Group Compliance and Risk Officer

SUMMARY:
If you’re the type of professional who treats legislation like light reading, identifies regulatory gaps before they turn into audit nightmares, and knows that “we’ll fix it later” is a dangerous strategy, this Group Compliance and Risk Officer role could be your perfect match.

POSITION INFO:
We’re looking for someone who can balance commercial practicality with regulatory precision, keeping regulators reassured, Boards well-informed, and the business firmly on the right side of compliance.

Our client operates within the insurance space, arguably one of the most tightly regulated environments out there. This is a senior leadership role reporting directly to the CEO, with a clear mandate: ensure the business operates correctly, consistently, and proactively, not reactively when regulators come knocking.

As the Group Compliance and Risk Officer, you’ll take full ownership of the compliance function, ensuring alignment with South African insurance legislation, regulatory frameworks, and internal governance standards. You’ll act as a strategic advisor to both the Board and Executive team, while embedding a compliance culture that is practical, effective, and genuinely lived across the organisation.

This is far from a tick-box role. It’s high-impact, highly visible, and ideal for someone who understands that compliance should enable business, not slow it down and that pragmatism and regulation can, in fact, coexist.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop, implement, and maintain a robust compliance framework aligned with regulatory and governance standards
• Ensure adherence to insurance legislation, including FAIS, the Insurance Act, LTIA/STIA, OMNI-CBR, and related frameworks
• Oversee the compliance risk management plan, ensuring it remains practical and actively applied
• Monitor regulatory developments and advise leadership on potential business impact
• Engage confidently with regulators such as the FSCA and Prudential Authority, managing submissions, reporting, and queries
• Conduct compliance risk assessments and implement realistic mitigation strategies
• Oversee complaint-handling processes to ensure fairness, compliance, and accurate reporting to Board Committees
• Review policies, procedures, and customer communications
• Maintain compliance registers
• Drive compliance awareness and training across the business
• Prepare and present clear, insightful compliance reports to the Board, Audit & Risk Committees, and regulators

Job Experience and Skills Required:

• Relevant degree in Law, Compliance, Risk Management, or a related field
• Professional certifications such as CPrac or CProf (advantageous)
• 2–6 years’ compliance experience within insurance or financial services
• At least 1–2 years’ experience in a senior or leadership compliance role
• Strong knowledge of South African insurance legislation and regulatory frameworks
• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to operate confidently from Boardroom to regulator
• Strong analytical thinking with the ability to identify risks others may overlook

• Financial Managers
• Financial Accountants
• Financial Controllers
• Chartered Accountants
• Group Reporting & Consolidations Accountants
• Commercial Finance and FP&A professionals