AML​/CTF Sanctions Manager

Overview

HALA is a leading fintech player in the MENAP region that aims to redefine financial services and build the future bank of SMEs. HALA empowers SMEs to start, run, and grow their businesses by providing cutting-edge financial and technological tools. HALA operates across UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt with entities including HALA Payments, HALA Cashier, and HALA Logistics, offering solutions that enable merchants to digitize their payments and manage sales and operations.

Founded in 2017, HALA is licensed by the Saudi Arabian Central Bank and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) in Abu Dhabi Global Market.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Law, or a related field.
• 5 – 8 years of experience in sanctions, within regulated financial institutions.
• Strong hands-on understanding of targeted financial sanctions frameworks and expectations.
• Proven experience managing sanctions screening systems and leading teams.
• Fluent in Arabic and English
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• Preferred certifications: CAMS, CGSS, or equivalent.

Who Are We

• HALA is a leading fintech player in the MENAP region that aims to redefine financial services and build the future bank of SMEs. HALA empowers SMEs to start, run, and grow their businesses by providing cutting-edge financial and technological tools.
• HALA holds entities in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt (including HALA Payments,…