Head of Internal Governance & Compliance

JOB SUMMARY

The Head of Internal Governance & Compliance is responsible for establishing, implementing, and maintaining the company's internal governance framework, policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and control mechanisms across all business units. This role focuses exclusively on internal discipline, structural clarity, segregation of duties, authority matrices, and adherence to approved company policies and protocols across Real Estate Development, Property Management & leasing operations, Brokerage operations, and Shared Services (Finance, HR, Procurement, Administration, etc.). The role does not handle regulatory liaison, legal advisory, or external compliance filings. Its mandate is internal governance integrity.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• A. Corporate Governance Framework
  • Design and maintain the company's internal governance framework.
  • Establish and formalize reporting structures and approval hierarchies.
  • Develop and maintain a Delegation of Authority (DOA) matrix.
  • Define clear segregation of duties across business units.
  • Ensure organizational structure aligns with governance principles.
  • Maintain governance documentation and board level policy records.
• B. Policy Development & Control
  • Draft, standardize, and maintain all corporate policies and SOPs, including Code of Conduct, Delegation of Authority, Conflict of Interest, Procurement & Tendering Procedures, Financial Approval Workflows, Project Lifecycle Governance, Property Management, Operational SOPs, Owners' Association Governance, HR & Disciplinary Protocols, and Document Control & Record Retention Policy.
  • Establish a centralized Policy Register with version control.
  • Ensure all policies are practical, implementable, accountable, and aligned with company structure.
• C. Internal Compliance & Process Discipline
  • Establish internal control mechanisms to prevent unauthorized approvals, budget overruns without authority, conflict of interest situations, and informal commitments.
  • Review and assess operational workflows across departments.
  • Identify process gaps and design corrective control systems.
  • Ensure documentation integrity across departments.
  • Enforce structured reporting and escalation protocols.
• D. Cross Business Governance Integrity
  • Prevent internal conflicts of interest.
  • Review intercompany transactions and internal service arrangements from a governance perspective.
  • Maintain transparency in related party dealings internally controlled.
• E. Compliance with Internal SOPs
  • Conduct periodic internal governance audits.
  • Monitor adherence to approved policies.
  • Issue governance observations and corrective action reports.
  • Track closure of internal audit findings.
  • Report policy breaches to Director of GRC and EXCom where necessary.
• F. Risk & Control Oversight (Internal Only)
  • Maintain internal risk register (operational and structural risks).
  • Identify governance vulnerabilities.
  • Recommend mitigation strategies.
  • Monitor implementation of corrective measures.
• G. Ethics & Whistleblowing Framework
  • Maintain internal reporting mechanism for policy violations.
  • Oversee investigation of internal governance breaches.
  • Recommend corrective and disciplinary action in coordination with HR.
  • Maintain confidentiality and independence.
• H. Governance Reporting
  • Prepare periodic Internal Governance Reports.
  • Provide dashboard updates to CEO/Board.
  • Highlight control weaknesses, policy non compliance, organizational risks, and structural conflicts.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Law, or a related field.
• Master's degree preferred.
• Certifications advantageous: Corporate Governance, Risk Management, Internal Audit (CIA preferred but not mandatory).
• 10-15 years of experience in governance, internal compliance, audit, or corporate structuring roles.
• Experience within real estate development, property management, or multi entity groups preferred.
• Demonstrated experience building policies and SOP frameworks from scratch.
• Strong background in organizational structuring and authority mapping.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Strong policy drafting capability.
• Process design and workflow structuring.
• High integrity and independence.
• Strong analytical and risk assessment skills.
• Executive level reporting capability.
• Authority presence with balanced diplomacy.
• Detail oriented with structural mindset.