Senior Conflicts Manager (Asia and Middle East)

Overview of role

This role will ideally be based in either our Dubai, Hong Kong or Singapore office.

We are keen to hear from qualified candidates in London who are open to relocating to Dubai, Hong Kong or Singapore. 

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced compliance professional with a background in the legal or professional services sector to join a team dealing with conflicts of interest and client confidentiality matters.

Reporting to our Director of Conflicts and joining the OGC team, the successful candidate will assist with the development of a specialised team of conflicts professionals responsible for analysing, advising on and resolving legal and commercial conflicts of interest, information barriers and share dealing requests. This is to ensure we comply with all applicable regulations, professional rules of conduct, contractual terms related to conflicts of interest and client confidentiality, and protect client relationships and our reputation.

Our conflicts analysts assist with the resolution of complex conflicts issues, deal with sensitive confidential matters, and carry out conflict checks associated with share dealing requests and lateral hires into the business. 

The Senior Conflicts Manager will work closely with the Director of Conflicts on the ongoing development of our policies, controls and processes as they relate to conflicts of interest, client confidentiality, information barriers, share dealing and Market Abuse Regulations. This will include optimising our use of tech/automation (including Intapp), standardising and simplifying our policies and processes across the Walkers group, and building an optimal team shape that provides agility, efficiency, consistency and excellent service to the business and our clients.

Duties, Responsibilities & Person Specification

• Day-to-day management of conflicts advisors within the relevant time zone (including leading the recruitment of additional conflicts advisors).
• Act as a point of escalation for the team and the business on all legal and commercial conflicts issues, analysing and resolving issues in accordance with applicable regulations, professional rules and Walkers' own policy and procedures.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders across Walkers globally, acting as a point of contact in relation to all conflicts and client confidentiality queries and leading communications across the business in this area.
• Together with other senior team members, lead on internal training as it relates to conflicts of interest, client confidentiality, share dealing and insider lists.
• Identify any weaknesses or areas for potential improvement in our existing client onboarding system (Intapp Intake) and, working with the Director of Conflicts and the Compliance Business Systems team, recommend enhancements that streamline/simplify processes for team and the business, and/or strengthen our controls.
• Working with the Director of Conflicts and key stakeholders from across the business, develop and deliver a phased programme of work that: (i) rapidly enhances our conflicts offering/service delivery to the business (including through improved time zone coverage/capacity, responsiveness, efficiency and expertise); (ii) enables us to provide a fully centralised conflict checking/analysis function within the next two years.
• Support the Director of Conflicts in driving quality, consistency, service excellence, efficiency, proactivity and adaptability across the Conflicts team.
• Assist the Director of Conflicts in developing and leading people initiatives within the Conflicts team to drive development of expertise and skills, attraction and retention, and fostering a high-performing, collaborative and open team culture.
• Input into regular reporting to senior management and/or other stakeholders as required.
• Participate in cross-functional initiatives which impact or relate to conflicts of interest and client confidentiality.
• Keep abreast with developments in regulation, technology and the market which are relevant to conflicts of interest, client confidentiality, market abuse/insider trading, and information barriers.

Education, Skills & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in law, business, finance or another relevant field.
• Experience in a compliance or in-house legal role in an international law firm or professional services environment.
• Compliance expert with deep technical and practical knowledge of legal conflicts of interest, commercial conflicts and client confidentiality, with some knowledge of Market Abuse Regs.
• Familiarity with Intapp Intake.
• Experience of policy work.
• Experience of people management, including supervision/management of large teams and experience devising and driving people initiatives (including around recruitment and development).
• Proven track record of delivering change and process improvements.
• Experience working in an offshore environment or with offshore structures would be helpful but not required

ATTRIBUTES

• Strategic: ability to work in pursuit of a clear strategic direction, align the team's priorities with those of the wider OGC team and the firm, and proactively identify improvements.
• Leadership: ability to lead and inspire the team, drive collaboration and foster a high-performing team culture.
• Technical: deep knowledge of relevant regulations and professional rules as they relate to conflicts of interest and client confidentiality, and an ability to apply these in practice.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills: solutions-orientated with the ability to interpret complex fact patterns to reach decisions or develop clear recommendations.
• Quality: strong attention to detail and produces high quality work product.
• Judgement: confident taking decisions, with sound judgement of when to escalate issues or seek further opinions.
• Adaptable: willingness to embrace change and uncertainty and manage competing demands in a dynamic and fast-paced environment; willing to constructively challenge the status quo.
• Communication: strong verbal and written communication skills, ensuring communications are properly targeted, persuasive, accurate and accessible.
• Emotional intelligence: ability to empathise, understand, and manage emotions effectively, fostering a positive and inclusive work environment.
• Collaborative: builds strong and effective relationships with stakeholders and peers; works collaboratively with colleagues across the business. A "one-team" ethos.
• Commercial: sound, commercially driven decision-making. A relentless focus on service excellence.

• Familiarity with Intapp.

OTHER

• Walkers is a global business and this role may therefore require audio or video conferencing outside of normal business hours.
• This role will be based in either our Dubai, Hong Kong or Singapore office. However, our agile working policy does allow some home working each week.
• Some international travel may be required.

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