AML/CTF Sanctions Manager📣 Job Ad

About the Role

Hala is a prominent fintech company operating in the MENAP region, focused on transforming financial services for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The company provides SMEs with advanced financial and technological tools to support their business operations and growth. Established in 2017 and licensed by the Saudi Arabian Central Bank (SAMA), Hala operates across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, offering solutions that enable merchants to digitize payments and manage their sales and operations.

We are seeking an experienced and proactive AML/CTF Sanctions Manager to join our team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This role is essential for establishing, managing, and continuously improving our sanctions framework to ensure compliance with SAMA regulations and international best practices. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of targeted financial sanctions and a proven history of managing sanctions screening systems and leading teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish, manage, and continuously enhance the organization's sanctions framework, including policies, procedures, controls, governance, and operating model, in alignment with SAMA Sanctions Rules and international best practices.
• Define the sanctions strategy, annual objectives, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and the annual sanctions program, ensuring alignment with regulatory expectations and the business risk profile.
• Monitor, interpret, and implement all SAMA circulars, directives, and instructions related to sanctions, targeted financial sanctions (TFS), and proliferation financing (PF), ensuring timely implementation within defined target dates.
• Conduct sanctions gap analysis against SAMA requirements and international best practices, identify control gaps, and drive remediation plans with clear ownership and timelines.
• Oversee sanctions screening across onboarding, existing customers, transactions, employees, Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs), and third parties, ensuring sanctions lists and data are accurate, up-to-date, and correctly configured within screening systems.
• Lead the review, investigation, and resolution of sanctions alerts, including potential and confirmed matches, with full ownership of final decisions, documentation, and defensible audit trails.
• Ensure immediate freezing or blocking of accounts, funds, or transactions when required under sanctions regulations, and manage escalation to senior management in accordance with SAMA requirements.
• Own and maintain a central sanctions freeze and actions register, including tracking of freezes, releases, and regulatory communications.
• Lead the development and continuous improvement of sanctions systems and screening tools, including data quality enhancement, rule tuning, automation, and reduction of false positives without compromising coverage.
• Act as the sanctions subject-matter expert for new products, services, and material changes, advising business, product, and technology teams on sanctions risks and required controls before go-live.
• Build, manage, and develop the sanctions team, including role definition, performance objectives, training, and ensuring adequate resourcing and succession planning.
• Produce periodic sanctions and financial crime reports for senior management, covering KPIs, trends, regulatory updates, and key sanctions risks.
• Design and deliver sanctions-specific training and awareness programs, ensuring staff understand sanctions obligations, escalation requirements, and operational responsibilities.
• Support SAMA inspections, audits, and regulatory reviews related to sanctions, address findings through root-cause analysis, and maintain comprehensive documentation to demonstrate compliance.
• Act as a senior delegate to the Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) for sanctions-related engagement with regulators, auditors, and law-enforcement authorities when required.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Law or a related field.
• A minimum of 5 to 8 years of experience in sanctions, specifically within regulated financial institutions.
• Strong hands-on understanding of targeted financial sanctions frameworks and expectations.
• Proven experience managing sanctions screening systems and leading teams.
• Fluency in both Arabic and English is required.

Required Skills

• Sanctions Framework Management
• Sanctions Strategy Definition
• SAMA Circular Interpretation and Implementation
• Sanctions Gap Analysis
• Sanctions Screening Oversight
• Sanctions Alert Investigation and Resolution
• Sanctions Freeze and Actions Register Management
• Sanctions Systems and Screening Tools Development
• Sanctions Subject Matter Expertise
• Team Management and Development
• Financial Crime Reporting
• Sanctions Training and Awareness Programs
• Regulatory Inspections and Audits Support
• MLRO Delegate for Sanctions
• Targeted Financial Sanctions Frameworks
• Sanctions Screening Systems Management
• Team Leadership

Work Environment and Additional Information

This is a full-time position based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The role requires 5 to 10 years of experience. Preferred certifications include CAMS, CGSS, or equivalent. Hala fosters an inclusive and diverse culture that promotes innovation and flexibility. The company offers competitive compensation packages, including potential for shares, and prioritizes personal development through regular training and an annual learning stipend. Employees join a talented, multinational team and gain valuable experience in an dynamic industry, with opportunities for autonomy, mentoring, and challenging goals.