Head of Compliance

The Head of Compliance is responsible for establishing maintaining and continuously enhancing the leading Groups compliance framework across all business clusters and functions. The role provides second-line oversight to ensure adherence to regulatory statutory ethical and internal governance requirements. This includes leading compliance governance regulatory management monitoring investigations and capability building while supporting senior leadership in understanding and mitigating compliance risks.

1. Governance & Framework

• Establish and lead the Group-wide compliance framework to ensure adherence to all internal policy requirements
• Maintain and regularly update the Group Compliance Register and Regulatory Change Tracker for centralized visibility and monitoring of obligations
• Clarify and uphold the distinction between compliance reviews (non-audit) and Internal Audits assurance role
• Oversee the development approval communication and periodic update of compliance-related policies and procedures
• Ensure alignment of compliance and ethical standards with Group strategy governance principles and risk appetite
• Oversee implementation of the Groups Code of Conduct Whistleblowing Policy and Conflict of Interest procedures
• Develop annual compliance plan for the entire group and ensure timely execution of activities
• Provide strategic leadership to the Compliance function including workforce planning team development capacity building and performance management to ensure the function operates effectively across the Group
• Manage the Compliance departments budget and resources ensuring optimal allocation cost control and efficient use across all compliance activities
• Oversee third-party and vendor compliance including due-diligence reviews sanctions and adverse-media screening contract compliance clauses

2. Regulatory Management

• Oversee registration licensing and reporting obligations with authorities such as the Ministry of Economy MOHAP FTA CBUAE (for AML) and other sector specific regulators in coordination with Business Units
• Coordinate with regional and global regulatory bodies to align compliance practices and ensure transparent communication
• Monitor the evolving regulatory landscape assess potential impacts and develop readiness plans for implementation
• Serve as the principal liaison for regulatory inspections audits and investigations ensuring timely and accurate submissions
• Oversee compliance with data protection and privacy regulations (UAE PDPL GDPR where applicable) including data mapping privacy impact assessments consent management breach response and cross-border transfer controls
• Advise the Board and Audit Committee on emerging compliance risks and regulatory trends that could impact strategic decision-making
• Oversee ESG-related compliance requirements including environmental reporting sustainability disclosures climate-related regulatory obligations supply-chain due diligence and alignment with UAE Climate Law CSRD/ESMA guidelines and any sector-specific ESG regulations
• Lead and oversee the AML/CFT framework including customer due diligence sanctions screening suspicious transaction reporting

3. Cross-functional Coordination & Advisory

• Collaborate with Cluster Compliance POCs Legal HR PRO Finance IT and operational teams to ensure end-to-end compliance integration across processes
• Provide expert advisory support to business units translating complex regulatory requirements into actionable business measures
• Collaborate with Internal Audit functions to ensure business continuity incident response and governance framework address compliance vulnerabilities
• Support operational teams in embedding controls and ensuring adequate documentation reporting and remediation of compliance issues

4. Risk Assessment

• Conduct and oversee compliance risk assessments for all business clusters identifying critical regulatory exposures
• Maintain the compliance risk register and update mitigation plans in coordination with Internal Audit function

5. Monitoring Reporting & Incident Management

• Establish and oversee mechanisms for incident reporting escalation and resolution of compliance breaches by performing root-cause analysis
• Present periodic compliance reports breach registers regulatory updates and remediation status to senior management and the Audit Committee
• Develop measurable compliance KPIs and dashboards to assess program maturity across clusters
• Leverage technology tools to automate compliance monitoring reporting and regulatory change management
• Implement and oversee workflow automation solutions for compliance monitoring approvals and incident management enhancing efficiency traceability and timely resolution

6. Culture & Capability Building

• Promote a culture of transparency ethical conduct and zero tolerance for regulatory non-compliance.
• Drive awareness initiatives and provide guidance to strengthen compliance ownership across clusters and functions
• Lead Group-wide compliance awareness programs including mandatory training workshops and targeted communication campaigns tracking completion rates and behavioral improvements

Qualifications :

Minimum:

• Bachelors degree in law Finance Accounting or Business Administration
• 8-10 years of experience in compliance legal or regulatory roles with exposure to multi-entity or diversified business environments
• Exposure to local legal and regulatory environment
• Strong understanding of regulatory frameworks risk assessment and internal controls
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills to manage diverse stakeholders across business legal and operational functions regulatory authorities
• High level of discretion and professional ethics
• Proven ability to lead compliance transformation initiatives and foster a culture of integrity
• High integrity analytical mindset and attention to detail
• Hands-on approach with ability to drive implementation across functions
• Experience in implementing or overseeing digital compliance frameworks and dashboards

Desired:

• Masters degree in law Compliance Risk management or related field
• Professional certifications such as CCEP ICA or equivalent
• 1015 years of leadership experience in group or regional compliance functions in large conglomerates or regulated industries (ex. Investments Pharmaceuticals Real Estate EPC)
• Experience working with family-led conglomerates with diverse business portfolios in the GCC
• Fluency in Arabic in dealing with local regulatory authorities
• Strategic leadership with the ability to influence senior management
• Drive a culture of compliance ownership
• Deep understanding of UAE/GCC regulatory landscape and corporate governance frameworks
• Expertise in PDPL AML ESG CRS ESR UBO and Climate Law Compliance
• Proficiency in using data analytics and visualization tools to monitor compliance KPIs and trends
• Strong collaboration and change management capabilities across clusters

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time