
• Ensure timely submission of regulatory returns, disclosures, reports and regulatory filings.

2. Compliance Risk Management

• Develop and maintain a robust compliance risk management framework.
• Identify, assess, monitor and report key compliance risks across business and support functions.
• Establish appropriate controls and monitoring mechanisms to mitigate identified compliance risks.

3. RBI & Regulatory Engagement

• Act as the principal point of contact for regulatory compliance matters with the RBI and other regulatory/statutory authorities, as applicable.
• Coordinate responses to RBI inspections, supervisory observations, regulatory queries, notices and information requests.
• Ensure timely and accurate submission of responses to regulatory authorities.
• Track and monitor closure of regulatory observations and commitments.
• Support management in regulatory applications, approvals, registrations and permissions.

4. Policies & Governance

• Develop, review and update the Company's compliance-related policies and frameworks.
• Ensure policies remain aligned with applicable regulatory requirements and business practices.
• Review business proposals, new products, processes and material changes from a compliance perspective.
• Ensure appropriate documentation and evidence of compliance decisions and approvals.

Key Competencies

• Typically 8 years of relevant experience in compliance, legal, risk, regulatory affairs, internal audit or financial services.
• Experience with an NBFC, fintech or other RBI-regulated entity is strongly preferred.
• Strong experience in RBI regulations, NBFC compliance, KYC/AML, digital lending, outsourcing and regulatory reporting.
• Prior experience in dealing with RBI inspections, regulatory queries and supervisory matters would be preferred.
• Experience in managing compliance teams and presenting matters to Senior Management / Board-level committees would be an advantage.
• Excellent regulatory interpretation and compliance risk assessment skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to independently engage with Senior Management and the Board.
• Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional coordination skills.
• High level of integrity, independence and professional judgment.
• Ability to identify emerging regulatory risks and implement practical controls.
• Strong documentation, reporting and governance skills.