Chief Assurance Officer

Oman Investment Authority; Muscat; On-site; OMR 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

OOMCO seeks a Chief Assurance Officer to provide enterprise leadership across Legal Governance, Risk, Compliance, Quality and HSE, serving as principal legal adviser to the Board and CEO. The role safeguards integrity, ensures regulatory compliance, and drives long-term value creation.

As Board Secretary and Compliance Officer, you will steer contracting, risk assessment, external counsel, and strategic governance initiatives while embedding an ethics-driven culture across the organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Law or equivalent; Master preferred.
• 16 years in Legal with GRC, Quality or HSE; 8+ years in senior leadership.
• Experience with ISO standards and corporate governance; listed company exposure.

Responsibilities

• Provide authoritative legal guidance to ensure compliance with laws, regulations, and contracts.
• Lead legal review, risk assessment and structuring of contracts before CEO/Board approval.
• Act as Board Secretary and Board Compliance Officer.
• Oversee GRC, Quality and HSE governance, risk management and assurance.
• Represent the company in legal proceedings and regulatory engagements.
• Drive ethics, training, whistleblowing mechanisms and compliance culture.

Skills

GRC Leadership

Regulatory Governance

Legal Strategy

Board Liaison

Ethics & Compliance

Executive Communication

Stakeholder Engagement

Risk Management

Leadership

Policy Architecture

Crisis & Emergency Governance

Audit & Assurance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Law

Master's degree in Law or related

ISO Lead Auditor

CCEP certification desirable

Job description

Job Scope

The Chief Assurance Officer CAO provides enterprise leadership over Legal Governance Risk Compliance Quality and HSE and serves as the principal legal and governance advisor to the Board of Directors and CEO The role safeguards OOMCO s integrity through robust assurance frameworks that support informed decision-making regulatory compliance and long-term value creation The CAO provides strategic forward-looking insights to the CEO Board of Directors and Steering Committee anticipates enterprise risks and enables effective Board oversight The role also serves as Board Secretary and Board Compliance Officer

Job Description

Legal Act as the principal legal advisor to the BoD CEO and Executive Management providing authoritative legal guidance to ensure compliance with applicable laws regulations and contractual obligations Steer legal review structuring and risk assessment of all relevant contracts and agreements prior to the execution and CEO or Board approval Provide legal opinions and interpretations on matters impacting corporate decisions and operational activities Lead the representation of the Company in legal proceedings legal disputes negotiations regulatory engagements and other formal legal matters as required Oversee legal advisory and documentation support for mergers amp acquisitions joint ventures and other corporate transactions Oversee the scope and performance of external legal firms ensuring alignment with Company interests and legal risk management objectives Governance Risk amp Compliance GRC Oversee embedding governance and compliance disciplines into strategic planning major commercial decisions capital investment decisions supply agreements and market entry initiatives Safeguard the OOMCO license to operate by driving monitoring and enforcing compliance with local and international sector-specific laws and regulations Oversee corporate risk management including identification assessment mitigation and monitoring of strategic operational regulatory Legal and reputational risks Lead regulatory engagement and compliance coordination with local and international relevant authorities including Financial Services Authority FSA Ministry of Energy environmental regulators etc Provide executive leadership to ensure full compliance with the Commercial Companies Law FSA Regulations Muscat Stock Exchange MSX requirements and all other applicable legal and regulatory obligations Serve as the Company s primary regulatory liaison for listed-company obligations including the Muscat Stock Exchange MSX Financial Services Authority FSA and other relevant regulators ensuring transparent communication full compliance and constructive relationships with shareholders and regulatory stakeholders Oversee the management and governance of Non-Conformance Actions NCAs across all departments ensuring timely documentation system upload ownership actions and effective closure Drive a strong ethics integrity and compliance culture across OOMCO through training employee engagement and effective whistleblowing and escalation mechanisms Quality Provide executive oversight of quality assurance and audit frameworks for new and ongoing projects to ensure compliance with approved standards specifications and regulatory requirements Oversee the planning execution and monitoring of the Quality Management System QMS including internal audits vendor audits and compliance with applicable industry-related standards and specifications covering but not limited to fuel sourcing receipt storage distribution and retail in alignment with ISO standards and local regulatory frameworks Provide executive oversight of all observations and findings arising from external audits safeguarding certification status and continuous compliance HSE Provide executive oversight over compliance with all applicable HSE laws regulations and industry requirements through active engagement with regulators authorities and external advisors Oversee OOMCO HSE assurance audits and inspections ensuring effectiveness of controls and closure of findings Lead the establishment of Emergency Response Management governance ensuring company readiness and response capability to all HSE-related issues Exercise strategic oversight of HSE risk management to ensure disciplined risk governance that protects people assets and operational sustainability Oversee incident reporting investigation and root-cause analysis ensuring timely closure of actions and prevention of recurrence Steer periodic HSE meetings across all company operations reviewing performance risks and compliance to ensure operational excellence Strategic Leadership Own the design implementation and continuous enhancement of frameworks across all functions Legal GRC amp Quality and HSE that ensure regulatory adherence and support sustainable business performance Advise Executive Management on regulatory developments industry trends and emerging risks impacting OOMCO business and sustainability proving strategic oversights highlighting gaps and recommending value-enhancing actions Steer all performance review meetings for the reporting divisions to ensure alignment with OOMCO s business objectives value creation agenda and long-term sustainability Represent OOMCO in key internal and external forums strengthening the company s profile partnerships and stakeholder relationships where relevant Cultivate strategic relationships with external partners regulatory bodies and internal executives Drive a culture of compliance governance and safety across OOMCO by promoting employee awareness through training communication and engagement programs Direct the development mentor and empowerment of employees while ensuring succession readiness and talent continuity Champion a culture of continuous improvement operational agility and long-term value creation Oversee divisions budgeting processes monitor financial performance and ensure alignment with OOMCO priorities Embed the innovation transformation and a culture of excellence accountability and ethical governance

Qualifications and Requirements

Educational Qualifications Bachelor s degree in Law or an equivalent discipline is required. Master s degree (Law, MBA, Corporate Governance or related discipline) is highly preferred. Professional-related certifications, such as ISO Lead Auditor and Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP), or equivalent, are desirable.Experience 16 years of experience, preferably in Legal, with proven experience in GRC, Quality, or HSE. 8+ years in senior leadership roles. Strong exposure to ISO standards, corporate governance, and local regulatory frameworks frameworks such as pervious experience in working with listed company. Experience in leading audits, governance and compliance activities at the corporate level.Competencies Technical Competencies: Enterprise Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Leadership Board, Regulatory & Shareholder Governance Legal Strategy & Corporate Advisory Integrated Assurance (Legal, GRC, Quality, HSE) License-to-Operate & Regulatory Stewardship Crisis, Incident & Emergency Governance Policy Architecture & Ethical Compliance Behavioural/ Leadership Competencies Decisive Executive Leadership People Management Stakeholder Engagement Executive Influence and Advisory Strategic and analytical Thinking Executive Communication and Collaboration Ethical & Values-Based Leadership