Risk and Compliance Manager

Role Overview:

The Manager – Risk & Compliance will be responsible for ensuring SPL’s adherence to regulatory compliance frameworks, internal risk management processes, and operational auditing. This role will identify risks, implement mitigation strategies, and oversee compliance initiatives in line with international and local standards. The ideal candidate must have experience in sport, media and entertainment sector or a solid risk management background in semi governmental entities, apart from being fluent in English.

Key Responsibilities:

Risk Management

• Develop and implement SPL’s risk management framework, ensuring proactive identification, assessment, and mitigation of operational, financial, and reputational risks.
• Conduct risk assessments and internal control testing, identifying vulnerabilities and recommending mitigation strategies.
• Establish and oversee crisis management protocols, ensuring SPL has clear contingency plans to handle financial, regulatory, or operational crises.
• Develop a crisis response framework, including communication strategies and decision-making protocols, to mitigate risks in high-impact scenarios.
• Monitor emerging risks in commercial, media, competition and player acquisition operations, providing strategic risk mitigation recommendations to senior management.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to test and improve crisis management drills and response plans.

Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure SPL’s adherence to Saudi regulatory frameworks, industry-specific compliance obligations, and international best practices.
• Periodically review and update compliance strategies and frameworks, ensuring alignment with best practices and evolving regulations.
• Develop compliance enforcement mechanisms, ensuring SPL meets its contractual, financial, and regulatory obligations.
• Act as a compliance watchdog, ensuring that Competition, Broadcast, Marcom and PACE activities adhere to governance policies and regulatory requirements.
• Conduct compliance audits and assessments, flagging governance or regulatory concerns to relevant departments.

Internal Controls & Audits

• Conduct internal audits and compliance assessments, ensuring alignment with governance principles and internal policies.
• Support regulatory and financial audits, collaborating with Internal Audit to implement corrective actions.
• Perform sampling and forensic testing to detect financial misconduct, policy breaches, or governance failures.
• Act as the primary liaison with internal and external auditors, ensuring compliance risks are properly addressed.

Compliance Training & Awareness

• Develop and deliver compliance training programs for SPL departments, including Legal, HR, Procurement, Competition and Marcom.
• Promote a compliance-driven culture, embedding regulatory awareness into day-to-day operations.
• Ensure that employees understand governance responsibilities and their role in maintaining compliance.

Reporting & Documentation

• Provide risk and compliance insights to senior leadership, supporting data-driven decision-making.
• Maintain and distribute legal and compliance alerts, ensuring regulatory updates are communicated to stakeholders.
• Prepare detailed risk and compliance reports for senior management and regulatory bodies, highlighting key findings and recommendations.

Fraud & Ethics Monitoring

• Lead investigations into compliance breaches, financial misconduct, and regulatory violations.
• Conduct sampling and forensic testing to detect financial misconduct or governance failures.
• Oversee whistleblowing mechanisms and ethics reporting programs, ensuring confidential and effective handling of reports.
• Establish ethics and integrity programs, enforcing compliance with SPL’s Code of Conduct.
• Work with Internal Audit to address compliance weaknesses and ensure corrective measures are enforced.

 

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor degree in Audit, Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 7+ years of post-qualification experience (PQE) in compliance, audit, or risk management within a regulated sector.
• Professional certification in Risk, Compliance, or Internal Audit (e.g., CRMA, CIA, CCEP, CFE, or equivalent).
• Strong knowledge of Saudi regulatory frameworks, corporate governance laws, and international compliance standards.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess and mitigate risks proactively.
• Fluency in English.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint (PPT), and reporting tools for data analytics, compliance presentations and risk assessments.

Preferred Skills & Competencies:

• Experience in risk and compliance functions within sports or media organizations, events companies or semi-governmental entities.
• Strong understanding of fraud prevention, AML, and forensic auditing techniques.
• Ability to work independently and provide risk insights at the executive level.
• Detail-oriented with excellent project management skills.