Wealth and Asset Management Consulting Associate Director

Role profile

Associate director

Wealth & asset management consulting

Strategy | growth | delivery | leadership

At a glance

Role: Associate director

Level: Associate director

Function: Consulting

Reports to: Managing director / partner

Location: Middle East (UAE preferred; KSA, Qatar considered)

Travel: Regional, up to 40%

Experience: 8-12 years

Industry focus: Wealth & asset management

Role purpose summary

Build and develop a high-performing risk & regulatory affairs consulting capability focused on the wealth & asset management sector across the Middle East. The associate director will lead complex client engagements across regulatory transformation, risk management, governance, compliance, conduct risk, operational resilience, and enterprise-wide risk frameworks for asset managers, private banks, wealth platforms, family offices, and sovereign wealth institutions.

The associate director will act as a trusted advisor to C-suite and board-level clients, driving engagement origination, managing delivery teams, and contributing to the strategic build-out of the WAM practice.

Key responsibilities

Practice development & business growth

Drive origination of new engagements across WAM segments - private wealth, institutional asset management, family offices, sovereign wealth funds, and digital wealth platforms.

Build and maintain a pipeline of qualified opportunities, working closely with the partner group and leveraging personal and institutional networks across the GCC and broader MENA region.

Develop compelling thought leadership, proposals, and point-of-view content to differentiate the firm's WAM proposition.

Manage and grow strategic alliances in the WAM sector aligned to KPMG bridge campaign. This includes BlackRock Aladdin and State Street Alpha.

Support the development of the firm's go-to-market strategy for WAM in the Middle East, including coverage model, service lines, and target client prioritisation.

Client engagement & delivery

Lead large-scale risk & regulatory affairs engagements within the wealth & asset management sector, including regulatory compliance reviews, operating model transformation, governance enhancement, and risk framework implementation.

Advise boards, executive management, and risk committees on regulatory expectations, emerging risks, and industry-leading governance practices.

Deliver projects across enterprise risk management, operational risk, compliance, conduct risk, third-party risk, model risk, investment governance, and financial crime compliance.

Support clients in responding to regulatory changes issued by regional regulators including ADGM, DIFC, SCA, CMA, QCB, and other GCC regulatory authorities.

Lead risk assessments, gap analyses, remediation programs, target operating model design, and regulatory transformation initiatives.

Oversee quality assurance, client satisfaction, project economics, and delivery excellence across multiple engagements.

Serve as the day-to-day client relationship owner for key accounts, ensuring satisfaction, quality, and commercial outcomes.

Structure and scope engagements, manage project economics, and oversee teams of consultants and analysts.

People & team leadership

Recruit, develop, and retain consulting talent within the WAM practice, acting as a mentor and performance coach.

Actively contribute to the firm's WAM knowledge base, internal capability development, and cross-practice collaboration.

Foster an inclusive, high-performance team culture aligned with the firm's values.

Thought leadership & external presence

Represent the firm at industry events, forums, and roundtables relevant to wealth and asset management in the region.

Publish insights on regional WAM trends, regulatory developments, and market shifts in collaboration with marketing and communications.

Build the firm's profile as a leading voice in GCC wealth management transformation.

Experience requirements

Essential

10+ years of experience within risk & regulatory affairs, financial services risk consulting, internal audit, compliance, or enterprise risk management.

Proven consulting experience gained within a Big 4 firm, global consultancy, or specialist risk advisory practice.

Strong experience serving wealth management, asset management, private banking, investment management, capital markets, or sovereign wealth fund clients.

Deep knowledge of:

Enterprise risk management (ERM)

Regulatory compliance

Governance frameworks

Operational risk

Conduct risk

Internal controls

Operational resilience

Risk and control self-assessments (RCSA)

Compliance monitoring programs

Regulatory change management

Experience interacting with regional regulators and working knowledge of ADGM, DIFC, SCA, CMA, QCB, CBB, and related regulatory frameworks.

Demonstrated experience leading large-scale risk transformation and regulatory remediation programs.

Preferred / advantageous

Experience leading or supporting practice-building or market-entry initiatives in the region.

Prior exposure to sovereign wealth fund advisory or ultra-high-net-worth client segments.

Familiarity with key regional WAM technology platforms and fintech landscape.

Experience in a dual-hat role (industry leadership + external advisory) or within a captive consulting unit of a financial institution.

Core competencies

Leadership & commercial

Technical & domain

Client relationship management & influence

WAM operating models & value chain

Business development & pipeline ownership

Investment products & portfolio management principles

Engagement structuring & P&L management

Regulatory & compliance landscape (MENA)

Team leadership & talent development

Digital transformation & wealthtech

Executive communication & storytelling

Stakeholder management at C-suite level

Qualifications & credentials

Bachelor's degree in finance, economics, business administration, or a related field - required.

Master's degree (MBA, MSc Finance, MSc Wealth Management) from a recognised institution - strongly preferred.

Familiarity with ADGM / DIFC regulatory frameworks and local licensing requirements - advantageous.

Languages & personal attributes

English - fluent, essential (professional written and verbal communication at board level).

Arabic - highly desirable; adds significant value in client relationship management and regional business development.

In addition to domain expertise, the successful candidate will demonstrate:

Entrepreneurial mindset - comfortable with ambiguity, building from a base, and driving outcomes with limited infrastructure.

Cultural intelligence - deep respect for and sensitivity to Gulf business culture, social norms, and relationship-driven commercial practices.

Intellectual rigour - ability to navigate complex, multi-stakeholder problems with structured thinking and creative problem-solving.

Executive presence - confidence and composure when engaging with senior client leadership, regulators, and industry peers.

Resilience - thrives under pressure, manages competing priorities, and maintains high standards of quality and professionalism.

Career progression & opportunity

This role represents a significant opportunity for a senior consultant or experienced industry professional to shape the growth of a high-priority practice at a critical moment in the development of the Middle East's wealth management ecosystem.

The successful candidate will benefit from:

Exposure to some of the most complex and high-profile mandates in the region, including sovereign-linked institutions and leading regional private banks.

A competitive compensation package commensurate with the seniority of the role, including base salary, performance bonus, long-term incentive eligibility, and benefits aligned to regional norms.

Access to the firm's global WAM network, knowledge capital, and proprietary frameworks and assets.