A global leading consumer health company is seeking an experienced senior compliance leader to shape and drive its Anti‑Bribery and Anti‑Corruption (ABAC), financial crime, and sanctions programme on a temporary basis. With a portfolio of trusted brands and a mission to improve everyday health, the organisation is entering an exciting phase of growth and transformation.
This is an opportunity to join a business that is building its own culture, shaping its own future, and empowering its people to make a meaningful impact.
The role
The Head of ABAC will serve as the global strategic lead for the development, implementation, and oversight of the organisation’s compliance programme in these areas. Reporting to the Chief Compliance Officer, you will provide expert legal counsel, guide senior leadership, and ensure compliance with all relevant global laws and regulations.
You will also play a critical role in horizon scanning, risk management, and strengthening the organisation’s global compliance culture.
Key responsibilities
- Lead the creation, development and execution of the global ABAC, financial crime and sanctions compliance strategy.
- Provide expert legal advice on ABAC, sanctions and related regulatory matters across behavioural, transactional, and contentious issues.
- Act as subject matter expert on US, UK and EU sanctions regimes and associated compliance frameworks.
- Oversee responses to filings, licence applications, investigations, litigation, and regulatory information requests.
- Represent the organisation before regulators, enforcement bodies and government authorities.
- Conduct regular risk assessments aligned to the ERM framework and define risk‑based second‑line controls.
- Train and upskill local legal teams and the wider business, enabling strong first‑line ownership of compliance risks.
- Develop and deliver global and targeted training for higher‑risk roles.
- Design and implement robust monitoring and assurance activities to proactively identify and prevent compliance violations.
- Monitor legal and regulatory developments and help shape future ABAC, financial crime, and sanctions strategy.
Person specification
You will bring:
- 10+ years’ post‑qualification leadership experience in legal advisory roles focused on ABAC and sanctions. Your experience will ideally be gained in-house or from the private sector.
- Deep expertise in international ABAC and sanctions laws, and hands‑on experience implementing compliance frameworks, policies, and processes.
- Significant experience liaising with regulators and representing organisations before enforcement authorities, including securing and maintaining sanctions‑related licences.
- Strong ability to influence senior leaders and drive decision‑making at the highest levels.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills and experience leading networks in decentralised environments.
- A pragmatic, business‑oriented mindset.
We are keen to speak to candidates available on short notice and who can commit to hybrid working.
To register an interest in the role, please send an updated CV to zalex@lawabsolute.com
Working through LAW Absolute
As the first recruitment agency to specialise only in placing interim lawyers, LAW Absolute has a long history in supporting lawyers who want to work flexibly and in control of their career.
We are able to offer our contractors a range of challenging opportunities across private practice, corporates, financial services and within the not-for-profit sector. With over 20 years of placing contract lawyers in these markets, we have built excellent networks and many of the lawyers that we work with are contract lawyers that we have successfully placed on multiple assignments, allowing them to work with autonomy and build their career in the way they choose to. For our clients, we have worked closely with legal teams to help them plan and manage delivery of their services in a more efficient way in terms of resources, costs and timescales.
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