Overview
ADSS is a successful retail and institutional brokerage based in Abu Dhabi. The company is currently undergoing a multi-year transformation to become a fast growing, purpose-led, data-driven enterprise that delivers market-leading personalized content, propositions and experiences to traders. To reinforce client-centricity the company structure, technology and operations are being redesigned alongside the crafting of a high-performance culture underpinned by The ADSS Way. The objective is for ADSS to become a dynamic and innovative, trusted market leader as measured by feedback from clients, talent, shareholders and competitors.
Role Purpose
Support the Group Chief Compliance Officer in designing, implementing and maintaining a robust compliance monitoring program and quality assurance framework across the Group. The role is responsible for reviewing new business initiatives and marketing activity, assessing regulatory impact, overseeing call monitoring, supporting offshore licenses and branches, and producing clear, high quality written output for internal stakeholders and regulators.
Key responsibilities and accountabilities
Compliance Monitoring Program and Quality Assurance
- Help design, document and maintain the Group's risk based Compliance Monitoring Program, including annual planning, scoping and scheduling of reviews.
- Carry out monitoring tests, thematic reviews and quality assurance checks across key risk areas, documenting work performed and evidence in a clear and consistent way.
- Prepare monitoring reports that set out findings, root cause, regulatory references and practical recommendations.
- Track and follow up agreed actions with business owners until closure, escalating delays or issues where needed.
- Periodically review the effectiveness of monitoring and QA activities and suggest enhancements to improve coverage and efficiency.
New Business and Regulatory Advisory
- Review new business initiatives, products, services and partnerships to assess whether they fall within the Group's licenses and regulatory permissions.
- Identify additional approvals, notifications or structural changes required to support proposed initiatives.
- Maintain a central register of all business initiative assessments, including rationale, conditions and status.
- Provide clear, written regulatory advice to stakeholders, with simple explanations of key rules and constraints.
Best Execution and Conduct Oversight
- Help to develop and oversee the best execution framework from a compliance perspective, including periodic reviews of execution quality and consistency with the firm's best execution policy.
- Review management information on order execution and escalate any concerns or emerging trends.
- Assist with updating the best execution policy and related disclosures where needed.
Marketing and Financial Promotions
- Manage the end-to-end review and approval process for all client communications, marketing materials and financial promotions in English and Arabic.
- Ensure that communications are fair, clear and not misleading and comply with relevant regulatory requirements.
- Oversee monitoring of social media activity together with Marketing and maintain a log of approvals and identified issues.
Call Monitoring and Sprinklr Oversight
- Develop and maintain the call monitoring framework, including risk-based sampling, rating criteria and documentation standards.
- Oversee the use of Sprinklr and any similar tools to monitor client interactions, ensuring appropriate coverage and escalation of issues.
- Prepare periodic call monitoring reports for management that highlight key themes, conduct risks and recommended actions.
Offshore Licenses, Branches and Regulatory Filings
- Assist the CCO in overseeing offshore licenses and branches, including monitoring key regulatory obligations and conditions.
- Maintain up to date regulatory calendars for each jurisdiction, covering reports, filings, renewals and other submissions.
- Support the preparation and submission of regulatory filings and reports, ensuring quality and timely delivery.
Policies, Procedures and Systems
- Contribute to drafting and periodic review of compliance policies, procedures and manuals to reflect current regulatory requirements and Group practices.
- Identify and assess third party compliance tools and participate in testing, implementation and ongoing optimisation.
- Recommend improvements to existing processes and develop new processes where needed to identify, assess and monitor regulatory risk.
Projects, Data and Reporting
- Maintain oversight of ongoing compliance projects and keep the Compliance Project Register current and accurate.
- Analyse compliance data, monitoring results and incident logs to identify trends and emerging risks.
- Prepare clear written reports, dashboards and summaries for management, boards and committees as required.
Culture and Other Responsibilities
- Promote the profile of the Compliance function and support a strong culture of compliance and ethical conduct across the Group.
- Build effective working relationships with front office, operations, finance, legal, risk and other support functions.
- Undertake any other tasks reasonably required to support the effective operation of the Compliance department.
Qualifications
- Degree qualified
- Holder of professional certified compliance qualification
Experience
- At least 5+ years of Compliance experience in a similar industry.
- A combination of exposure to both the UAE and a top tier regulatory jurisdiction.
- An understanding of the concepts of derivatives trading, as well as a demonstrable interest in financial crime.
Skills
- An understanding of the regulatory universe in which the company operates, including SCA Rules and Regulations
- An understanding of the principles of compliance with AML/CTF, anti-bribery, corruption, and international sanctions programmes.
- Strong command of written and spoken English, with excellent drafting skills suitable for policies, procedures, board papers and regulatory correspondence.
- Solid understanding of regulatory requirements relevant to brokerage and investment services and the ability to apply them to practical business situations.
- Experience of compliance monitoring, testing, quality assurance or internal audit in a financial services environment.
- Experience reviewing marketing materials and financial promotions is an advantage.
- Strong analytical skills and attention to detail, with the ability to interpret regulations and data and present them in clear, simple language.
- Good organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple deadlines, calendars and workstreams.
- Confident in working with stakeholders at different levels and functions and able to challenge constructively where needed.
