Sanctions & Compliance Lead

About the role

An international law firm is looking to appoint a Sanctions Compliance Lead to join its Risk & Compliance team in Dubai. The successful candidate will combine deep technical expertise across international sanctions regimes with a strong understanding of the wider AML, KYC and financial crime regulatory landscape, especially across the MENA region. The role involves advising partners and senior stakeholders, managing complex sanctions matters and driving compliance initiatives.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the firm's sanctions compliance framework.
• Advise on sanctions exposure under OFAC, UK, EU, UN and GCC regimes.
• Advise partners, lawyers and senior stakeholders on sanctions risks from client and matter onboarding, ongoing relationships and business activities.
• Oversee sanctions screening, investigation and escalation of potential matches, and resolution of alerts.
• Manage complex sanctions investigations and guide risk mitigation and escalation procedures.
• Work with Business Acceptance, AML, Conflicts and wider Risk & Compliance teams on financial crime risk management.
• Monitor sanctions legislation, regulatory expectations and geopolitical risks, and support sanctions policies, procedures, controls and training.
• Engage with regional regulators such as the DFSA, ADGM and QFCRA.
• Provide senior-level guidance on AML, KYC and financial crime compliance across regional operations.

Required profile

• Significant experience in sanctions compliance, ideally within an international law firm or professional services environment.
• MENA regional experience, with an understanding of the regulatory landscape across the UAE and wider GCC.
• Qualified lawyer would be desirable.

Required skills

• Strong technical knowledge of international sanctions regimes (OFAC, UK, EU, UN, GCC).
• Understanding of AML, KYC and financial crime regulation.