Compliance officer licence and responsibility map

Who this helps

• - Compliance officer candidates
• - MLRO candidates
• - COOs
• - SMF candidates
• - Startup compliance leads

Typical job titles

• - Compliance officer
• - Chief compliance officer
• - MLRO
• - Risk and compliance manager
• - Senior manager

Core question

Does the person own compliance, financial crime, monitoring, regulatory reporting, conduct, senior management, or controlled-function responsibilities?

Activity triggers

• - Owning compliance monitoring, AML/CFT, complaints, conflicts, training, reporting, or breach escalation.
• - Being named as an SMF, responsible officer, responsible manager, MLRO, director, or key person.
• - Designing or approving controls for advice, dealing, asset management, custody, or fund marketing.
• - Overseeing outsourced compliance or group compliance arrangements.

Licence and registration map

• - UK: check SM&CR, SMF, certification, conduct, and FCA register context.
• - Hong Kong: check responsible officer, MIC, licensed representative, and SFC management expectations.
• - Singapore: check CMS key-person, representative, compliance arrangements, and MAS Form 1 context.
• - US: check CCO duties in adviser or broker-dealer context, Form ADV/NMA evidence, and register disclosures.
• - Australia: check responsible manager, organisational competence, AFSL compliance, authorised representative, and FAR context.

Exam or competence checks

• - Compliance roles often need experience, authority, accountability, and regulatory history evidence more than one exam result.
• - Where the person performs regulated client activity, exam or representative requirements may also apply.
• - Training evidence should be tied to the business model, not generic compliance vocabulary.

Application evidence

• - Compliance monitoring plan and calendar.
• - AML/CFT risk assessment and financial crime controls.
• - Breach, complaints, conflicts, personal account dealing, gifts, training, and reporting procedures.
• - Senior responsibility, accountability, escalation, and committee map.
• - Outsourcing oversight and compliance vendor review files.

Register checks

• - Check whether the person appears on relevant public registers or internal accountability maps.
• - Check firm permissions, conditions, disciplinary history, and register status.
• - Record whether compliance owners are employees, directors, consultants, group staff, or outsourced providers.

Jurisdiction notes

Common mistakes

• - Assuming a compliance title proves authority.
• - Outsourcing compliance without showing internal ownership.
• - Building a compliance manual without a monitoring calendar, breach log, or reporting owner.

Disclaimer

Information on LicenseCompare is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, regulatory, financial, tax, investment, or professional advice. Licensing requirements depend on facts and change over time. Always consult official regulator materials and qualified professional advisers.