Global Investment Operations Leader

Zad; Kuwait City; On-site; KWD 60,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

ZAD, a Kuwaiti financial services group, seeks a Director of Operations to lead strategy, operation integrity, and scaling across markets. You will own the trade lifecycle, back-office processing, regulatory compliance, client operations, and risk management while building a high-performing team that can grow with ZAD.

The role requires hands-on leadership with deep capital markets expertise, strong regulatory knowledge, and the ability to drive automation and improvements across platforms and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, or related field.
• 10+ years of financial operations experience, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role within a regulated brokerage, capital markets, or fintech environment.
• Proven track record building and scaling operations, including team development, process architecture, and regulatory compliance management.
• Deep understanding of the full trade lifecycle, settlement, reconciliation, and back-office operations in a multi-market environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional relationships and external counterparties at a senior level.
• Strong command of operational risk management and regulatory compliance frameworks relevant to capital markets.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present complex operational matters to executives and board audiences.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement ZAD's operational strategy across markets, aligning with growth and regulatory obligations.
• Own end-to-end trade lifecycle including execution, settlement, and reconciliation across markets.
• Oversee back-office processes: KYC, onboarding, deposits/withdrawals, processing, settlement, disputes.
• Design and maintain robust workflows, SOPs, controls, and reconciliation frameworks.
• Drive continuous improvement through automation and standardisation to reduce manual workload and risk.
• Maintain CMA regulatory compliance posture, audit-ready documentation and responses to reviews.
• Lead a high-performing operations team with clear KPIs, coaching and succession planning.
• Manage relationships with brokers, custodians, and market infrastructure providers to service levels.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Capital markets

Operations management

Regulatory compliance

Process improvement

Risk management

Team development

Cross-functional collaboration

Vendor management

Arabic language

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, or related field

Job description

ZAD, a Kuwaiti financial services group, seeks a Director of Operations to lead strategy, operation integrity, and scaling across markets. You will own the trade lifecycle, back-office processing, regulatory compliance, client operations, and risk management while building a high-performing team that can grow with ZAD.

The role requires hands-on leadership with deep capital markets expertise, strong regulatory knowledge, and the ability to drive automation and improvements across platforms and