Governance Transformation Lead

Socium - Teams Done Differently; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Socium - Teams Done Differently in Abu Dhabi is seeking a Domain Strategist for Governance Policy and Procedure to mature IT governance, risk and compliance frameworks and align policies with COBIT, ISO 27001 and NIST. This is a fully onsite, initial 12 months independent contractor role.

You will lead governance initiatives, collaborate with technology, risk, audit and business stakeholders, establish KPIs and dashboards, and support regulatory requirements in highly regulated industries.

Qualifications

• Experience leading IT governance and GRC programs.
• Strong knowledge of COBIT, ISO 27001, and NIST.
• Experience collaborating with internal audit, risk and cybersecurity teams.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders across business units.
• Certifications such as CISA/CRISC/CISM are advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Assess, enhance, and mature IT GRC frameworks across the organisation.
• Develop, review, and maintain IT policies, standards, and procedures.
• Lead governance initiatives covering risk management and control testing.
• Conduct governance assessments and strengthen IT controls.
• Collaborate with technology, risk, audit, and business stakeholders.
• Establish governance KPIs, metrics, dashboards, and reporting.
• Support governance frameworks aligned to COBIT, ISO27001, NIST, regulations.
• Manage risk and compliance activities including audits and remediation.
• Drive governance transformation to improve risk posture and compliance.

Skills

IT Governance

GRC

Policy Development

Risk Management

Stakeholder Management

COBIT/ISO27001

Regulatory Compliance

Job description

Domain strategist for Governance Policy and Procedure

Location: Abu Dhabi - fully onsite

Contract Duration: Initial 12 months contract

Employment Setup: Independent contractor

What You'll Do

• Assess, enhance, and mature IT Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) frameworks across the organization
• Develop, review, and maintain IT policies, standards, procedures, and control frameworks aligned with regulatory and industry requirements
• Lead IT governance initiatives covering technology risk management, compliance monitoring, and control effectiveness
• Conduct governance assessments and identify opportunities to strengthen IT controls, risk management, and compliance processes
• Collaborate with technology, cybersecurity, risk, audit, and business stakeholders to drive governance best practices
• Establish governance KPIs, metrics, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms to support management decision‑making
• Support the implementation and continual improvement of governance frameworks aligned to standards such as COBIT, ISO 27001, NIST, and relevant regulatory requirements
• Manage risk and compliance activities, including policy compliance, risk assessments, audit remediation, and governance reporting
• Drive governance transformation initiatives that improve technology risk posture, control maturity, and regulatory compliance

What We're Looking For

• Manager / Senior Manager-level experience in IT Governance, Technology Risk, GRC, IT Compliance, IT Audit, or related disciplines
• Strong experience designing and implementing IT governance frameworks, policies, standards, and control environments
• Proven experience in technology risk management, compliance monitoring, governance assessments, and control testing
• Strong understanding of governance frameworks and industry standards such as COBIT, ISO 27001, NIST, ITIL, and related regulatory requirements
• Experience working with internal audit, risk, cybersecurity, and technology teams to address governance, risk, and compliance requirements
• Ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders across technology, security, risk, and business functions
• Strong consulting, advisory, or governance management background within large enterprises or regulated environments
• Experience within energy, utilities, government, banking, financial services, or other highly regulated industries is highly desirable
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and workshop facilitation skills
• Relevant certifications such as CISA, CRISC, CISM, CGEIT, COBIT, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor, or similar are highly advantageous