Director Industry Practice Lead (Subject Matter Expert) - Government (KSA)

Moody's Investors Service; Riyadh; Hybrid; SAR 558,000 - 837,000; Full time

Job summary

Moody's Investors Service in Riyadh seeks an experienced Industry Practice Lead (Government) to guide strategy, advise clients, and lead cross-functional solutions for the government sector in Saudi Arabia.

You will partner with sales, product, and marketing teams to align capabilities with regulatory priorities and client needs, while driving market expansion and responsible AI adoption.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in one of the listed fields is required or equivalent experience.
• Advanced qualifications in risk, compliance, data, public policy, finance, or technology are advantageous.
• English fluency is essential; Arabic is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the industry subject matter expert for Government in KSA and align Moody's capabilities to market needs.
• Support sales through discovery, qualification, opportunity shaping, and solution design.
• Articulate Moody's value across risk, compliance, KYC/AML, due diligence, and data governance.
• Lead RFP, proposal, and Proof of Concept processes to strengthen competitive position.
• Collaborate with Relationship Managers, Product Specialists, and Marketing on GTM strategies for government sector in KSA.
• Identify high-value use cases across public sector priorities such as onboarding, third-party risk, sanctions, and analytics.
• Lead external industry engagements, including speaking at events and publishing thought leadership.
• Gather market and regulatory feedback to inform roadmap priorities and new capabilities.
• Identify policy shifts and whitespace opportunities to drive product innovation and market positioning.
• Contribute to strategic account planning and value proposition development for senior stakeholders.
• Ensure consistent messaging and feedback loops between market-facing teams and internal stakeholders.
• Maintain awareness of competitor positioning and ecosystem developments relevant to Saudi government clients.
• Travel up to 50% to support client engagement and hybrid work model.

Skills

Government relationships

C-level stakeholder engagement

Regulatory and risk knowledge

KYC/AML and due diligence

Solution design and execution

Project leadership

Strategic advisory

Public speaking and thought leadership

AI-enabled transformation

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Economics, Finance, Engineering, Mathematics, Public Policy, Business, or related field

Advanced qualifications in risk, compliance, data, public policy, finance, or technology

Job description

At Moody's, we unite the brightest minds to turn today’s risks into tomorrow’s opportunities. We do this by striving to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome to be who they are—with the freedom to exchange ideas, think innovatively, and listen to each other and customers in meaningful ways. Moody’s is transforming how the world sees risk. As a global leader in ratings and integrated risk assessment, we’re advancing AI to move from insight to action - enabling intelligence that not only understands complexity but responds to it. We decode risk to unlock opportunity, helping our clients navigate uncertainty with clarity, speed, and confidence.

Skills and Competencies

• Extensive and demonstrable network across the Saudi government and public sector ecosystem, with credibility and sustained relationships at senior levels across ministries, regulators, public entities, government-related institutions, and strategic national stakeholders
• Deep understanding of government transformation priorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including digital transformation, regulatory modernization, data strategy, risk management, compliance, financial crime, KYC/AML, due diligence, onboarding, identity and third-party risk workflows, and AI-enabled innovation
• Strong ability to act as a trusted advisor and industry subject matter expert, translating complex data, analytics, risk, compliance, and solution architecture concepts into clear business outcomes and strategic value for senior stakeholders
• Excellent presentation, communication, facilitation, and storytelling skills, with the ability to influence C-level, policy, regulatory, and senior operational stakeholders across both business and technical audiences
• Proven strategic and analytical mindset, with the ability to identify market trends, regulatory developments, whitespace opportunities, and emerging client needs, and translate them into actionable go-to-market priorities and solution opportunities
• Strong commercial acumen with experience supporting discovery, qualification, solutioning, RFP responses, Proof of Concept processes, and complex enterprise sales cycles
• Strong familiarity with risk, compliance, and workflow use cases relevant to government clients, including KYC/AML, sanctions screening, due diligence, entity verification, onboarding, counterparty intelligence, regulatory reporting, and broader public-sector risk and decisioning workflows
• Ability to collaborate effectively across sales, product management, marketing, strategy, and solution consulting teams in a matrixed and cross-geography environment
• Thought leadership capability, including public speaking, executive roundtables, authored content, industry engagement, and external advocacy to position Moody’s as a strategic partner in the market
• High initiative, sound judgment, and the ability to operate independently while balancing strategic advisory responsibilities with execution discipline
• Proficient in AI concepts and tools, with experience applying AI-enabled solutions to improve workflows and solve business challenges. Demonstrates commitment to responsible AI use, AI governance, and the development of expertise in AI risk management
• Fluency in English is essential; Arabic is strongly preferred

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Finance, Engineering, Mathematics, Public Policy, Business, or a related field
• Advanced qualifications in risk, compliance, data, public policy, finance, or technology are advantageous

Responsibilities

We are seeking an experienced Industry Practice Lead (IPL) - Government for our Saudi Arabia office. This individual will serve as a government sector expert, strategic advisor, and solution lead, supporting business growth by aligning Moody’s capabilities to market needs, regulatory priorities, and client transformation agendas.

• Serve as the industry subject matter expert for Government in KSA, bringing deep insight into market dynamics, regulatory developments, public-sector priorities, and client operating models
• Support sales teams through discovery, qualification, opportunity shaping, and solution design, ensuring proposed solutions are aligned to client use cases, strategic objectives, and sector-specific requirements
• Act as a trusted advisor to clients and prospects by articulating how Moody’s capabilities can address key challenges across risk, compliance, KYC/AML, due diligence, data governance, regulatory modernization, operational efficiency, and AI-enabled transformation
• Lead and elevate RFP, proposal, and Proof of Concept processes, applying industry best practices, transformation expertise, and solution architecture thinking to strengthen Moody’s competitive position
• Partner closely with Relationship Managers, Product Specialists, Solutions Consultants, Marketing, and Product teams to shape and execute effective go-to-market strategies for the government sector in Saudi Arabia
• Identify and articulate high-value use cases for Moody’s solutions across public sector priorities such as screening, onboarding, third-party risk, sanctions, compliance workflows, regulatory oversight, and analytics-led decision support
• Lead external industry engagement activities, including speaking at events, participating in executive forums, publishing thought leadership, and maintaining strategic stakeholder relationships to enhance Moody’s market profile and credibility
• Gather, synthesize, and communicate market, client, and regulatory feedback to product and leadership teams to help inform roadmap priorities, solution enhancements, and future-fit capabilities
• Identify emerging themes, policy shifts, regulatory requirements, and whitespace opportunities that can support new product innovation, market positioning, and business case development
• Contribute to strategic account planning and major pursuits by helping shape value propositions, transformation narratives, and industry-specific points of view that resonate with senior client stakeholders
• Work cross-functionally to ensure consistency of messaging, quality of solutioning, and effective feedback loops between market-facing teams and internal stakeholders
• Maintain strong awareness of competitor positioning, ecosystem developments, and key industry partnerships relevant to the Saudi government sector
• Travel as required across Saudi Arabia and the region to support client engagement, strategic opportunities, and external market activity; this role is expected to require up to 50% travel and supports a hybrid working model

About the Team

This role supports Moody’s continued expansion in Saudi Arabia through our Riyadh regional headquarters. You will join a high-impact, collaborative environment at the forefront of innovation, helping government and public sector clients navigate increasing complexity through data, analytics, risk, compliance, and workflow solutions.

The Industry Practice Lead plays a critical role in connecting market insight, client challenges, and Moody’s capabilities - working across sales, product, marketing, and solution teams to shape opportunities, strengthen market relevance, and support sustainable business growth. This is a unique opportunity to influence strategic client conversations and help position Moody’s as a trusted partner in the Kingdom’s transformation journey, particularly across priorities such as regulatory modernization, KYC/AML and compliance transformation, data-driven decisioning, and responsible AI adoption.

Moody’s is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by law.
Candidates for Moody's Corporation may be asked to disclose securities holdings pursuant to Moody’s Policy for Securities Trading and the requirements of the position. Employment is contingent upon compliance with the Policy, including remediation of positions in those holdings as necessary.