Compliance Manager - UAE
Role Overview
The Local Compliance Manager is the senior in-country compliance lead for Clifford Chance in the UAE.
The role covers the Dubai and Abu Dhabi offices and implements global compliance objectives in accordance with UAE requirements.
The role reports to regional and global compliance leaders and advises partners, lawyers, business professionals, and senior management.
Key Skills for This Role
Full Job Posting
Role overview
The Local Compliance Manager is the senior in-country compliance lead for Clifford Chance in the UAE.
The role covers the Dubai and Abu Dhabi offices and implements global compliance objectives in accordance with UAE requirements.
The role reports to regional and global compliance leaders and advises partners, lawyers, business professionals, and senior management.
Compliance leadership
- Lead local compliance governance, framework delivery, risk assessment, controls, monitoring, reporting, and escalation.
- Develop and maintain a Technology and AI Risk Framework aligned with legal-sector regulation and best practice.
- Advise senior stakeholders on technology, regulatory, reputational, and compliance risks.
- Lead local implementation of global policies and contribute UAE requirements to global processes.
Monitoring and reporting
- Monitor compliance through reporting packs, file reviews, self-assessments, sample testing, and issue tracking.
- Prepare reports on compliance activity, performance, incidents, breaches, material risks, and remediation.
- Support internal audit, compliance assurance, and regulator-facing reviews, including evidence gathering and remediation tracking.
- Maintain records of compliance activity, decisions, approvals, assessments, controls, training, and reports.
AML and privacy
- Support the MLRO with UAE AML, counter-terrorist financing, counter-proliferation financing, filings, and regulator engagement.
- Coordinate AML returns, information returns, thematic reviews, the UAE Business Risk Assessment, KYC, screening, sanctions, and file audits.
- Act as the main UAE contact for data privacy and coordinate local registrations, incidents, and process changes.
Other compliance topics
- Advise on anti-bribery and corruption, gifts and hospitality, conflicts of interest, whistleblowing, market conduct, and insider trading.
- Support advice on UAE licences and regulatory filings while coordinating with Legal, Finance, HR, IT, Procurement, and other functions.
- Report serious violations promptly and provide six-monthly and annual compliance reports to management.
Experience and capabilities
- Significant compliance, risk, regulatory, legal, or closely related experience in a complex environment.
- Knowledge of UAE legal-sector regulation, including Dubai, DIFC, Abu Dhabi, and ADGM contexts as relevant.
- Working knowledge of UAE AML, sanctions, data privacy, anti-bribery, market conduct, and related requirements.
- Ability to convert regulatory requirements into proportionate controls, processes, training, and communications.
- Strong judgment, independence, escalation skills, stakeholder management, and project leadership.
- Professional compliance, legal, or regulatory qualifications are desirable.
Working arrangement
- The role follows a balanced hybrid working approach, subject to business needs and the firm's hybrid working policy.
About Clifford Chance
Clifford Chance is an international law firm with offices across the globe and a focus on global standards combined with local expertise.
About CliffordChance
Multinational law firm providing global legal services.
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