Senior Compliance Manager

Through our client-facing brands and our other specialist brands, Momentum Group enables business and people from all walks of life to achieve their financial goals and life aspirations.

We help people grow their savings, protect what matters to them and invest for the future. We help companies and organisations care for and reward their employees and members. Through our own network of advisers or via independent brokers and utilising new platforms Momentum Group provides practical financial solutions for people, communities and businesses.

The Senior Compliance Manager plays a critical leadership role within the Governance function of Momentum Investments. This position is responsible for ensuring that the organisation operates in full compliance with applicable prudential and market conduct regulations.

The role requires a strategic mindset, deep regulatory expertise, and the ability to act as a trusted strategic partner to the business, influencing decision-making while embedding a strong compliance culture. In addition, the role is expected to drive the adoption of technology and AI-enabled solutions to enhance compliance effectiveness, improve monitoring capabilities, and support the efficient integration of regulatory requirements into business processes.

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Role Purpose

The purpose of this role is to lead and manage the compliance function by overseeing compliance officers and ensuring effective implementation and execution of regulatory requirements. This includes providing strategic direction, advisory support, and oversight to ensure that compliance obligations are consistently integrated into business operations. The role also focuses on proactively identifying, managing, and mitigating regulatory risks while driving a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Law, Compliance, Risk Management, Finance, or Business (required)
• Professional compliance certifications or relevant training (required)
• 8–10 years’ experience in regulatory compliance within financial services (investments, asset management, insurance, or retirement funds) (required)
• 5–7 years’ experience in leading and managing people within a compliance or risk environment (required)
• Proven experience in compliance monitoring, risk assessment, and regulatory reporting (required)
• Demonstrated experience in managing compliance breaches and remediation programmes (required)
• Strong understanding of key regulatory frameworks (e.g., FAIS, CISCA, POPIA, PFA, Insurance legislation, JSE requirements) (required)
• Deep understanding of prudential and market conduct regulations (required)
• Strong governance, risk, and control expertise (required)
• Experience engaging with regulators and senior stakeholders (required)
• Proven leadership capability with the ability to influence decision-making at all levels (required)
• Proven experience in leveraging digital tools, data, and AI to improve compliance outcomes (advantageous)

Duties & Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic compliance partner to the business, shaping decisions and enabling commercially sound, compliant outcomes.
• Drive the use of technology, data analytics, and AI to enhance compliance monitoring, reporting, and risk identification.
• Provide strategic oversight of prudential compliance requirements, ensuring alignment with regulatory expectations and organisational risk appetite.
• Lead market conduct compliance to ensure fair customer outcomes across the full product lifecycle.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve compliance frameworks, policies, standards, and controls.
• Interpret and communicate regulatory changes, assessing their business impact and driving appropriate responses.
• Identify, assess, and monitor compliance risks, including emerging risks, and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Oversee breach management processes, ensuring timely resolution, root cause analysis, and prevention of recurrence.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, offering balanced challenge and practical compliance solutions.
• Strengthen internal control environments in collaboration with internal audit and assurance functions
• Drive compliance monitoring and reporting to ensure transparency and accountability.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing compliance team aligned to organisational goals.
• Foster a strong culture of compliance awareness, ethical conduct, and continuous improvement across the organisation.

Competencies

• Strong regulatory knowledge and interpretation capability
• Strategic thinking and risk management expertise
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• High attention to detail and ability to identify control gaps
• Stakeholder engagement and influencing skills at senior level
• Leadership and people management capability
• Effective communication (written and verbal), including report writing
• Proactive, solution-oriented and results-driven mindset
• Ability to manage complexity and ambiguity
• Digital and innovation mindset, including interest in technology and AI-driven solutions