Head of Advisory – Compliance

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Job Summary

The Head of Advisory – Compliance at Vice President level is a critical leadership role responsible to lead the Compliance Advisory function as a trusted, independent second-line business partner for Absa Bank (Mauritius) Limited. The role oversees a team of Compliance Business Partners providing integrated, risk-based advice across Financial Crime Compliance, Compliance, Conduct Risk and Regulatory Risk. The role enables timely and well-governed business decisions by engaging early on strategic initiatives, consolidating specialist compliance input, challenging constructively, and ensuring that the advisory function remain aligned with applicable regulatory requirements and obligations, Absa policies and standards, Absa risk appetite and customer outcomes.
The role will:
 Provide independent second-line advice, challenge and oversight.
 Consolidate specialist compliance input for clear business consumption.
 Recommend conditions, mitigants, escalation or non-support where risk is not adequately managed.
 Escalate material matters to risk owners, the Head of Financial Crime Compliance & MLRO, or the Head of Compliance and governance forums.

The role will report to the Head of Financial Crime Compliance & MLRO, with a dotted reporting line to the Head of Compliance

Job Description

Leadership and Strategy

• Set the advisory strategy, operating model and annual priorities in alignment with the Compliance strategy and business strategic plans and key objectives. 

• Lead and develop a team of compliance professionals, ensuring they have the necessary skills and resources to perform their roles effectively.

• Allocate work based on risk, complexity, capability and business priority; manage capacity, succession and technical proficiency across the team. 

• Promote collaboration across FCC, Conduct, Regulatory Affairs, Monitoring and Testing, Legal, Risk and other control functions while preserving second-line independence. 

 

Integrated Compliance Advisory and Query Management 

• Oversee the timely, consistent and risk-based resolution of business advisory queries across FCC, Compliance, Conduct and Regulatory Risk. 

• Establish and monitor intake, triage, ownership, escalation and service-level disciplines, including ageing, quality and thematic analysis of queries. 

• Provide or approve advice on complex, material, novel or sensitive matters and ensure specialist risk owner input is obtained where required, including from FCC, Compliance, Regulatory, or other risk owners.

• Provide input to policies, standards and internal controls review or adoption. Drive and monitor embedment of updates in Absa policies and standards into processes and internal controls.

• Participate, and provide advisory input into legal and regulatory change process within Absa, assessing the change from a compliance, regulatory, FCC and conduct risks perspective against impact on people, processes and technologies. Drive and monitor internal changes required for compliance to legal and regulatory changes.

• Support regulatory examinations, audits, management requests and contribute to Board or committee reporting relevant to the advisory mandate. 

• Maintain a clear audit trail of advice, assumptions, conditions, decisions and escalations; identify recurring issues requiring broader control or policy action. 

Strategic Business Partnership and Change Initiatives 

• Act as a strategic compliance partner to senior business and functional stakeholders, engaging early in strategy, product, service, channel, market, customer and technology initiatives. 

• Coordinate integrated compliance input into business cases, product risk assessments, change governance and implementation plans. 

• Provide constructive challenge on regulatory obligations, financial crime safeguards, customer outcomes, conduct considerations and risk appetite. 

• Agree proportionate pre-launch and post-launch conditions, assist in tracking them to closure and escalate overdue or material matters. 

 

Risk Identification, Monitoring and Escalation 

• Maintain an informed view of compliance risks and emerging themes across supported business areas using advisory cases, incidents, complaints, monitoring results and regulatory developments. 

• Oversee risk-based advisory monitoring and thematic reviews to assess whether guidance and agreed conditions have been embedded effectively. 

• Challenge first-line risk assessments, controls and remediation plans; escalate material breaches, control weaknesses or decisions outside appetite through appropriate governance. 

• Partner with assurance teams to avoid duplication and use advisory insights to inform monitoring and coverage priorities. 

 

Training, Awareness and Compliance Culture 

• Own the advisory training and awareness plan for supported stakeholders, informed by regulatory change, advisory trends, incidents and monitoring outcomes. 

• Provide Training: Develop and deliver training programs on for stakeholders at all levels of the organization, tailored to the specific needs and risks of the business.

• Ensure delivery of practical, role-based training and guidance across FCC, Conduct, Regulatory Risk and general compliance obligations. 

• Promote early engagement, transparent escalation, ethical decision-making and accountability for compliance risk within the first line. 

 

Governance, Management Information and Reporting 

• Produce accurate, concise and forward-looking management information on demand, turnaround times, ageing, themes, outcomes, conditions, risk indicators and escalations. 

• Timely Reporting: Ensure timely reporting of financial crime risks to senior management and the board of directors. Provide clear and actionable insights to support decision-making.

• Corrective Actions: Implement corrective actions based on monitoring and reporting findings to address identified risks and improve the overall effectiveness of the financial crime compliance program.

• Maintain effective records, procedures, knowledge repositories and quality standards for the advisory function. 

• Any other tasks deemed necessary and as will be required by the line manager

 

Role/person specification

 

Preferred Education

• Education: Bachelor’s in Finance, Law and Master’s degree in Finance, Law, or a related field. A postgraduate qualification is advantageous.

Certifications

• Relevant professional certification in compliance, AML/CFT, financial crime, conduct risk or risk management is preferred. 

Preferred Experience

• Experience: Extensive experience in relevant compliance, financial crime compliance, conduct, regulatory and risk management, including substantial experience leading teams and advising senior stakeholders in a regulated financial-services environment. financial crime compliance and risk management (more than 10 years and 5 years in a similar senior leadership role), with a proven ability to engage, collaborate, influence, and negotiate with key senior stakeholders

Knowledge and Skills

• Strong analytical skills, ability to interpret complex regulations, and leadership capabilities to drive a culture of compliance and ethical conduct.

• Broad knowledge of banking regulation, compliance risk management, FCC, conduct and customer outcomes;

• Strong strategic judgement, written and verbal communication, prioritisation, coaching, and governance reporting

Technical Competencies

 

Competency

• Integrated Compliance Advisory - Connects FCC, Compliance, Conduct, Regulatory Risk and general compliance considerations into clear, practical and defensible advice.       

• Strategic Thinking- Ability to develop and execute financial crime risk management strategies        

• Regulatory Knowledge- In-depth understanding of AML/CFT, regulatory obligations within the banking sector and financial services sector, fraud prevention, and sanctions regulations.

• Leadership- Proven ability to lead and groom a strong Financial Crime Compliance team.

• Analytical Skills- Excellent analytical skills to assess and mitigate financial crime risks

• Communication- Strong communication skills to collaborate with regulatory bodies, law enforcement agencies, and internal stakeholders

 

Education

Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)