Financial Crime Regulatory Specialist - FCC Policy & Regulatory Management

Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together…one story at a time.

Job Summary

To support the Financial Crime Compliance Policy & Regulatory Management (FCCPRM) function as a centre of excellence for financial crime policy, regulatory management, and strategic risk oversight by delivering across core FCCPRM service pillars, including RMCP governance, financial crime risk assessments, regulatory engagement, and ecosystem threat management.

The role is responsible for translating regulatory requirements into practical, risk-based policy and control frameworks, enhancing supervisory readiness, and enabling consistent implementation across the Group.

Job Description

1. RMCP Governance, Policy & Standards Management

• Support the end‑to‑end development, review, and governance of the Risk Management and Compliance Programme (RMCP) and aligned financial crime policies and standards

• Manage policy lifecycle activities, including drafting, stakeholder engagement, impact assessment, approval and implementation

• Ensure policies and standards are aligned to regulatory expectations, internal risk appetite and industry best practice

• Provide subject matter advice and guidance on policy interpretation and application across business, Technology and FCC functions

• Support Africa Regions and International Offices with localisation of Policies and Standards through review and challenge of jurisdiction-specific policy adaptations

 

2. Risk Based Approach:

 

• Manage the Group Risk‑Based Assessment (RBA) framework, ensuring consistent application across Absa while allowing for justified jurisdictional or business‑specific requirements.

• Ensure customer and product risk is assessed, applying agreed static risk factors to produce an initial customer risk rating aligned to Group standards.

• Centralisation of the RBA model, ensuring risk scoring is system‑based, scalable, governed and auditable.

• Partner with Technology and Data teams to design and maintain the RBA, covering data ingestion, scoring logic and rules execution.

• Act as a key liaison between FCC, Technology, Data, Operations, and Business, translating regulatory and risk requirements into practical, implementable solutions.

• Provide subject‑matter expertise to senior governance forums and regulators on RBA methodology, system capability, and risk outcomes.

 

 

3. Financial Crime Risk Assessments

• Develop, review and enhance financial crime risk assessments including customer, product, country, channel and business risk assessments

• Provide subject‑matter expertise to senior governance forums and regulators on RBA methodology, system capability, and risk outcomes.

• Maintain and enhance risk methodologies, including the Country Risk Matrix, risk rating tools, and supporting datasets

• Conduct structured horizon scanning to identify emerging threats, vulnerabilities and typologies

• Perform and challenge regulatory gap analyses, ensuring remediation plans are tracked and delivered

• Drive continuous improvement of the RMCP through integration of risk assessment outputs and threat intelligence

 

4. Ecosystem Threat Management, Models & Tools

• Support the identification, assessment and mitigation of financial crime threats through participation in ecosystem forums and collaboration with key stakeholders

• Maintain and enhance threat management tools, including threat cards and digitised threat libraries

• Contribute to the development and governance of financial crime models and tools (e.g. risk matrices, manual risk tools, correspondent banking tools)

• Support governance of approved third-party data providers and risk intelligence sources

• Act as subject matter expert support for key FCC systems, including PEP and adverse media tools

5. Dispensations, Waivers & Breaches (DWB)

• Review and provide guidance on dispensations, waivers and breaches to ensure consistent, risk-based outcomes aligned to RMCP requirements

• Ensure appropriate documentation, governance and escalation of policy deviations

• Identify recurring themes and systemic weaknesses to inform policy and control enhancements

 

5. Regulatory Engagement, Inspections & Industry Influence

• Support engagement with regulators, including responding to queries, thematic reviews and supervisory inspections

• Coordinate and draft regulatory responses, briefing notes, and submissions

• Participate in industry forums, regulatory consultations and advocacy initiatives

• Analyse and coordinate responses to draft legislation and regulatory developments

 

6. Strategic Regulatory Management & Horizon Scanning

• Monitor global and regional regulatory developments and assess their impact on the Group

• Maintain the financial crime regulatory universe and track regulatory obligations

• Support implementation of new regulatory requirements across policies, frameworks, and business processes

• Provide proactive regulatory insight to inform strategic decision-making and policy enhancements

 

7. Governance, Reporting & Stakeholder Management

• Contribute to financial crime governance forums and committees, including preparation of materials and insights

• Provide reporting to governance structures on regulatory developments, risk exposures and control effectiveness

• Maintain documentation and evidence repositories to support assurance and regulatory reviews

• Build and maintain strong stakeholder relationships across FCC, business, Technology and assurance functions

 

8. Training, Awareness & Thought Leadership

• Contribute to the design and delivery of financial crime training and awareness programmes

• Support internal publications, regulatory updates and thought leadership initiatives

• Provide subject matter expert training and guidance to stakeholders across the organisation

9. Audit & Assurance Support

• Support internal and external audits, supervisory reviews and assurance engagements

• Provide evidence, documentation and regulatory interpretation to support audit outcomes

 

Key Skills & Experience

• BCom Law, LLB, should be an Admitted Attorney or Advocate of the High Court of South Africa, or holder of a relevant Commerce degree (e.g., Risk Management), with demonstrable experience in financial crime compliance and risk management, including the translation of regulatory requirements into data-driven financial crime risk management frameworks and controls

• Strong knowledge of AML/CFT, sanctions, and financial crime regulatory frameworks

• Proven experience in regulatory interpretation and policy development

• Experience engaging with regulators and managing supervisory interactions

• Strong analytical capability in risk assessments and control environments

• Excellent written communication skills with experience drafting regulator-facing documents

 

Education

Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)

Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.

Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised