Overview

Head of Compliance Jobs in Rwanda at Ecobank Transnational Incorporated

Title: Head of Compliance

Company: Ecobank Transnational Incorporated

Location: Rwanda

Job Description

Our Values – We RACE IT

Our culture is rooted in a shared set of values that define how we work, lead, and grow together:

  • Respect: We treat others with dignity and listen actively.
  • Accountability: We own our responsibilities and deliver on our promises.
  • Customer Centricity: We put clients at the heart of every decision.
  • Excellence: We strive for high performance and impactful results.
  • Integrity: We do the right thing—always.
  • Teamwork: We believe in collaboration across teams, countries, and cultures.

Together, we RACE IT — with courage, purpose, and a shared vision for a stronger Africa.

About the opportunity:

Ecobank Rwanda is seeking a Head of Compliance to lead and strengthen the Bank’s compliance function, ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements, internal policies, and industry standards while fostering a strong culture of ethics, integrity, and risk management across the organization.

The role is responsible for Advise the Country Managing Director about how the activity of the Bank must comply with laws, regulations, and international best practices- and ensure the Bank is Compliant with all laws and regulations. .

If you believe you have what it takes to uphold these standards and contribute meaningfully to our operational excellence, we encourage you to apply and become part of our dedicated team.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Governance & Independence of the Compliance Function
  • Provide advice on laws, regulations to the bank and ensure its compliance with the related requirements.
  • Adhere to the Compliance Charter.
  • Implement the Group Compliance Manual and adapt it to local risks and legal and regulatory requirements.
  • Advise business on specific compliance matters.
  • Liaise with Group Compliance in order to advise the Bank on compliance best practices.
  • Advises the compliance officers of emerging compliance issues and consults and guides them in the establishment of controls to mitigate risks.
  • Participate actively in industry working groups and represent Ecobank view and interests.
  • Lead and maintain an independent Compliance function with adequate authority, access to information, resources, and direct escalation rights to the MD, relevant Board Committee, and Group / Regional Compliance.
  • Maintain and periodically review the Compliance Charter, Compliance Policy, and Compliance Monitoring Plan to ensure alignment with local regulatory requirements, Group standards, and the Bank’s risk profile.
  • Provide independent compliance advice, oversight, and challenge to business and support functions, while preserving the second-line-of-defence role.
  • Ensure compliance matters are escalated to the appropriate management and Board committees in a timely, balanced, and evidence-based manner.
  • Regulatory Compliance & Change Management
  • Monitor evolution of the legal and regulatory framework and make impact analysis for the business. Ensure that, further to legal & regulatory changes, policies and operational procedures are updated accordingly.
  • Ensure and review implementation of requirements related to new law or regulations.
  • Monitor new and evolving laws, regulations, BNR directives, FIC requirements, regulatory guidance, and industry developments affecting the Bank.
  • Conduct regulatory impact assessments and ensure timely implementation through accountable action plans, policy updates, procedure amendments, training, and control enhancements.
  • Maintain a regulatory obligations register and regulatory returns calendar, including evidence of timely submission and escalation of breaches or risk of delay.
  • Coordinate regulatory inspections, information requests, thematic reviews, management responses, and remediation tracking.
  • AML/CFT/CPF and MLRO Responsibilities
  • Ensure that an adequate AML, CFT and CPF program is in place and issues tackled.
  • Act as the Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) for the bank.
  • Responsible for all AML/CFT/CPF cases and ensure that they are properly handled.
  • Organize in-house AML/CFT/CPF trainings to all staff.
  • Liaison with correspondent banks ensuring that assessments are completed and requirements for information are responded to in a timely manner.
  • Ensure that KYC documents provided by clients are complete and regularly updated where required.
  • Review AML/CFT/CPF related wording in agreements.
  • Act as the Bank’s MLRO / AML-CFT-CPF responsible officer, with sufficient seniority, authority, independence, competence, and access to information.
  • Ensure implementation of an effective AML/CFT/CPF and sanctions compliance framework covering customer due diligence, enhanced due diligence, beneficial ownership, PEPs, sanctions screening, transaction monitoring, suspicious transaction/activity reporting, correspondent banking due diligence, record keeping, and staff training.
  • Ensure suspicious transactions or activities are reviewed, escalated, and reported to the FIC/FIU in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and reporting requirements.
  • Oversee AML/CFT/CPF risk assessments, monitoring, high-risk customer oversight, digital-channel financial crime risks, trade-finance AML controls, and remediation of AML/CFT/CPF findings.
  • Ensure all staff understand their obligation to identify and escalate suspicious activity to the MLRO without delay.
  • Conduct Risk, Consumer Protection, Product & Digital Compliance
  • Become a stakeholder in key projects and developments initiated by the Bank and ensure that compliance issues identified are tackled with the adequate measures.
  • Oversee conduct risk and financial consumer protection compliance, including fair treatment of customers, transparency, complaints governance, product suitability, pricing disclosures, and customer communications.
  • Review new products, services, partnerships, channels, and digital initiatives to ensure regulatory compliance before launch.
  • Provide compliance advice on agency banking, digital payments, mobile money partnerships, cross-border payments, eKash/RNDPS requirements, data privacy, cybersecurity-related regulatory obligations, and outsourcing / third-party arrangements.
  • Work with business, operations, technology, information security, legal, and risk teams to ensure regulatory requirements are embedded into product design, processes, systems, controls, and customer experience.
  • Board, Management & Group Reporting
  • Prepare Compliance reports to Senior Management, Board and Group Compliance.
  • Responsible for the monthly compliance reporting to Group Compliance.
  • Guides and provides suggestions on compliance related matters to the senior management team and Board.
  • Prepare accurate, timely, and decision-useful compliance reports for EXCO / BRCC, the relevant Board Committee, the Board, and Group / Regional Compliance.
  • Report material compliance risks, regulatory breaches, AML/CFT/CPF issues, overdue remediation actions, regulatory inspection findings, policy exceptions, and emerging regulatory themes.
  • Ensure compliance dashboards include clear risk ratings, trends, root causes, accountable owners, timelines, and status of closure.
  • Policies, Training, and Compliance Culture
  • Ensure that Compliance Manual is available to all Staff and its requirements implemented in operational procedures.
  • Communicate changes which may help to improve or comply with laws and regulations, best practices recommendations and internal policies pertinent to team members and impacted persons.
  • Drive localization and implementation of Group policies, ensuring consistency with Rwandan law, BNR requirements, FIC requirements, and approved internal governance.
  • Design and deliver risk-based compliance training and awareness for staff, senior management, Board members where applicable, and first-line control owners.
  • Promote a speak-up, escalation, and ethical conduct culture, including conflict-of-interest awareness, anti-bribery and corruption standards, sanctions awareness, and regulatory accountability.
  • Assurance, Monitoring, and Remediation
  • Implement the Ecobank Group Compliance Monitoring Plan (CMP) and adapt it to local risks and legal and regulatory requirements.
  • Perform reviews in accordance with the approved Compliance Monitoring Plan.
  • Report findings to Management, the relevant Board Committee, and Group / Regional Compliance.
  • Liaise with Regulators, External Auditors, Group Internal Audit, Internal Audit and Internal Control to ensure that their recommendations are implemented.
  • Implement the Compliance Monitoring Plan using a risk-based methodology, including branch reviews, product reviews, thematic reviews, AML/CFT testing, conduct reviews, and regulatory compliance testing.
  • Track and validate closure of compliance findings from Compliance reviews, BNR/FIC inspections, Internal Audit, External Audit, Group Compliance, and other assurance providers.
  • Escalate overdue, repeat, or high-risk findings to management and Board committees with clear accountability and timelines.
  • Legal, Litigation & Dispute-Resolution Governance
  • Participate in Legal, litigation, recovery, and dispute-resolution governance forums where matters have regulatory, conduct, AML/CFT/CPF, or reputational-risk implications.

As MLRO (Money Laundering Reporting Officer):

  • The Money Laundering Reporting Officer shall be of management level and shall have relevant and necessary competence, authority and independence.
  • All staff in a reporting institution shall monitor and report to the Money Laundering Reporting Officer any suspicious activity on money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing.
  • The Money Laundering Reporting Officer shall report forthwith to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), any transaction or activity that she/he has reason to believe is suspicious in the manner the FIU may specify.
  • In addition to the responsibilities provided in these regulations, the Money Laundering Reporting Officer shall ensure that:
  • He/she is informed of all suspicious activities available to the reporting institution and take action on suspicious disclosures from officers and employees of the reporting institution as soon as practical so as not to delay the reporting of such disclosures;
  • Where a disclosure is made, he/she applies internal risk-management procedures on a suspicious transaction;
  • He/she reports disclosures deemed suspicious to the FIU in a manner provided for under paragraph (2);
  • Officers and employees of the reporting institution are made aware of the Act as well as the audit systems adopted by the reporting institution; and
  • In liaison with the reporting institution’s human resource department, screening procedures in place ensure high standards when hiring employees.

Key relationships:

Internal:

  • All departments
  • Bachelor’s degree in law, Finance, Accounting, Business, Risk Management, Economics, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
  • Minimum 8–10 years’ experience in banking, financial-services compliance, risk, audit, legal, supervision, or financial crime compliance, including at least 4–5 years in a senior compliance / control function role.
  • Strong understanding of Rwandan banking law, BNR prudential and governance requirements, AML/CFT/CPF laws and FIC requirements, consumer protection, conduct risk, data protection, digital financial services, and Group compliance standards.
  • Professional certification preferred: ACAMS, ICA, Certified Compliance Professional, CFE, ACCA, CPA, CFA, CIS, or equivalent.
  • Demonstrated ability to engage regulators, Board committees, senior management, external auditors, correspondent banks, and Group Compliance.
  • Strong judgment, independence, integrity, discretion, analytical ability, communication skills, and ability to challenge constructively at senior levels.

Who We’re Looking For:

Qualifications & Experience

Skills & Capabilities

  • Strong customer focus with a results-driven mindset and the ability to foster effective teamwork.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage confidently with regulators, senior management, and other stakeholders.
  • Strong organizational, planning, and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced regulatory environment.
  • Sound knowledge of regulatory compliance, governance, and risk management principles.
  • High ethical standards, integrity, and professional judgment.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with keen attention to detail.
  • Proven leadership, influencing, and stakeholder management capabilities.
  • Ability to interpret and apply complex regulatory requirements and translate them into practical business solutions.

Personal Attributes

  • Collaborative and persuasive.
  • Proactive problem solver .

What You’ll Get

  • An inclusive and growth-driven workplace.
  • Regional exposure and career development opportunities.
  • Performance-based incentives and a supportive team culture.
  • The chance to make a meaningful contribution to Rwanda’s corporate banking space.

To Apply

Submit your application by July 31 st , 2026, by 6:00PM via our career portal.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Commitment

Ecobank is committed to providing equal opportunities to all and fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. To this end, we encourage applications from individuals regardless of their nationality, race, gender, age, social class, religion, beliefs, and disability while fully adhering to the local laws and regulations established where Ecobank operates. W omen are strongly encouraged to apply. We ensure fair treatment and equal opportunity at every step of our recruitment process.

Recruitment Integrity

  • Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
  • Employment is conditional upon successful background checks and verification.
  • All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references.

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