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Establish, manage, and continuously enhance the sanctions framework across the organization, including policies, procedures, controls, governance, and operating model, in line with SAMA Sanctions Rules and international best practices. -
Define the sanctions strategy, annual objectives, KPIs, and the annual sanctions program, ensuring alignment with regulatory expectations and 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. -
Perform 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, 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 MLRO for sanctions-related engagement with regulators, auditors, and law-enforcement authorities when required. |
