Senior Manager Regulatory Compliance

SA Home Loans Pty Ltd • Full-time • Umhlanga, ZA • 7h ago

Introduction

At SA Home Loans, we’re more than a financial services provider, we’re a purpose-driven organisation committed to changing lives by making homeownership possible for more South Africans. As a specialist, non-bank mortgage provider, we combine innovation, transparency, and a client-first approach to deliver tailored home financing solutions that truly make a difference.

Join a team that is passionate about empowering people, driven by excellence, and dedicated to creating an amazing customer experience at every step of the homeownership journey.

Job Purpose

The Senior Manager: Regulatory Compliance is responsible for the oversight and management of regulatory compliance across the Group, reporting to the Head of Legal and Compliance and leading a team of five compliance specialists covering data privacy, regulatory training, anti-money laundering (including the statutory Money Laundering Reporting Officer function), regulatory complaints, and FAIS compliance. The Head of Legal and Compliance holds the statutory appointments of Group Information Officer under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and FIC Compliance Officer under the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA); this role, together with the Data Privacy Specialist and AML Specialist (MLRO), operationalises and supports those statutory functions on a day-to-day basis, while statutory accountability and any direct reporting lines required by law (e.g. to the Board or the Financial Intelligence Centre) remain with the Head of Legal and Compliance. The Group comprises SAHLIH, which has been designated as the controlling company of an insurance group and is also a licensed Financial Services Provider (FSP) marketing and selling insurance products together with the home loan and unsecured credit products offered under the SA Home Loans brand; SAHL Insurance, which offers Home Owner's Cover (HOC); SAHL Life, which currently offers Credit Life; and the various special purpose vehicles (SPVs) through which SA Home Loans originates and manages home loan and unsecured credit products. The role designs, implements and maintains a Group-wide compliance framework and monitoring programme, ensures consistent application of compliance standards across SAHLIH, SAHL Insurance, SAHL Life and the SPVs, and provides trusted, independent advice to the business on meeting regulatory requirements, including those arising from SAHLIH's designation as controlling company of the insurance group. The role leads the investigation of compliance breaches, complaints and matters referred by regulators and ombuds, drives corrective action, and keeps the Group ahead of legislative and regulatory change.

Duties & Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Developing, Implementing and Managing the Group Compliance Programme

Own the Group compliance risk management framework; identify and assess compliance risk across all business units and regulated entities within the Group, escalating material risks to the Head of Legal and Compliance.
Monitor legislative and regulatory developments, industry trends and enforcement approaches; assess Group-wide impact and drive implementation of the resulting requirements.
Interpret and clarify legislative and regulatory change for the business and translate it into practical guidance.
Develop, review and maintain Group compliance policies, guidelines, manuals, procedures and internal controls.
Maintain the Group's compliance universe, annual compliance plan(s) and monitoring programme documentation.
Issue corrective action recommendations where compliance deficiencies are identified and track remediation to completion, including data breaches and other regulatory incidents.
Ensure accurate record-keeping of all compliance management activity across the Group.
Ensure timely identification of, and up-skilling on, new legislative and regulatory developments affecting the Group, and communicate requirements to affected business units.
Ensure timely submission of regulatory returns, requests and profile changes, and manage the Group's obligations under access-to-information legislation.
Design and oversee Compliance Monitoring Programmes across the Group's regulatory universe, covering:
FICA – Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing
Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA)
Consumer Protection Act
National Credit Act (NCA) – applicable to the home loan and unsecured credit products offered through the SPVs
Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act (FAIS) – applicable to SAHLIH's licensed FSP activities, including the marketing and sale of insurance, home loan and unsecured credit products
Insurance Act, 2017 and related Prudential Standards – applicable to SAHLIH as the designated controlling company of the insurance group, SAHL Insurance (HOC) and SAHL Life (Credit Life)
Insurance Policyholder Protection Rules (PPRs) – oversight of compliance and monitoring for SAHL Insurance and SAHL Life
Treating Customers Fairly (TCF – Supervisory Outcomes) and Conduct of Financial Institutions (COFI) Bill implementation
Oversee compliance with insurance group supervision requirements arising from SAHLIH's designation as controlling company, including group governance, risk management, fit-and-proper and reporting obligations to the Prudential Authority, in coordination with the Head of Legal and Compliance.
Extend compliance oversight to the SPVs through which home loan and unsecured credit products are originated and administered under the SA Home Loans brand.
Manage the Group's adherence to its compliance framework and Annual Monitoring Plan.

Regulatory Relationships

Act as a key contact for regulators – including the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) and, in respect of SAHLIH's designation as controlling company of the insurance group, the Prudential Authority (PA) – as well as supervisory bodies and ombuds on behalf of the Group; support statutory registrations, and the drafting of business and compliance process descriptions required for regulatory registrations.
Provide leadership to staff handling complaints from regulators, ombuds and customers; oversee responses to high-risk or high-volume complaints to reduce the Group's exposure.
Ensure complaints trends are recorded and the complaints register is maintained; provide technical training as needed.
Contribute to policy development in line with applicable regulation, corporate culture and Group standards.
Represent the Group with industry bodies, ombuds and other stakeholders through formal engagements, workshops and individual liaison.
Coordinate the Group's participation in regulatory reporting, information requests, and industry research or surveys.
Maintain ongoing relationships with regulators, ombuds and other external stakeholders.

Reporting and Governance

Establish and maintain proper channels for staff and external parties to report non-compliance.
Maintain registers for non-compliance incidents, complaints, data breaches and access-to-information requests, as applicable.
Report on compliance monitoring outcomes and controls, at appropriate intervals and in appropriate formats, to executive management, the Head of Legal and Compliance, the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee, relevant Boards, and other stakeholders (e.g. funders, business partners, shareholders).

Trusted Advisor to the Group on Regulatory Compliance

Support the business on exchange control and other regulatory queries, and facilitate resolution of related complaints.
Provide trusted, independent guidance and advice to all business units on compliance matters.
Liaise with panel attorneys on complex regulatory matters.

People Management

Provide day-to-day leadership, direction and line management to a team of five specialists, each reporting directly into this role:
Data Privacy Specialist – POPIA compliance, data breach management and privacy monitoring, operating in support of the Head of Legal and Compliance's statutory appointment as Group Information Officer.
Regulatory Training Specialist – design and delivery of Group compliance training and awareness.
AML Specialist / Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) – FICA/AML-CTF monitoring, suspicious transaction reporting and related statutory obligations, operating in support of the Head of Legal and Compliance's statutory appointment as FIC Compliance Officer. Note: statutory reporting obligations under FICA (e.g. to the Board and the Financial Intelligence Centre) attach to the Head of Legal and Compliance and the MLRO by law, and operate independently of the day-to-day management line through this role.
Regulatory Complaints Specialist – management of the complaints register and regulator/ombud complaint handling.
FAIS Compliance Officer – oversight of SAHLIH's FSP licence obligations and FAIS compliance reporting to the FSCA.
Set objectives, allocate work across the team in line with the Group's compliance universe, and provide regular, documented performance feedback to each direct report.
Support people practices that position the Group as an employer of choice, including acting on feedback from staff climate surveys.

Training and Awareness

Support the business on exchange control and other regulatory queries, and facilitate resolution of related complaints.
Provide trusted, independent guidance and advice to all business units on compliance matters.
Liaise with panel attorneys on complex regulatory matters.

Personal Values and Development

Align personal conduct and values with those of the Group; take ownership of personal development.

Aligned values and self-development

Align personal values to company values. Responsible for personal self-development.

Desired Experience & Qualification

Minimum Requirements

Education

A relevant four-year qualification, including a legal qualification and a relevant compliance certificate.
LLB, with certification as a Compliance Professional (CProf (SA)) and admission as an Attorney; membership of the Compliance Institute of Southern Africa (CISA).

Experience

At least 8 years' experience in a legal or banking environment, with strong knowledge of regulatory compliance standards within the financial services sector, including at least 4 years in a middle-to-senior management role.
5 years' legal and compliance experience within a mortgage lending environment.

Competencies (5 Competencies – 3 domain (Technical) and 3 Behavioral)

General