Head of R&IC (Regulation and Internal Control) Middle East

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BBVA is a global company with more than 160 years of history that operates in more than 25 countries where we serve more than 80 million customers. We are more than 121,000 professionals working in multidisciplinary teams with profiles as diverse as financiers, legal experts, data scientists, developers, engineers and designers.

We are looking for a highly experienced professional to hold a strategic triple-role within our BBVA ADGM Branch. As the Head of R&IC (Regulation and Internal Control) you will cover the main responsibilities of Compliance, MLRO -Money Laundering Reporting Officer- & NFR -Non-Financial Risks-. Additionally, you will serve as the primary liaison with the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

You will be responsible for ensuring the entity adheres to ADGM rules (COBS, GEN, AML), maintaining the "Approved Person" status , and simultaneously leading the Non-Financial Risk (NFR) unit to align local operations with the BBVA Group's Non Financial Risk Strategy, while keeping up-to-date the knowledge of main local regulations.

About the job:

Key Responsibilities

1. Regulatory Compliance & Governance (Function: Compliance Officer)

• Regulatory Liaison: Serve as the main point of contact for the FSRA on all compliance matters, thematic reviews, and Requests for Information (RFIs).

• Advisory: Advise senior management and business lines on regulatory developments, permissible activities, and new product launches.

• Policy Management: Assess, maintain, and update the Compliance Manual and internal policies to ensure alignment with ADGM/FSRA rulebooks.

• Monitoring & Reporting: Coordinate compliance risk assessments, monitoring, and testing activities. Generate quarterly reports for the Board and Senior Management.

• Regulation follow up: Maintain continuous monitoring and stay abreast of all pertinent regulatory amendments. Execute a preliminary evaluation to ascertain the direct repercussions of these alterations on the Branch's operational processes, Standards and activities, as well as the prospective effect on the policies and procedures of CIB BBVA S.A.

• Training: Provide annual compliance training to local staff members.

• Data Protection: Coordinate and resolve any matter related to data protection, including but not limited to advising staff, responding to any assessment requests, providing training and handling authority requests.

2. Anti-Money Laundering & Financial Crime (Function: MLRO)

• Oversight: Oversee the day-to-day implementation of the AML/CFT framework and sanctions screening.

• Reporting Officer: Act as the focal point for the UAE Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). Receive Internal Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) from employees, investigate, and file external SARs when appropriate.

• Client Onboarding: Advise on and approve the onboarding of high-risk clients (EDD/KYC) and oversee Customer Due Diligence processes.

• Regulatory Updates: Receive and act upon findings, resolutions, or sanctions from local (UAE) or international regulatory bodies.

3. Non-Financial Risk Management (Function: NFR Head)

• Framework Implementation: Ensure the level of non-financial risks is aligned with Group strategy and facilitates the development of the C&IB business (Global Markets, Transactional Banking, etc.).

• Risk Identification & Assessment: monitor Risk & Control Self-Assessments (RCSA), define risk appetite, and monitor indicators under the Risk Control Specialist approach.
  Operational Events: Manage the registry, analysis, and reporting of operational losses, events, and near misses.

• Internal Control Coordination: Coordinate with the 1st Line of Defense (Business), 2nd Line (Risk Control), and 3rd Line (Internal Audit) to ensure robust process ownership.

• Governance: Act as a full member at NFR Committees and admission procedures within CIB.

Requirements & Qualifications

Mandatory Regulatory Requirements

• Residency: Must be a resident of the UAE. This is a mandatory requirement for the MLRO function under FSRA rules.

• Approved Person Status: Must be eligible to obtain "Approved Person" status from the FSRA (Fit & Proper criteria: competence, integrity, financial soundness).

Education & Experience

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Law, Economics, Business, or Engineering. A Master’s degree is highly valued.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of experience in internal control, non-financial risk, audit, compliance, or Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB).

• Proven experience liaising with regulators (FSRA/DFSA preferred), internal auditors, and external auditors.

• Experience holding a "Head of Compliance" or "MLRO" title in a regulated financial institution.
   

Certifications (Highly Desirable)

• AML/Compliance: CAMS (ACAMS), ICA Diploma in GRC/AML, or CISI (Combatting Financial Crime/Global Financial Compliance).

• Risk: Certifications related to financial markets, risk, or control.
   

Skills & Competencies

• Regulatory Knowledge: Strong understanding of ADGM/DIFC regulations, UAE Federal AML Laws, and international standards.

• Industry Knowledge: Deep understanding of CIB products, activities, and operations.

• Soft Skills: Strong interpersonal skills for 360º management (peers, team, leadership), proactivity to drive improvements, and focus on execution.
   

Languages

• English: C1/Native level required (Mandatory).

• Arabic: Native/Fluent is highly desirable for dealings with local authorities.

• Spanish: Valuable for communication with Group HQ.
   

Skills:

Anti-Money Laundering Compliance, Compliance Assessments, Compliance Governance, Customer Due Diligence (CDD), Due Diligence, Financial Compliance, Financial Markets, Financial Risk Management (FRM), Identifying Risks, Internal Controls, Risk Assessments, Risk Control, Risk Management, Risk Strategies