Oliver Wyman - Compliance and Regulatory Strategy Manager, IMEA - Dubai or Riyadh

Mercer; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global consulting firm seeks a seasoned Compliance and Regulatory Strategy Manager to oversee compliance efforts in Dubai or Riyadh. The successful candidate will have 8-10 years of experience in compliance management, focusing on strategic initiatives to drive business growth and regulatory adherence in the IMEA region. This role requires strong analytical skills, project management expertise, and the ability to collaborate across diverse teams. Proficiency in English is essential, and Arabic is preferred but not required.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 8-10 years in compliance and operations, preferably within consulting or professional services.
• Strong understanding of localisation and financial processes.
• Exceptional analytical abilities with a history of driving efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Guide compliance with internal policies and external regulations.
• Collaborate with finance teams to enhance operational effectiveness.
• Monitor local regulations and drive compliance actions.
• Develop governance policies and procedures.

Skills

Compliance management

Analytical abilities

Strategic thinking

Project management

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Job description

Compliance and Regulatory Strategy Manager (Dubai or Riyadh)

Oliver Wyman is seeking a seasoned compliance and regulatory strategy manager to join our Dubai or Riyadh office. This role is essential for ensuring compliance with internal policies and external localisation regulations across the India, Middle East, and Africa (IMEA) region.

Job Overview: The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in compliance management, particularly within a consulting or professional services context, and a profound understanding of accounting and financial statements. The manager will guide our entities in maintaining regulatory compliance while driving business growth through strategic risk‑management initiatives and proactive compliance strategies aligned with organisational objectives.

• Collaborate with Finance Teams: Partner strategically with finance teams to navigate and optimise localisation frameworks, enhancing operational effectiveness in markets such as UAE, Qatar, KSA, and South Africa.
• Analyse Financial Insights: Extract and examine statutory financial statements to identify key drivers influencing local scores, using these insights to model and simulate future projections.
• Drive Strategic Improvement: Work with leaders across functions to design strategies that yield measurable improvements in localisation scores, focusing on local talent development and procurement practices.
• Regulatory Monitoring: Stay ahead of local regulations, assess risks, and proactively communicate potential impacts to senior management to drive timely compliance actions.
• Ensure Compliance Readiness: Guarantee adherence to all regulatory licensing and certification requirements, positioning the company for seamless audits and operational fitness.
• Project Oversight: Act as a compliance liaison, ensuring timely progress on all projects influenced by localisation mandates and addressing any deviations promptly.
• Exercise Control on Internal Policies: Assess breaches to travel, investigate potential breaches of our Travel & Entertainment (T&E) policy by analysing expenses to ensure destinations/expenses comply with policy guidelines. Verify that travel bookings are made through our designated agencies to enhance localisation scores. Identify top spenders to ensure accurate cost allocation and collaborate closely with HR to recover non‑compliant expenses through payroll adjustments.
• Policies & Procedures Design: Develop policies and procedures to strengthen governance and control across key operations, while proactively identifying and implementing risk‑mitigation strategies.
• Team Management: Oversee the performance of direct reports, conduct regular reviews and provide constructive feedback and support to drive quality deliverables, professional development, collaboration and a high‑performance culture.
• Ad hoc Strategic Support: Provide ad hoc compliance expertise and support to the Regional COO, FD, COS on internal projects and strategic initiatives as needed.

Experience & Skills & Attributes:

• Minimum of 8-10 years in compliance and operations, preferably within consulting or professional services.
• Experience with a strong emphasis on localisation and a good understanding of financial processes and procedures.
• Exceptional analytical and strategic thinking abilities with a demonstrated history of implementing operational strategies that drive efficiency and growth. Proven project‑management expertise with a successful track record of delivering complex projects on time.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with teams across different markets and external authorities.
• Strong attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
• Deliver concise presentations and information with authority and conviction, ensuring engagement and alignment across key stakeholders including senior management.
• Verbal and written fluency in English. Arabic language is preferred but not essential.

Marsh McLennan is committed to embracing a diverse, inclusive and flexible work environment. We aim to attract and retain the best people and embrace diversity of age, background, disability, ethnic origin, family duties, nationality, parental status, personal or social status, political affiliation, race, religion and beliefs, sex/gender, skin colour, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.