Localization Strategy and Compliance Manager, IMEA - Dubai

Localization Strategy and Compliance Manager, IMEA - Dubai or Riyadh

Oliver Wyman is seeking a seasoned Compliance Manager to join our Gurugram or Mumbai office. This position will be instrumental in ensuring compliance with both internal policies and external localization regulations across the India, Middle East, and Africa (IMEA) region.

The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in compliance management, particularly within a consulting or professional services context, and will have a profound understanding of accounting and financial statements. You will be responsible for guiding our entities in maintaining regulatory compliance while driving business growth through strategic risk management initiatives. This position demands a proactive approach to developing and implementing compliance strategies that align with organizational objectives.

• Collaborate with Finance Teams: Partner strategically with finance teams to navigate and optimize the localization frameworks, enhancing operational effectiveness in markets such as UAE, Qatar, KSA, and South Africa.
• Analyze Financial Insights: Extract and examine statutory financial statements to identify key drivers influencing local scores, using these insights to model and simulate future projections.
• Drive Strategic Improvement: Work with leaders across functions to design strategies that yield measurable improvements in localization scores, focusing on local talent development and procurement practices.
• Regulatory Monitoring: Stay ahead of local regulations, assess risks, and proactively communicate potential impacts to senior management to drive timely compliance actions.
• Ensure Compliance Readiness: Guarantee adherence to all regulatory licensing and certification requirements, positioning the company for seamless audits and operational fitness.
• Project Oversight: Act as a compliance liaison, ensuring timely progress on all projects influenced by localization mandates and addressing any deviations promptly.
• Exercise Control on Internal Policies: Assess breaches to travel. Investigate potential breaches of our Travel & Entertainment (T&E) policy by analyzing expenses to ensure travel destinations/expenses comply with policy guidelines. Verify that travel bookings are made through our designated agencies to enhance localization scores. Identify top spenders to ensure accurate cost allocation and collaborate closely with the HR team to recover non‑compliant expenses through payroll adjustments.
• Policies and Procedures Design: Develop policies and procedures to strengthen governance and control across key operations, while proactively identifying and implementing risk mitigation strategies.
• Team Management: Oversee the performance of any direct reports, conducting regular reviews and providing constructive feedback and support to drive quality deliverables, professional development, collaboration and a high‑performance culture.
• Adhoc Strategic Support: Providing ad hoc compliance expertise and support to the Regional COO, FD, COS on internal projects and strategic initiatives as needed.

• Minimum of 8‑10 years in compliance and operations, preferably within consulting or professional services.
• Experience with a strong emphasis on localization along with good understanding of financial processes and procedures.
• Exceptional analytical and strategic thinking abilities with a demonstrated history of implementing operational strategies that drive efficiency and growth. Proven project management expertise with a successful track record of delivering complex projects on time.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with teams across different markets including external authorities.
• Strong attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
• Delivers presentations and information with authority and conviction, ensuring engagement and alignment across key stakeholders including senior management.
• Verbal and written fluency in English. Arabic language is preferred but not essential.

Mid‑Senior level

Full‑time

Finance