Services Controls: Strategy and Process Governance (Middle East & Africa)- Senior Vice President

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of an established team in Citi’s Services’ Controls organization based in UAE with senior responsibilities across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) Cluster for Services business.

The Controls function is part of Services’ 1st line of defense, and the MEA Cluster team manages risk in alignment to this, within the wider Middle East and Africa (MEA) Franchise given the unique Regulatory regimes that are at play.

About The Role

• High impact leadership role within the MEA Cluster, reports directly to the MEA Cluster Controls Head (Director) with a mandate to serve as the principal Controls partner to the MEA Operations organization and act as the key bridge between Operations, Product, and Geography teams — ensuring a unified, coherent approach to risk and control delivery across the full breadth of the cluster across all products
• Distinctively, this is an individual contributor role defined by a proactive risk reduction mandate- moving the organization away from reactive control management toward forward-looking thematic reviews, early identification of control gaps, and continuous process improvement. This is pursued through a control simplification lens and a client-centric approach, ensuring that stronger controls translate directly into an enhanced client experience rather than added complexity.
• This role directly supports the Transformation agenda, strengthens the first line risk and controls environment, and protects the Services business across one of its most geographically diverse regions.
• The role works closely with key stakeholders across Services (Cluster Controls peers, Product, Operations and Technology) and partners with other teams across Citi for execution.
• Expertise in risk management along with deep knowledge of Products and Processes impacting Transaction Banking and financial products is preferred.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive a proactive, forward-looking risk reduction agenda across the MEA Cluster through thematic reviews, early identification of control gaps, and continuous process improvement across all 29 markets.
• Define and execute the MEA Controls strategy in alignment with the broader Services Controls framework, applying a process and control simplification lens to enhance client experience.
• Serve as the primary Controls partner to MEA Operations - acting as the key bridge between Operations, Product, and Geography teams to deliver a unified approach to risk and control across all products.
• Provide strategic advisory and challenge to Product, Operations, Sales as well as country Services leadership on control design, effectiveness, and remediation across Transaction Banking and financial products.
• Identify and drive enhancements to documentation, controls, and processes - including within the Managers Control Assessment (MCA) construct - to meet local and cross-border risk and regulatory requirements.
• Support the MEA Services Controls Transformation agenda by embedding first line risk and control best practices into transformation workstreams and process re-engineering initiatives.
• Oversee relevant governance committees - including chairing meetings, managing agendas, and ensuring rigorous follow-up on action items.
• Lead the identification, escalation, and end-to-end resolution of control issues and risk events across the MEA Cluster in line with firmwide escalation guidelines.
• Serve as a key contributor to MEA Franchise and Services forums, representing the Controls function on risk and governance matters.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders across multiple countries, products, and control functions within MEA and globally, to influence outcomes and drive accountability.

Knowledge/ Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree is required.
• 10+ years expertise in Operational Risk Management and other regulatory related function within Financial Services sector preferred.
• Deep understanding of Operational Risk and related frameworks as they relate to the banking sector is required, as is a working knowledge of the Regulatory environments/regimes within MEA countries for Transaction Banking.
• Proven record in monitoring compliance to regulations including controls and process mapping within the Managers Control Assessment (MCA) construct.
• Excellent business acumen, and ability to quickly understand multiple areas within a function and across functions, and how they interact to achieve the objective of the processes.

Risk & Control Leadership

• Proactive risk reduction mindset with a commitment to forward-looking control management through thematic reviews and early gap identification.
• Ability to apply a control simplification lens ensuring stronger controls enhance rather than complicate the client experience.
• Proven ability to design, challenge, and remediate controls across complex, multi-market environments.

Client-Centric Approach

• Ensure risk and control improvements translate directly into an enhanced client experience, balancing robust risk management with operational simplicity.

Strategy & Transformation

• Ability to develop and execute a controls strategy that supports business transformation and long-term sustainable growth.
• Operates effectively at both strategic and executional levels - big picture thinking with high attention to critical detail.
• Strong process improvement orientation with a track record of embedding continuous improvement into risk and control delivery.

Operational & Processing Risk Management

• Deep understanding of operational and processing risk frameworks as they apply to Transaction Banking and financial products across the MEA region.
• Proven record in identifying, assessing, and remediating processing risk exposures, including controls and process mapping within the MCA construct.
• Ability to oversee governance committees effectively, including agenda management, facilitation, and rigorous action follow-up.

Stakeholder Influence & Communication

• Exceptional ability to engage and influence senior leaders, Cluster and Product managers across a complex, matrixed organization.
• Strong written, verbal, and analytical skills - able to distil complex risk topics into clear, actionable insights for senior audiences.

Influencing & Matrix Effectiveness

• Proven ability to drive outcomes and effect change without direct authority - influencing senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams through credibility, expertise, and relationship capital.
• Skilled at building consensus and holding teams accountable across a highly matrixed, multi-geography organisation, navigating competing priorities and ambiguous accountabilities across 29 markets.
• Adept at translating complex risk and control issues into business terms to secure buy-in from non-controls audiences and drive timely decision-making at senior levels.

Execution & Accountability

• Committed to delivering results with exceptional execution skills and high personal accountability.
• Strong track record of managing competing priorities across multiple markets to deliver high-quality, timely outputs.
• Effective at managing compliance monitoring routines, audits, and governance cycles concurrently.

Collaboration & Cross-functional Partnership

• Acts as a principal partner to Operations, Product, Geography, and Technology teams across a geographically diverse cluster.
• Comfortable navigating complex, highly matrixed organizations across 29 markets with varying regulatory and operational contexts.
• Strong relationship-building skills across multiple countries, products, and control functions within MEA and globally.

Developmental Value

• Opportunity to be part of Services, a strategically critical business within Citi, central to enabling client growth and global cash management solutions.
• The chance to be part of a flexible team that values its people, encourages ownership of work, wants to hear your ideas, values diversity and where you can feel confident that you can bring your whole self to work.
• Leadership role with high visibility and impact across Services business and wider Citi franchise.
• The role is Cluster in nature and will entail developing relationships and working with senior stakeholders across multiple countries, products, and control functions in MEA cluster as well as globally.
• The opportunity to shape risk and control culture along with monitoring Citi’s compliance with regulatory requirements across multiple financial products and countries in MEA.

Individuals in Product Controls are responsible for establishing, managing, and mitigating operational, compliance, and regulatory risks across various business lines and products. Professionals within this profile work collaboratively with product management, operations, technology, and second/third-line risk partners to design, implement, and maintain a robust, compliant, and sustainable risk-mitigated environment that supports safe business growth.

Job Family Group

Controls Governance & Oversight

Job Family

Cross-disciplinary Controls

Time Type

Full time

Most Relevant Skills

Please see the requirements listed above.

Other Relevant Skills

For complementary skills, please see above and/or contact the recruiter.

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