Senior Trade Sanctions Compliance Manager

About the role

The Senior Trade Sanctions Compliance Manager is responsible for shaping the bank’s trade sanctions risk posture and providing expert guidance to senior stakeholders. This position operates with a high degree of autonomy, influencing policy, controls and regulatory engagement across the organisation.

Key responsibilities

• Own and continuously evolve the trade sanctions risk framework, including screening methodology, risk appetite and control design for trade finance and cross‑border payments.
• Serve as the escalation point for the most complex sanctions determinations, such as dual‑use goods, evasion typologies and high‑risk jurisdictions.
• Set red‑flag typologies, escalation thresholds and adjudication standards in line with OFAC, OFSI, EU, UN and CBUAE regimes.
• Advise business units on sanctions risk implications of new products, correspondent relationships and structured transactions.
• Represent the trade sanctions function in regulatory engagements, audits and executive‑level forums.
• Lead the department’s input into regulatory examinations, thematic reviews and audit engagements.
• Build, lead and develop a high‑performing team of sanctions professionals, managing hiring, performance and succession planning.
• Drive major trade sanctions initiatives, including system enhancements, control uplift and regulatory change implementation, while managing budgets and cross‑functional stakeholder alignment.

Required profile

• Graduate with 10+ years of banking or financial services experience, including senior roles in sanctions, AML or financial‑crime compliance.
• Deep understanding of trade finance and payments products and their sanctions risk touchpoints.
• Extensive knowledge of global sanctions frameworks (OFAC, EU, UK, UN, UAE) and the Middle‑East regulatory landscape.
• Strong analytical and reporting capabilities with the ability to derive insights from complex data.
• Demonstrated people‑leadership experience, building and developing high‑performing teams.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills for senior business and regulatory stakeholders.

Required skills

• Payments Products
• Trade Finance
• MS Office
• Reporting Skills
• Sanctions Compliance