Principal Lead, Enterprise Compliance

First Abu Dhabi Bank; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) is the UAE's largest bank, driving comprehensive governance for AML/KYC, sanctions screening, conduct risk, surveillance, and regulatory reporting technology. The Principal Lead ensures end-to-end ownership of compliance platforms and aligns technology strategy with regulatory mandates.

The role leads engineering teams, drives cloud migration, API enablement, data lake integration, and AI/ML adoption to enhance risk scoring and transaction monitoring while maintaining

Qualifications

• Extensive leadership experience in delivering AML/KYC and regulatory reporting platforms.
• Deep domain knowledge of FATF, OFAC, GDPR and local banking regulations.
• Proven track record building scalable, secure, modular compliance tech.
• Strong in cross-functional team leadership and talent development.
• Experience with vendor management and SaaS/SI partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the compliance technology roadmap with regulatory timelines.
• Oversee architecture decisions and ensure interoperability with core banking systems.
• Lead modernization including cloud migration and API enablement.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate regulatory requirements into platform capabilities.
• Ensure platform resilience, audit readiness, and KPI monitoring.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Regulatory knowledge

Team development

Architecture oversight

Vendor management

Tools

Fircosoft

Fenergo

SAS AML

APIs

Cloud platforms

Job description

Job description

JOB SUMMARY / INTRODUCTION:

The Principal Lead – Compliance is accountable for the end-to-end ownership, delivery, and strategic evolution of technology platforms supporting the Compliance function. This includes platforms for AML/KYC, sanctions screening, conduct risk, surveillance, and regulatory reporting. The role leads engineering and delivery teams, ensures platform resilience and scalability, and aligns technology strategy with enterprise architecture, regulatory mandates, and compliance leadership. It is a key enabler of proactive compliance management, operational integrity, and audit readiness across the organization.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead the engineering and delivery teams responsible for compliance platforms including Fircosoft suite (sanctions screening), Fenergo (client lifecycle management), and SAS AML (transaction monitoring).
• Define and execute the compliance technology roadmap, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and regulatory timelines.
• Own platform architecture decisions, ensuring interoperability with core banking, risk, and finance systems.
• Drive modernization initiatives including cloud migration, API enablement, and integration with data lakes and case management systems.
• Collaborate with Compliance stakeholders to translate regulatory requirements into platform capabilities.
• Ensure platform resilience, performance, and audit readiness.
• Promote innovation through AI/ML adoption in transaction monitoring, risk scoring, and anomaly detection.
• Establish governance frameworks, delivery scorecards, and KPIs to monitor platform effectiveness.
• Provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for all compliance platform initiatives.
• Maintain delivery roadmaps, capacity plans, and resource forecasts.
• Ensure compliance with IT governance, cybersecurity, and data protection standards.
• Track and report KPIs including platform uptime, alert resolution rates, and regulatory submission accuracy.
• Partner with enterprise architecture, infrastructure, and data teams to ensure platform alignment and resilience.
• Contribute to budgeting, vendor selection, and contract management for compliance technology initiatives.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement across the compliance technology landscape.

REQUIREMENTS / QUALIFICATIONS:

• Exp Overall : 15+ Years, Banking 10+ Years
• Compliance Technology Leadership: Proven experience in delivering platforms across AML, KYC, sanctions, and regulatory reporting.
• Domain Expertise: Deep understanding of compliance frameworks, conduct risk, and surveillance technologies.
• Team Leadership & Talent Development: Skilled in leading cross-functional engineering teams and fostering a high-performance culture.
• Architecture & Engineering Oversight: Expertise in designing secure, scalable, and modular compliance platforms.
• Regulatory Compliance: Familiarity with FATF, OFAC, GDPR, local central bank regulations, and global compliance standards.
• Data & Analytics: Experience with compliance data models, case management, and reporting tools.
• Strategic Alignment: Ability to align platform strategy with Compliance, Risk, and Enterprise Architecture counterparts.
• Vendor & Partner Management: Skilled in managing compliance solution providers, system integrators, and SaaS platforms.

About Us:
First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) is the largest bank in the UAE and one of the world's largest and safest financial institutions. We offer a comprehensive range of personal and private banking services, including credit cards, Islamic banking, investments, loans, and mortgages. Our commitment to excellence and innovation drives us to provide top-tier financial solutions to our clients.

Life at FAB:
Working at FAB means being part of a team of talented and passionate individuals with a shared vision to support the ambitions of our stakeholders to "Grow Stronger." We embrace the needs of our customers across the globe with a sense of responsibility and confidence driven by extensive expertise that can only be delivered by an ambitious world-class organization

Career Development:
FAB offers unique career choices, a chance to innovate, craft solutions for the future, and express yourself in a performance-based culture that will unleash the best in you. Whether you are an experienced professional or just starting your career, FAB provides a range of learning and development initiatives to support all employees through training and skill development.

Our Values:
At FAB, we place our customers at the core of our activities, live our values each day in every way, celebrate achievements, and empower each other to deliver leading solutions. We have structured plans for the recruitment and career progression of Emirati talent to enable them to make a mark in the financial and banking sector both regionally and globaly that rewards your hard work and dedication.

Join our team and be part of a journey to shape the future of banking.