Description

Equity Bank is one of the region’s leading banks whose purpose is to transform the lives and livelihoods of the people of Africa socially and economically by availing them of modern and inclusive financial services that maximize their opportunities. With a strong footprint in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, and DRC Congo, Equity Bank is now home to over 12 million customers – the largest customer base in Africa. Currently, the Bank is seeking additional talent to serve in the role outlined below.

The Head of Sanctions Compliance shall support the Group Director, CFCC by working with other Risk and the business leaders to manage the strategy and execution of the Group Sanctions risk framework. The role supports the effective management of sanctions risk in the Group and provides proactive, accurate, and timely advice on sanctions compliance, to enable all subsidiaries to operate in accordance with regulatory requirements, global best practices, and applicable Group standards. The role requires good knowledge of sanctions risk frameworks, the potential sources of sanctions risk, and collaboration with other leaders in the first and second lines of defense to identify, assess, monitor and address such activities.  

Location – This position is located at our Head Office in Nairobi.

Primary Responsibilities  

• Support the Group Director, CFCC to implement and maintain effective Group Sanctions risk framework and provide strategic direction in how they are managed.
• Work with the Director, Compliance Risk Assessment, Governance & Testing as well as other relevant Group stakeholders to identify, control, and assess sanctions risk in the Group.
• Deliver advice to stakeholders and manage list management, name screening, and transaction screening processes to ensure that Sanctions regulatory requirements are fully understood and met on an ongoing basis in all business activities and in line with Group risk appetite.
• Drive effectiveness of the Group Sanctions Risk Framework by incorporating effective and practical advice into sound early-stage second-line challenges.
• Support the rollout and implementation of effective sanctions training across the Group.  
• Assist with the timely identification of opportunities to enhance the management and oversight of Sanctions risk, and ensure appropriate action is taken by relevant parties to deliver improvements.
• Work with relevant stakeholders in the Group to ensure that, for new products and initiatives that are developed within the Group, the required controls to mitigate sanctions risk are in place.
• Implement a process that identifies and manages potential sanctions risk from regulatory and geo-political changes and provides assurance that changes have been effectively embedded in the list management and other relevant business processes.
• Develop and implement strategies to broaden internal and external networks and keep up to date with regulatory requirements and industry best practice to continuously improve the effectiveness of Group sanctions risk management.
  

Minimum Requirements

• Requires 12+ years of professional experience and 5+ years of management experience.

 Critical Skills

• No less than 9 years of compliance management experience, with a significant portion in Sanctions within a large international bank.
• Strong understanding of Sanctions Compliance within the banking industry.
• Good experience in leveraging analytics and technology solutions to manage Sanctions related risks.
• Critical thinking skills to understand and analyze complex problems.
• Effective communicator with strong writing and verbal abilities to communicate across all levels of the Group.
• Ability to develop strong relationships and collaborate with senior business and function leaders to influence change
• Proven focus on deliverables, organized, and ability to manage multiple high priority deliverables
• Self-starter, highly organized, and detailed-oriented
• Strategic and critical thinking and the ability to concisely convey complex regulatory concepts and possible solution sets.
• Excellent facilitation and presentation skills
• Exercise a high level of discretion and confidentiality due to the sensitive nature of the scope of work
• Extremely detail-oriented with the ability to elevate details into strategies.

 Others

• Ability to handle multiple requests, assess priorities, and achieve solutions under deadlines, with minimal direct supervision
• High degree of curiosity and creativity in a highly regulated, dynamic environment.
• Ability to focus on outcomes while demonstrating flexibility to changing requirements.
• Ability to work with partners at all levels, including internal and external legal counsels and consultants.
• Poise and tact; Calm under pressure
• Occasional travel required 

Education

Master’s degree plus relevant professional qualifications such as CAMS, ICA.

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