Head of Compliance Cape Town Hybrid Job

About the Role

Our Investment Management client seeks an experienced Head of Compliance to lead the compliance function for an FCA-authorised investment management firm. This is a hands-on leadership position responsible for maintaining regulatory standing, managing regulator relationships, and embedding a strong compliance culture. You will operate across live business activity, governance, and incident response in a fast-moving environment.

Position Details

• Location: Cape Town (Hybrid)
• Work Type: Permanent
• Remuneration: Market Related

Key Responsibilities

Day-to-Day Compliance Operations

• Provide real-time compliance guidance to investment, operations, and customer teams on client queries and live transactions
• Review and approve financial promotions
• Oversee KYC/AML processes, including escalations and high-risk cases
• Run the compliance monitoring programme while supporting BAU advisory needs

Governance & Regulatory Reporting

• Prepare Board/committee papers and coordinate inputs to fixed reporting cycles
• Maintain and update compliance policies and procedures in response to regulatory changes
• Produce management information (MI) and FCA-related reporting within external deadlines
• Ensure accurate, on-time FCA submissions and high-quality governance reporting

Required Qualifications

• Relevant degree in Law or Finance
• Senior compliance experience in financial services, ideally in FCA-regulated investment/wealth management
• Compliance certifications (advantageous)

Essential Skills & Experience

• Strong working knowledge of KYC/AML, financial crime, and financial promotions
• Experience with regulator engagement, audits, monitoring programmes, MI, and FCA reporting
• Sound judgement under pressure; able to work in a lean, fast-paced environment
• Strong writing skills for board and regulator papers
• Effective, pragmatic compliance support that enables the business while managing risk
• Strong incident response capabilities and timely regulatory notification procedures
• Ability to establish documented, embedded controls and clear compliance culture across teams