Head of Risk E-Money MENA (SVF)

We are a leading trading platform that is ambitiously expanding to the four corners of the globe. Our top-rated products have won prestigious industry awards for their cutting-edge technology and seamless client experience. We deliver only the best, so we are always in search of the best people to join our ever-growing talented team.
As the Head of Risk MENA (SVF), you will build and lead the independent second line risk function for Capital.com’s Store Value Facility (SVF) entity. You will set the risk direction, define the risk appetite framework, and ensure the business operates within approved limits while scaling wallets, prepaid cards, P2P payments, and remittances across MENA.
This position carries regulatory responsibilities and is expected to be subject to regulatory approval where applicable. You will be accountable for risk governance, effective oversight of safeguarding and liquidity, and ensuring the firm’s growth is matched by strong controls, clear escalation, and Board level visibility.

Responsibilities:

• Strategic Risk Leadership: Define and drive the SVF risk strategy for MENA, aligned with the Group risk framework and the SVF business plan.
• Risk Governance: Own the Enterprise Risk Management Framework, risk appetite statements, KRIs, policies, and committee governance. Ensure direct escalation access to the Board or its committees.
• Regulatory Alignment: Lead risk engagement with the CBUAE and other relevant UAE regulators where applicable. Support regulatory submissions, inspections, findings remediation, and ongoing supervisory expectations.
• Safeguarding and Liquidity Oversight: Provide independent oversight of safeguarding arrangements, client funds flows, reconciliations oversight, settlement exposures, and liquidity risk management. Ensure stress testing reflects peak redemption and operational disruption scenarios.
• Product and Change Risk: Provide independent challenge for new products, material changes, and partnerships. Ensure risk sign-off is a gating step before launch and that residual risk is within appetite.
• Operational and Technology Risk: Oversee operational risk, including payments operations, fraud risk oversight, incident management, systems availability, cybersecurity risk oversight, and operational resilience.
• Outsourcing and Third Party Risk: Set the third party risk framework and oversee risks from banks, processors, fintech partners, cloud providers, and outsourced operations. Ensure robust due diligence, ongoing monitoring, and exit planning.
• Monitoring and Reporting: Maintain the risk register and control assurance approach. Deliver clear, decision-ready reporting to senior management and the Board, including breaches, incidents, emerging risks, and remediation status.
• Cross Functional Coordination: Work closely with Compliance, MLRO, Finance, Treasury, Product, Operations, and Technology to ensure clear ownership and no gaps. Risk owns oversight and challenge. First line owns execution.

Requirements:

• Education & Experience: University degree and 8+ years in risk management within regulated financial services. Payments, e-money, SVF, or digital wallets experience is strongly preferred.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Strong practical knowledge of CBUAE expectations relevant to SVF and payment activities, including governance, safeguarding, outsourcing, and operational resilience. Prior regulatory approval in the UAE is a strong advantage.
• Governance: Proven Board and committee engagement, strong escalation discipline, and experience running a second line risk function with clear independence.
• Risk Technical Strength: Demonstrated capability across operational risk, technology and cyber risk oversight, third party risk, liquidity risk oversight, stress testing, and incident management.
• Leadership: Ability to build and lead a high accountability risk function in a fast-paced environment, and to challenge senior stakeholders without creating noise or blockers.
• Integrity: High ethical standards, independence of judgment, and ability to meet fit and proper expectations. Professional risk qualifications (FRM, PRM, CFA) are an advantage.