Director Internal Control

Director Internal Controls & Risk

Retail & Manufacturing Group | Kuwait

About the Company

A leading GCC-based manufacturer and retailerrecognized for premium products, innovation, and a strong regional retail footprintis entering a new phase of growth and governance maturity as it expands across multiple markets and prepares for a potential IPO in the coming years.

To support this transformation, the company is seeking a Director of Internal Controls & Risk to build and lead a robust enterprise-wide control environment that ensures operational excellence, financial integrity, and regulatory readiness.

This is a strategic leadership role offering the opportunity to shape the governance architecture of a multi-country organization and work closely with executive leadership and Board committees.

Role Overview

The Director of Internal Controls & Risk will lead the organizations internal control framework across all core operationsincluding manufacturing, retail, supply chain, finance, and IT.

The role will focus on strengthening governance structures, improving process discipline, and building scalable control frameworks that support growth, investor confidence, and IPO readiness.

The successful candidate will act as a trusted advisor to the executive leadership team, ensuring the company maintains a strong control environment aligned with global best practices.

Reporting Line

Reports directly to the Group CEO, Executive Leadership Team, Audit Committee, and external auditors.

What You Will Build

The Director will play a central role in shaping the companys governance infrastructure, including:

Designing and implementing an enterprise-wide internal control framework across manufacturing, retail, and supply chain operations

Strengthening risk management and governance practices across multi-country operations

Building the control architecture required for IPO readiness

Driving process standardization and operational discipline across the organization

Implementing data-driven monitoring and control dashboards

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

Develop and execute the organizations Internal Controls and Risk Management strategy aligned with business growth and operational complexity

Serve as a key advisor to senior leadership and Board committees on governance, internal control effectiveness, and regulatory readiness

Lead initiatives to strengthen the companys overall governance maturity

Governance & Control Framework

Design and maintain internal control frameworks aligned with COSO, SOX principles, and international governance standards

Establish and refine policies, SOPs, Delegation of Authority (DoA), and governance documentation

Ensure alignment with corporate governance requirements and emerging regulatory expectations

Risk & Control Oversight

Conduct enterprise-wide risk assessments and control evaluations across operational and financial processes

Maintain and monitor the companys risk register and risk mitigation plans

Oversee remediation of control deficiencies and ensure timely resolution

Coordinate integrated control testing programs across business functions

Audit & Regulatory Interface

Serve as the primary liaison with internal audit, external auditors, and regulatory stakeholders

Support executive leadership in preparing for IPO-related governance and compliance requirements

Ensure readiness for regulatory reviews and governance audits across GCC jurisdictions

Operational Excellence & Culture

Promote strong control awareness and governance discipline across all levels of the organization

Lead training initiatives to strengthen understanding of policies and controls

Introduce analytics tools and dashboards to monitor control effectiveness and key risk indicators

Executive Reporting

Present risk insights, governance updates, and control performance reports to the CEO, and Board Committees

Provide actionable recommendations to improve processes, governance, and operational efficiency

Qualifications

Bachelors or Masters degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field

Professional certifications such as:

CA, CPA, ACCA, CIA, or CISA are strongly preferred

Experience:

1218 years of experience in Internal Controls, Internal Audit, Risk Management, or Governance

Strong experience in manufacturing, retail, FMCG, or other operational industries

Experience in multi-country or multinational environments is highly desirable

Proven exposure to governance frameworks, risk management, and process improvement

Preferred Background:

Candidates with Big 4 Risk Advisory or Internal Audit experience combined with operational industry exposure are strongly encouraged to apply.

Experience primarily in banking or financial services environments is less relevant for this role.

Why This Role Is Unique

Opportunity to build and lead the internal control framework of a fast-growing regional group

Direct exposure to executive leadership and Board-level governance

Central role in the companys IPO preparation journey

Influence strategic decisions across manufacturing, retail, and supply chain operations

Attractive executive compensation and long-term career growth opportunities

Location & Relocation

This role is based in Kuwait.

International candidates are welcome to apply.

Full relocation support will be provided.

Applicants must be willing to relocate to Kuwait.