Head of Risk MENA

About the Role

This position sits at the heart of a fast-scaling regulated trading business in MENA. The company is expanding rapidly across products and regulatory commitments, while its governance setup is still catching up. The role is responsible for establishing the second-line risk function for the region and shaping the controls, frameworks, and reporting needed for the business as it grows.

This is a rare opportunity to build a risk capability from the ground up rather than stepping into an already mature structure. The remit includes risk appetite, governance design, regulatory engagement, board-level reporting, and independent oversight across the business.

Key Responsibilities

You will own the creation and ongoing development of the MENA enterprise risk framework, making sure it fits the regulatory environment and the stage of business growth. The role also covers the company’s regulatory interactions across MENA, including support for licensing, supervisory expectations, submissions, and inspections.

The position requires independent oversight of market, operational, and technology risk, along with challenge to first-line decision-making on exposures, controls, pricing integrity, and resilience. You will also put in place liquidity and financial risk oversight, including stress testing and scenario analysis for both regulatory and adverse market conditions.

In addition, you will define and maintain third-party risk governance for technology vendors, payment partners, market data providers, and outsourced activities. You will assess new products, partnerships, and material changes to the business, ensuring risk approval works as a genuine control point.

Another major part of the role is producing clear, decision-oriented reporting for leadership and the board, covering risk appetite breaches, emerging issues, incidents, and remediation progress. You will also work closely with global risk teams to align with group standards while maintaining a distinct regional governance structure.

Requirements

The ideal candidate brings at least 8 years of experience in risk management within regulated financial services, with hands-on exposure to governance design, risk appetite frameworks, and direct regulatory engagement. Experience with CMA, CBUAE, or similar Gulf regulatory regimes is strongly preferred. A background in trading, payments, or multi-product financial services would be beneficial.

Professional risk credentials such as FRM, PRM, or CFA are considered an advantage. You should have proven experience building governance structures from the ground up, turning unclear regulatory expectations into workable frameworks, and operating effectively in an environment where the business is still evolving.

Strong stakeholder management is essential. The role calls for someone who can engage credibly with boards, senior leaders, and regulators, and who can influence Finance, Compliance, Technology, Operations, and Product through clear, evidence-based challenge. You should be comfortable taking ownership, exercising independent judgment under pressure, and building structure alongside the business itself.

Perks and Benefits

The package includes a competitive salary, a supportive approach to work-life balance, generous annual leave, employee referral rewards, and medical insurance. Additional location-specific benefits may also apply. You will also get the chance to work remotely from anywhere in the world for 30 extra days each year, subject to certain restrictions, plus two paid volunteer days annually to support causes you care about.

Additional Information

The role is part of a company with award-winning products and a strong focus on technology-driven client experience. It offers the chance to contribute to a business operating in the digital assets and trading space, with the opportunity to shape a critical function during a period of rapid expansion.

No salary amount was specified in the source.