Director of UAE Operations and Regulatory Affairs

About the role

About PFM Prop Firm Match Global FZCO is a leading platform for discovering, comparing, and selecting top proprietary trading firms. We provide traders with tools and features to easily compare challenge details, read verified reviews, see accurate payout data, and much more. We're a fast-moving, fully remote team with members from all around the world caring deeply about the quality of what we build. Our culture values ownership, clear communication, and practical impact over fluff. Whether you're a trader, technologist, marketer, or operator - your work here shapes how thousands of users find and trust prop firms. About the department UAE Operations & Regulatory Affairs sits at the intersection of Finance, Legal, and Operations. It owns the integrity of PFM's UAE-based entity (Prop Firm Match Global FZCO) - governance, free-zone compliance, banking, tax, audit, visa sponsorship, and regulator-facing relationships. Our current priority is professionalising the local operating layer so the business can scale internationally without regulatory or operational drag. About the role Own everything PFM does in the UAE - entity governance, regulatory standing, banking and tax compliance, audit readiness, free-zone licensing, visa sponsorship, and relationships with local authorities and service providers. Be the senior PFM presence on the ground in the UAE and the trusted commercial-regulatory bridge between leadership and the UAE ecosystem. Performance objectives Objective 1 - Own UAE entity governance and free-zone compliance Outcome: Prop Firm Match Global FZCO is fully compliant, in good standing, and audit-ready at all times. Typical tasks: Maintain free-zone licence, share capital, and corporate documentation up to date. Ensure timely renewals, statutory filings, and entity-level reporting. Coordinate with the free-zone authority on all governance matters. Run quarterly governance reviews with the CFO. Objective 2 - Lead regulatory affairs and authority relationships Outcome: PFM operates with regulatory clarity in the UAE and can navigate questions from authorities quickly and credibly. Typical tasks: Own the regulatory map for PFM's activities in the UAE (free-zone, federal, financial-services adjacencies). Build and maintain relationships with regulators, free-zone authorities, banks, and key service providers. Track regulatory changes affecting PFM and translate them into business impact and action items. Lead any direct regulator engagement or audit on PFM's behalf, in coordination with legal counsel. Partner with internal and external legal counsel on the UAE legal landscape - contracts, employment law, FZCO governance, commercial agreements, and dispute resolution. Objective 3 - Manage UAE operations: banking, tax, audit, and admin Outcome: All UAE-side operational rails (banking, corporate tax, VAT, audit, visas, office, vendors) run smoothly with no surprises. Typical tasks: Manage banking relationships and resolve account-, transaction-, or compliance-related issues. Oversee UAE corporate tax (9%) and VAT registration, filings, and compliance with the Federal Tax Authority. Lead the annual statutory audit cycle in coordination with the Finance function. Sponsor visas for UAE-based hires and manage related immigration, residency, and renewal workflows. Own the UAE office presence (if applicable), vendor contracts, insurance, and local administration. Objective 4 - Partner with leadership on UAE strategic initiatives Outcome: Leadership has a trusted UAE partner who can scope, scale, and de-risk any new initiative anchored in the region. Typical tasks: Advise leadership on the regulatory and operational implications of new products, partnerships, or markets. Lead UAE-specific initiatives such as banking expansion, new entity structures, or regulatory licensing. Represent PFM in select UAE industry forums and at high-trust meetings with partners or authorities. Surface risks and opportunities to the CFO and CEO with clear written analysis. What we look for Must have 7+ years of operations, regulatory, or compliance leadership experience in the UAE. Hands-on familiarity with one or more UAE free zones (e.g., DMCC, IFZA, DIFC, ADGM, JAFZA). Strong working knowledge of UAE corporate tax, VAT, and Federal Tax Authority requirements. Experience managing banking relationships and resolving compliance / KYC matters with UAE banks. Track record of running statutory audits and filings end-to-end. Demonstrated experience working with internal or external legal counsel on UAE-specific matters - contracts, employment law, free-zone governance, or commercial agreements. Excellent English; comfortable operating in a remote-first, async-first environment. Nice to have Background in fintech, financial services, brokerage, or trading-adjacent industries. DIFC or ADGM-specific licensing experience. Working Arabic - useful for direct regulator and bank conversations. Existing relationships with UAE regulators, free-zone

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