Senior Compliance Specialist MMH251105-7

Momentum; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 800 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services provider in South Africa is seeking a Compliance Officer to drive compliance strategy across business units. This role involves leading complex regulatory projects and providing advanced compliance oversight in alignment with governance standards. The ideal candidate should have extensive experience in regulatory compliance, risk management, and stakeholder engagement. This position offers an opportunity to ensure effective compliance practices within a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5-8 years of progressive compliance experience within financial services or insurance.
• Proven experience in leading complex regulatory change projects.
• Expertise in interpreting legislation such as FAIS, FICA, POPIA.

Responsibilities

• Drive and embed the compliance strategy across business units.
• Lead high-impact compliance initiatives and represent the business to regulators.
• Ensure continuous improvement of compliance processes.

Skills

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder engagement

Risk management

Strategic advisory

Advanced regulatory insight

Education

Bachelor’s degree in law, Risk Management, Finance or related field

Postgraduate qualification in Compliance Management or Corporate Governance

Registration as a Compliance Officer with the FSCA

Job description

Role Purpose

Drive and embed the compliance strategy across business units through strategic advisory, proactive risk management and advanced regulatory insight. Lead the development and implementation of compliance frameworks that strengthen governance, ensure business sustainability and enable ethical conduct within a complex regulatory environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in law, Risk Management, Finance or related field
• Postgraduate qualification in Compliance Management or Corporate Governance (Highly desirable)
• Registration as a Compliance Officer with the FSCA and/or Compliance Institute of Southern Africa (Essential
• Minimum 5–8 years of progressive compliance experience within financial services or insurance.
• Proven experience in leading complex regulatory change projects, stakeholder engagement, and compliance strategy development.
• Demonstrated expertise in interpreting legislation such as FAIS, FICA, POPIA, COFI, FSR Act, all subordinate legislation and FSCA Conduct Standards.

Duties and Responsibilities

Co(Internal Perspective)

Strategic Compliance Leadership

• Translate regulatory requirements into business‑aligned compliance strategies, frameworks and policies.
• Anticipate regulatory developments and advise executive and senior leaders on strategic implications and readiness plans.
• Lead high‑impact compliance initiatives that influence organisational culture, enhance control of environments and mitigate reputational risk.
• Represent the business in engagements with regulators and industry bodies, ensuring a trusted and credible compliance presence.

Risk & Governance

• Provide advanced oversight of compliance risks through enterprise‑wide monitoring, analytics and reporting.
• Partner with Risk, Legal, and Audit to ensure alignment and integration of compliance risk within the broader governance framework.
• Review and enhance the effectiveness of the Compliance Monitoring Plan, identifying trends and recommending systemic interventions.
• Oversee the resolution and root‑cause analysis of significant breaches and regulatory findings, ensuring accountability and continuous improvement.

Advisory & Enablement

• Act as a trusted advisor to business executives and management on complex compliance matters, balancing regulatory expectations with business objectives.
• Design and deliver advanced compliance training, fostering ownership and accountability among business leaders.
• Provide specialist input into new product development, business restructuring, and digital innovation to ensure compliance by design.
• Interpret new and evolving legislation (e.g., COFI, FSCA Conduct Standards, POPIA) and translate into practical application guidance.

Operational Excellence

• Ensure the continuous improvement of compliance processes, methodologies and monitoring systems.
• Develop dashboards and reporting mechanisms that enable data‑driven compliance oversight.

Lead or contribute to special projects, investigations and enterprise compliance reviews.

Contribute to client growth, engagement and sound compliance advice (Client perspective)

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with regulatory authorities, industry peers and internal governance forums.
• Influence decision‑making through clear, concise, and credible communication of compliance insights and risk intelligence.

Partner with internal assurance providers to ensure effective coordination of combined assurance activities.

Self‑management And Teamwork (People)

• Develop and maintain productive and collaborative working relationships with peers and stakeholders
• Demonstrate exemplary leadership behaviour, through personal involvement, commitment and dedication in support of organisational values.
• Positively influence and participate in change initiatives
• Continuously develop own expertise in terms of professional, industry and legislation knowledge
• Contribute to continuous innovation through the development, sharing and implementation of new ideas
• Take ownership for driving career development

Ensure Efficient And Effective Practice (Finance)

• Contribute to the development of area‑specific budgets to minimise expenditure, in alignment with operational plans
• Identify opportunities to enhance cost effectiveness and increase operational efficiency
• Provide input into the risk identification processes and communicate recommendations in the appropriate forum.