Director – Financial Crime Advisory (Saudi Arabia) Riyadh

About the role
We are looking for an exceptional Director to lead and grow a Financial Crime Compliance (FCC) Advisory practice based in Saudi Arabia, with reach across the wider GCC region. This is a senior, client-facing role that combines deep regulatory expertise with hands-on delivery and entrepreneurial business development.
The successful candidate will be a self-driven practitioner with a proven track record of winning and delivering significant FCC advisory mandates for banks and financial institutions in the GCC. You will be passionate about building a thriving FCC advisory practice for the long term, and will bring equal parts commercial drive, technical depth, and delivery discipline.
The role is a 50/50 split between business development and project delivery. You will be expected to manage and grow a team while personally overseeing the quality and execution of client engagements.
Key responsibilities
Business development & practice growth (50%)
Own and drive the end-to-end business development lifecycle for FCC advisory services across Saudi Arabia, with visibility across the GCC.
Build, maintain, and expand a strong network of C-suite, CCO, CMLCO, and senior compliance relationships at local and international banks, payment firms, and financial institutions.
Proactively identify, pursue, and close new advisory mandates across the full spectrum of FCC services, including: gap assessments, AML/CFT programme reviews, sanctions and transaction monitoring (TM) model validation, KYC/CDD/EDD remediation, financial crime risk assessments, monitorships/Skilled Persons Reviews, and technology selection and implementation.
Develop compelling client proposals, presentations, and thought leadership content aligned to regional and international regulatory priorities.
Build and commercialise innovative, technology-enabled FCC advisory solutions and take them to market.
Achieve and exceed annual revenue targets of USD 1 million and above from managed client accounts.
Represent the firm at industry forums, conferences, and regulatory engagement events across the GCC.
Project delivery & quality assurance (50%)
Lead delivery of complex, multi-workstream FCC advisory engagements across GCC clients, ensuring on-time, on-budget, and high-quality outcomes.
Serve as senior engagement lead and subject matter expert across core FCC domains.
Provide expert guidance on the selection, implementation, and configuration of leading sanctions screening and transaction monitoring technology platforms.
Review and quality-assure all deliverables before client submission, ensuring analytical rigour, regulatory accuracy, and professional presentation.
Mentor and develop junior and mid-level team members, fostering a culture of excellence and client focus.
Team building & leadership
Recruit, build, and manage a high-performing FCC advisory team, setting clear performance expectations and development pathways.
Foster an inclusive, accountable, and high-energy team culture.
Act as a role model for quality standards, client service, and ethical conduct.
Core FCC domains
You will act as senior engagement lead across the following areas:
Gap assessments against SAMA, CBUAE, FATF, and internal standards
AML/CFT programme design, remediation, and framework transformation
Sanctions and transaction monitoring model validation (design, parameters, thresholds, output quality)
Sanctions and TM system tuning and optimisation
KYC / CDD / EDD remediation and look-back programmes
Monitorship / Skilled Persons Review (SPR) support
Financial crime risk assessments (enterprise-wide, product, channel, customer segment)
Regulatory examination readiness and response
What we’re looking for
Experience (all mandatory)
15+ years of total professional experience
10+ years in FCC advisory / consulting
5+ years selling FCC advisory projects to banks and financial institutions
10+ years delivering FCC engagements end to end
Proven experience working with local GCC banks
Track record of building and managing a team
Demonstrated management of client accounts generating USD 1 million+ per annum
Technical & domain expertise
Deep, hands-on expertise across all FCC domains listed above, plus:
Sanctions screening systems (e.g. Fircosoft/Accuity, Oracle OFAC) — selection, implementation, configuration, and tuning
Transaction monitoring systems (e.g. SAS AML, NICE Actimize, Oracle FCCM, Temenos, FIS MANTAS)
At least one full system selection and one implementation/configuration engagement (mandatory)
Regulatory knowledge
Saudi Arabia: SAMA AML/CFT Framework, Rules Governing AML/CFT, Sanctions Rules, CDD Requirements
UAE: CBUAE AML/CFT Regulations, SCA Requirements, UAE Cabinet Decisions on AML/CFT
GCC: working familiarity with CBB (Bahrain), CBK (Kuwait), CBO (Oman), QCB (Qatar)
FATF: 40 Recommendations, Mutual Evaluation Reports, and Guidance Papers
Global reference context: EU AML Directives, OFAC, UK Sanctions, Wolfsberg Principles
Digital & data science
Must have built at least one digital/technology-enabled FCC advisory solution and taken it to market
Strong understanding of how RegTech, AI/ML, and automation are transforming financial crime risk management
Knowledge of data science concepts and tools (Python preferred) applied to FCC analytics: network analysis, transaction analytics, model performance testing, alert optimisation
Ability to articulate, demo, and sell data-driven FCC solutions to both C-suite and technical buyers
Who you are
Highly motivated, self-driven, and proactive — you set your own agenda and hold yourself to the highest standards
Genuinely passionate about building and scaling a financial crime advisory practice, not just delivering projects
Quality-conscious with exceptional attention to detail
Commercially savvy — you know how to originate, shape, price, and close consulting mandates
A trusted relationship builder with a credible personal brand in the GCC banking and regulatory ecosystem
A confident communicator at all levels, both written and verbal
A natural leader who mentors others and invests in their team’s growth
Resilient and energised by the challenges of a fast-moving regulatory environment
Nice to have
Arabic language proficiency (professional/business level) — a significant advantage for client engagement in KSA
Python skills applied to FCC analytics (transaction monitoring analysis, model performance testing, alert threshold optimisation, network analytics)
Background from a Big 4 firm, global management consultancy, or specialist FCC advisory firm
Prior experience at or with an FCC technology vendor (e.g. Accuity, SAS, Actimize, Oracle)

Lead and grow a Financial Crime Compliance (FCC) Advisory practice in Saudi Arabia and the GCC, splitting time between business development and project delivery. Manage high-level client relationships and oversee the execution of complex FCC engagements for financial institutions.

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