ED & Head of Business Governance (FLOD) - IB&M

JOB PURPOSE:

The role is responsible for leading the Investment Banking & Markets First Line of Defence (FLOD) governance and controls function, ensuring it is fit for purpose and aligned with international best‑practice standards.

The role establishes a dedicated business‑owned controls and governance capability that partners closely with Risk, Compliance, and other control functions to support informed decision‑making, effective risk management, timely issue resolution, and operational excellence across the First Line.

The Head is accountable for embedding a strong risk and control culture across Investment Banking & Markets, ensuring adherence to internal policies, regulatory requirements, and governance frameworks, while maintaining appropriate challenge and escalation.

This is an important role requiring strong stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills to drive accountability, consistency, and continuous improvement across complex and fast‑moving businesses.

The function supports Coverage, Global Markets (GM), and Global Corporate Finance (GCF).

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

1. Risk Tracking & Control Design

• Own and oversee tracking of business‑owned action plans to implement or comply with new and amended regulatory requirements
• Lead the design, enhancement, and implementation of new or changed First Line controls, ensuring alignment with regulatory expectations and internal policies
• Establish and maintain a business‑level risk and control library across IB & Markets businesses, ensuring consistency and completeness2. Regulatory Engagement

• Act as the central FLOD coordination point for regulatory requests, examinations, and information submissions, ensuring timely, accurate, and high‑quality business responses
• Coordinate business inputs and management information (MI) provided to regulators
• Partner closely with business stakeholders, Compliance, Risk, and other control functions to ensure ongoing regulatory adherence and readiness3. Policy & Governance Frameworks

• Track Group policy changes and assess implications for Investment Banking & Markets, ensuring timely updates to business SOPs and controls
• Design and implement controls across the Global Markets end‑to‑end trade lifecycle, ensuring adherence to approved policies, procedures, and governance standards4. Risk Assessments & Control Effectiveness

• Enterprise‑Wide Risk Assessment (EWRA):

• Coordinate IB & Markets business inputs and MI
• Independently challenge and validate Compliance‑led inherent risk and control assessments in the first instance
• Risk & Control Self‑Assessments (RCSA):
• Coordinate business RCSA activities, including identification of key regulatory and operational risks and control gaps
• Facilitate and oversee formal challenge sessions with Second Line of Defence (e.g. Compliance)
• Conduct regular reviews of business activities and processes to identify vulnerabilities, control weaknesses, and enhancement opportunities, and recommend remediation actions
• For Global Markets trade monitoring, oversee the assessment of preventative versus detective controls
• Coordinate FLOD engagement on other risk areas as required (e.g. Conduct Risk)
• Develop and maintain Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) to measure control effectiveness and emerging risk trends in near real time5. Assurance & Monitoring

• Coordinate business engagement and responses to Compliance Monitoring and Testing plans
• Execute agreed First Line monitoring activities, aligned with Compliance and business priorities6. Issues, Findings & Incident Management

• Own the coordination and oversight of business‑owned issues arising from:
• Compliance monitoring
• Group Internal Audit (GIA)
• Regulatory examinations
• FLOD monitoring and near‑misses
• Ensure clear accountability for issue ownership within the business
• Track remediation progress, interim milestones, and deadlines; escalate delinquencies appropriately, especially where regulatory risk exists
• Manage dependencies across functions and escalate impediments where required
• Oversee escalation and tracking of near‑misses and control failures7. Training & Awareness

• Monitor and report on mandatory training completion, escalating delinquencies to senior management
• Coordinate business responses to mandatory HR and regulatory training programmes, in partnership with HR and Compliance8. Reporting, Governance & Committees

• Develop and maintain a business‑owned IB & Markets governance framework, involving relevant stakeholders (Compliance, Risk, Technology, Operations)
• Ensure effective oversight of risks, controls, issues, and risk appetite metrics
• Produce and escalate risk, control, and performance reporting (KRIs, KPIs)
• Perform thematic and trend analysis to identify systemic issues and emerging risks.
• Oversee data quality and source systems supporting risk and regulatory reporting
• Chair/lead relevant governance committees and ensure effective escalation and decision‑making9. Capital Allocation Committee (CAC) Governance

• Review and update the Capital Allocation Committee charter, ensuring alignment with regulatory and internal governance requirements
• Review CAC submissions (from GRMs and business) for quality, completeness, and risk considerations; track approvals and conditions
• Track and report analysis of business opportunities submitted to the CAC on a quarterly basis
• Analyse, monitor, and report on low‑returning IB & Markets clients, supporting informed capital allocation decisions10. Breach & Disciplinary Management

• Oversee tracking and management of business breaches and disciplinary matters
• Track and escalate implementation of agreed remediation and corrective actions
• Credit
• Work with credit on the refesh of the Group Credit Policy ensuring alignment with business interest and business processes are aligned with GCP
• Ensure the credit processes are being adhered to example Past Due monitoring & settlement, closure of document deficiencies & ensure CAs are being timely renewed.
• Risk
• Represent the business at the Model Risk Management Committee
• Work with the ERM & the Business Heads on the setting of the Risk Thresholds at both Tier 2 & Tier 3 level
• Ensure business processes are aligned with the relevant Regulation for example CBUAE CRMS, etcQUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

Minimum Qualification:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in management, banking, finance, preferably with certification in compliance, KYC/AML/CFT, financial crime or risk management

Minimum Experience:

• Minimum of 10 - 15 years of experience in a reputable international bank, experience of working in regulated jurisdictions and exposure to international financial services regulations
• Minimum of 10 years+ of experience preferably in a Investment Banking & Markets aligned Risk, Compliance or Internal Audit role
• A combination of risk management, Internal Audit or Compliance experience would be considered an asset
• Knowledge of GM & GCF products
• Familiarity with financial regulations and experience in regulatory reporting requirements
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present to senior stakeholders
• Strong sense of ownership and accountability with a proactive approach to risk managementHigh level of attention to detail with strong analytical and problem-solving skills