Director, Government Affairs, AME

Job ID: 40690

Location: Dubai, AE

Area of interest: Governance, Risk Management & Compliance

Job type: Regular Employee

Work style: Office Working

Opening date: 10 Oct 2025

Standard Chartered is a leading international banking group with a presence in more than 50 dynamic markets and serving clients in over 85 additional economies. Guided by our purpose “to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity” and our brand promise “Here for good”, we build enduring partnerships and sustainable impact.

The Director, Government Affairs, AME will support the development and execution of strategic, systematic engagement with governments and public policy stakeholders across Africa and the Middle East. The role reports to the Global Head of Government Affairs, within the Group Public & Regulatory Affairs (GPRA) function.

• Collaborate with the Global Head of Government Affairs and business leaders to design and implement an engagement strategy supporting GPRA’s policy imperatives and thematic priorities.
• Leverage thought leadership platforms, bilateral engagement, and advocacy campaigns to strengthen the Bank’s positioning and influence across AME.
• Identify and align key internal stakeholders to ensure regional engagement strategies reflect the Bank’s strategic direction and growth aspirations.

• Build and maintain constructive relationships with key business and functional stakeholders, providing timely policy and political insights.
• Provide challenge and oversight on government and policy engagement to ensure alignment with the Bank’s objectives.
• Strengthen collaboration across GPRA, Legal, Compliance, and business units to deliver coordinated advocacy and policy positions.

• Support the development of streamlined processes across GPRA pillars, improving the design and delivery of external communications, policy outputs, and engagement materials.
• Maintain management information and trackers covering all Government Affairs activities in the AME region.
• Support the preparation of speeches, briefing notes, and position papers for senior executives.

• Promote the culture and practice of compliance, ethics, and high performance, consistent with the Group’s “Here for Good” values and Code of Conduct.
• Foster collaboration and knowledge sharing across GPRA teams and markets.

• Use engagement strategies to identify, assess, and advise on emerging political and regulatory risks across AME.
• Collaborate with GPRA colleagues and business partners to anticipate horizon risks and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Establish clear communication channels between GPRA and business units to ensure mutual understanding of priorities, risks, and opportunities.

• Display exemplary conduct and live by the Group’s values and Code of Conduct.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and internal policies.
• Proactively identify, escalate, and manage conduct, compliance, and reputational risks.

• Internal: GPRA, CFCR, Legal, business and functional heads, and AME Country CEOs.
• External: Government agencies, policymakers, industry bodies, think tanks, trade associations, and public affairs networks.

• Champion the Group’s brand and purpose — “Here for good” — within AME and beyond.
• Undertake additional responsibilities aligned with Group, Country, or Functional mandates as required.

• Strong stakeholder mapping and relationship management capabilities.
• Policy analysis and insight generation (translating complex policy issues into actionable guidance).
• Excellent communication (verbal and written) and analytical skills.
• Strong project management and organisational ability.
• Political awareness and understanding of the regional context.

• Education: University degree in Political Science, International Relations, Law, Public Policy, or related field.
• Experience in government relations, policy advisory, or public affairs, with proven exposure to Middle East policymaking systems and African markets.

• Do the right thing and are assertive, challenge one another, and live with integrity, while putting the client at the heart of what we do
• Never settle, continuously striving to improve and innovate, keeping things simple and learning from doing well, and not so well
• Are better together, we can be ourselves, be inclusive, see more good in others, and work collectively to build for the long term

• Core bank funding for retirement savings, medical and life insurance, with flexible and voluntary benefits available in some locations.
• Time-off including annual leave, parental/maternity (20 weeks), sabbatical (12 months maximum) and volunteering leave (3 days), along with minimum global standards for annual and public holiday, which is combined to 30 days minimum.
• Flexible working options based around home and office locations, with flexible working patterns.
• Proactive wellbeing support through Unmind, a market-leading digital wellbeing platform, development courses for resilience and other human skills, global Employee Assistance Programme, sick leave, mental health first-aiders and all sorts of self-help toolkits
• A continuous learning culture to support your growth, with opportunities to reskill and upskill and access to physical, virtual and digital learning.
• Being part of an inclusive and values driven organisation, one that embraces and celebrates our unique diversity, across our teams, business functions and geographies - everyone feels respected and can realise their full potential.