Manager AML & Sanctions

• PositionManager AML & Sanctions
• CompanyPearl Bank Uganda
• LocationKampala, Uganda
• Job TypeFull-Time
• CategoryCompliance Jobs in Uganda
• IndustryBanking & Financial Services
• DepartmentCompliance
• Reports ToHead of Compliance
• Experience5+ Years (3+ in Risk/Compliance)
• DeadlineFriday, 2nd October 2026 at 5:00 PM

Pearl Bank Uganda (formerly PostBank Uganda) is a Tier 1 commercial bank wholly owned by the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. The bank’s heritage spans over 28 years, tracing back to the Post Office Savings Department established in 1926, incorporated as PostBank Uganda in 1998, and elevated to Tier 1 commercial bank status in 2021. The rebrand to Pearl Bank was approved by shareholders in June 2024, with the Bank of Uganda granting the new operating licence under the direction of Managing Director Julius Kakeeto.

The Manager AML & Sanctions provides leadership and support to Pearl Bank Uganda’s Anti-Money Laundering, Combating Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation, and Sanctions Compliance programme. Reporting to the Head of Compliance, you will establish and regularly review the bank’s AML/CFT/CPF Risk Management Framework, deputise the Money Laundering Control Officer (MLCO), and ensure that the entire compliance programme operates in line with local and applicable international laws and regulations.

Day to day, you will conduct AML/CFT/CPF and sanctions risk assessments, monitor changes in laws and sanctions regimes, deliver compliance training across the bank’s 831 staff and 13,000+ agents, manage regulator correspondence, prepare compliance dashboards for management and the Board, and advise business units on AML matters while maintaining compliance independence. You will also act as the Compliance Function’s Risk Management Champion, manage third-party vendor budgets for compliance systems, and translate emerging typologies and sanctions-evasion techniques into control changes. This is a strategic compliance leadership role, not a back-office monitoring function.

Strategy and Framework

• Support the Head of Compliance in formulating strategic plans for the department and for the Bank from an AML/CFT/CPF compliance perspective, including work plans and budgets.
• Establish, operationalise, and regularly review the effectiveness of the Bank’s AML/CFT/CPF Risk Management Framework in line with local and applicable international laws and regulations.
• Deputise the Money Laundering Control Officer (MLCO) and ensure all activities under the Bank’s AML/CFT/CPF programme are well established and effectively delivered.
• Initiate updates to the AML/CFT/CPF and Sanctions policies and the related procedures and processes annually, by trigger events, or based on the results of conducted risk assessments.
• Act as the Compliance Function’s Risk Management Champion.

Risk Assessment and Monitoring

• Conduct AML/CFT/CPF and Sanctions Risk Assessments in a timely manner and in line with regulatory requirements and internal policies. Ensure risks are appropriately rated and mitigated.
• Monitor changes in AML/CFT/CPF laws, regulations, sanctions regimes, emerging typologies, fraud trends, sanctions-evasion techniques, and intelligence from regulators, law enforcement, and international bodies, and translate them into required control changes.
• Regularly update management of any emerging and relevant changes in the AML/CFT/CPF environment and ensure all such changes are integrated into business processes.

Leadership, Training, and Stakeholder Engagement

• Provide leadership and guidance in the execution of day-to-day activities.
• Support the Head of Compliance in talent acquisition, development, productivity, and motivation of direct and indirect reports.
• Ensure that compliance training and awareness programmes on AML/CFT/CPF as well as all applicable laws and regulatory requirements are delivered effectively to all employees, agents, and any identified user groups.
• Ensure that all correspondences with regulators and other external parties are attended to in a timely manner and foster good working relations with all relevant internal and external stakeholders.
• Advise stakeholders on AML/CFT/CPF matters while maintaining Compliance independence and ensuring commercial activities remain within regulatory requirements and risk appetite.

Reporting and Budget Management

• Prepare Compliance reports and dashboards for Management, relevant committees, the Board, and regulators as appropriate, properly detailing key AML/CFT/CPF and Sanctions programme matters.
• Ensure optimum utilisation of the allocated budget and that payments to third-party vendors for compliance systems and tools are aligned with actual consumption and respective contracts.

Required Education

• Bachelor’s degree in a discipline relevant to the role.
• Professional qualification or training in Risk Management or Compliance.

Preferred Education

• A Master’s degree or membership of a professional body in a relevant field is an added advantage.

Work Experience

• At least five (5) years of experience in banking or financial consultancy services.
• Three (3) of those years must be associated with risk management or compliance.
• At least two (2) years of supervisory experience or equivalent experience is an added advantage.

Technical Skills

• AML/CFT/CPF Expertise: Deep knowledge of Anti-Money Laundering, Combating Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation frameworks, sanctions regimes, and the ability to operationalise compliance programmes across a bank with 59 branches and 13,000+ agents.
• Risk Assessment: Ability to conduct comprehensive AML/CFT/CPF and Sanctions risk assessments, rate risks appropriately, and design mitigation strategies aligned with regulatory requirements.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Thorough understanding of Uganda’s AML laws, Bank of Uganda regulations, and applicable international standards (FATF, OFAC, EU/UN sanctions lists), with the ability to translate regulatory changes into control updates.
• Compliance Reporting: Experience preparing compliance dashboards, reports, and Board papers that clearly communicate risk exposures, programme status, and regulatory compliance.
• Vendor & Budget Management: Ability to manage third-party compliance system vendors, align payments with contracts, and optimise the department’s budget.

Soft Skills

• Leadership & Influence: Ability to provide day-to-day guidance, support talent development, and maintain compliance independence while advising business units on AML matters.
• Stakeholder Management: Skill in building supportive relationships with regulators, law enforcement, management, Board members, and business teams.
• Analytical Thinking: Strong analytical ability with attention to detail, able to interpret complex regulations, identify emerging typologies, and assess sanctions-evasion techniques.
• Commercial Awareness: Makes sound commercial business decisions and is resilient in the face of resistance, ensuring the bank achieves its goals within the relevant regulatory regimes.
• Integrity & Professionalism: Impeccable integrity, credibility, and confidence to implement best practice and maintain the highest professional standards.
• Communication: Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in written form in a professional manner, from regulator correspondence to Board presentations.

Pearl Bank Uganda offers a competitive compensation package for this senior compliance leadership role. As a government-owned Tier 1 commercial bank with UGX 47.3 billion in profit after tax (2025) and UGX 1.42 trillion in customer deposits, Pearl Bank provides the stability of a national institution combined with the pace of a digitally transforming bank. Staff benefits include health insurance, wellness support, continuous training, and internal career advancement. The bank’s purpose of fostering prosperity for Ugandans extends to its people: an inclusive culture, community partnerships, and investment in employee development.

• Take on a strategic compliance leadership role at one of Uganda’s fastest-growing banks, where profit rose 34% and customer deposits climbed 43% in a single year, creating a dynamic and evolving AML/CFT landscape.
• Deputise the Money Laundering Control Officer (MLCO) and act as the Compliance Function’s Risk Management Champion, giving you direct influence over the bank’s regulatory posture.
• Manage compliance across a uniquely complex ecosystem: 59 branches, 13,000+ Wendi agents, mobile banking, digital account opening, agricultural value-chain finance, and the UGX 2.6 trillion Parish Development Model programme.
• Report to the Head of Compliance with direct visibility to the Board, management committees, and regulators, building relationships and credibility at the highest levels of the institution.
• Shape the AML/CFT/CPF programme during a critical growth phase: Pearl Bank’s Wendi wallet surpassed 1 million users and UGX 240.5 billion in balances, meaning the compliance controls you build will directly protect millions of Ugandans.
• Gain experience managing compliance vendor budgets and third-party systems, adding commercial and procurement skills to your compliance toolkit.
• Join a government-backed institution with a UGX 62 billion AFD partnership, Bank of Uganda oversight, and a clear five-year strategy, meaning your role is both funded and strategically prioritised.

Interested candidates should send their application online to the Chief People & Strategy Officer, Pearl Bank Uganda at hr@pearlbank.com with the job title “Manager AML & Sanctions” as the email subject line. Your application must include a cover letter, detailed CV, and copies of academic and qualification documents, all submitted as one file.

The closing date is Friday, 2nd October 2026 at 5:00 PM. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Pearl Bank Uganda Ltd is an equal opportunity employer. NextRoleHub never charges for job applications. If anyone asks for payment, report them immediately.

• Lead with your AML/CFT compliance experience: Pearl Bank requires three years specifically in risk management or compliance within banking or financial consultancy. Detail the AML programmes you have managed, risk assessments you have conducted, and frameworks you have built or reviewed.
• If you hold professional compliance qualifications (ICA, ACAMS, CAMS, or similar) or membership of a relevant professional body, list them prominently, as these are explicitly valued.
• Demonstrate regulatory engagement: describe how you have managed correspondence with the Bank of Uganda, Financial Intelligence Authority, or equivalent regulators, and how you have prepared for regulatory examinations.
• Show your training delivery experience: this role requires delivering AML/CFT/CPF training to all employees, agents, and user groups. Mention programme design, audience sizes, and outcomes.
• Highlight sanctions monitoring experience: mention the sanctions lists you have worked with (OFAC, EU, UN), any screening tools you have managed, and how you have translated sanctions-evasion typologies into control changes.
• Submit everything as one file (cover letter + CV + academic/qualification docs). Use the exact job title “Manager AML & Sanctions” as your email subject line.