Head of Compliance

Ghobash Group; Dubai; On-site; AED 300,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

A diversified investment firm in Dubai is seeking a Head of Compliance to enhance its compliance framework. In this role, you will oversee regulatory management, ensure adherence to laws, and lead compliance efforts across business units. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's in a related field, 8-10 years of experience, and strong communication skills. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape compliance culture in a dynamic and diverse organization.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Career development opportunities

Health insurance

Qualifications

• 8-10 years of experience in compliance, legal, or regulatory roles.
• Exposure to local and regulatory environment and multi-entity structures.
• Proven ability to lead compliance transformation initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Establish and lead the Group-wide compliance framework.
• Oversee registration, licensing, and reporting obligations.
• Conduct compliance risk assessments for all business clusters.

Skills

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Risk assessment

Analytical mindset

Education

Bachelor’s degree in law, Finance, Accounting or Business Administration

Master’s degree in law or related field (desired)

Professional certifications such as CCEP or ICA (desired)

Tools

Data analytics tools

Compliance dashboards

Job description

Company Description

Actively engaged in multi-asset class investment activities across various geographies, carried out by a highly qualified and experienced in-house team of investment professionals using an ‘Asset Allocation Matrix’ to realize risk adjusted returns on invested capital over a long-term period. Investment activities include direct investments in startups, taking stakes in established businesses, acquisitions of business enterprises and setting-up new businesses through collaborative joint venture routes. Ghobash Trading & Investment is also active in private financial investments, including private equity and debt, venture capital, real estate and publicly listed financial investments.

Job Description

The Head of Compliance is responsible for establishing, maintaining and continuously enhancing the leading Group’s 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 Audit’s 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 Group’s 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 department’s 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

• Bachelor’s 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

• Master’s degree in law, Compliance, Risk management, or related field
• Professional certifications such as CCEP, ICA, or equivalent
• 10–15 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