Associate Director, First Line Risk & Control - International

Risk Supervision & Advisory: Serve as the 1LoD SME for supervision structures and operational risk assessments, providing continuous advisory and ad-hoc training to Front O ce (FO) sta to strengthen risk mitigation culture.Risk Assessment & Prevention: Develop and manage critical risk monitoring measures, including Key Risk Indicators (KRIs), Risk Control Self-Assessments (RCSA), and Conduct Risk Identi cation (CRI) to ensure a front-to-end control plan.Incident Management & Remediation: Lead the declaration, investigation, and analysis of operational risk incidents; coordinate global remediation plans and ensure the timely closure of internal/external audit recommendations.Control Optimization: Materialize and continuously improve the First Line control plan by rationalizing and streamlining controls to enhance e ciency while reducing residual risks.Validation Coordination: Oversee the internal validation process for exceptional transactions, new product rollouts, and automated trading strategies, ensuring adherence to policy and the implementation of required action points.Governance & Reporting: Act as the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for business management tasks (BCP, DLP, SOPs) and contribute to Regional and International Governance forums (e.g., BRCC, RRCF, IRCF) to provide expert advisory on operational risk governance. Regional & Product Speci city: Unique accountability for identifying ongoing business, regulatory, and conduct risks across the MENA region.3LoD Integration: Unique responsibility for working closely with the 2nd Line of Defense (2LoD) to mature the "Three Lines of Defense" model, speci cally ensuring that front o ce activities meet "individual regulatorily prescribed" responsibilities.Front O ce Partnership: Unlike traditional risk roles, this position sits directly with the business, requiring a deep understanding of complex products (Fixed Income, Derivatives, Commodities) to provide real-time risk assessment during the validation of new activities.Knowledge & Experience:Professional Experience: 5-8 years of experience in 1st or 2nd Line Non-Financial Risk roles or as an auditor.Educational Background: bachelor s or master s degree in risk management, Finance, Business, or Accounting. FRM certi cation is considered an advantage.Domain Knowledge: Robust understanding of nancial products, as well as a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory landscape in the MENA region.Technical Pro ciency: Advanced knowledge of MS O ce Suite, speci cally Excel and PowerPoint, for the production of Management Information (MI). Prior experience on Archer or other similar Enterprise Risk Management system would be helpful.Skills:Technical Skills: Proven expertise in operational risk methodology, internal control frameworks (or internal audit processes); strong process knowledge and attention to detail.Analytical & Problem Solving: Ability to form and articulate informed positions through structured thinking and prioritization, with the capacity to act autonomously in high-pressure environments.Communication & Negotiation: Excellence in written and spoken English (Arabic is a plus); ability to negotiate and in uence stakeholders at all levels of the organization.Interpersonal Skills: Strong stakeholder management capabilities with a "team player" mindset and the ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.Ethical Standards: High ethical standards and a commitment to driving a value-driven culture in relation to compliance and conduct standards.