About the Role:

We are looking for an experienced Head of Compliance to lead the compliance function at a NBFC. The role will be responsible for ensuring adherence to RBI regulations, applicable laws, regulatory guidelines and internal policies, while acting as the key point of contact for RBI interactions, inspections, escalations and regulatory matters.

The ideal candidate should have strong hands-on experience in an NBFC environment, excellent understanding of the RBI regulatory framework, and the maturity to independently manage sensitive regulatory matters and senior-level stakeholder interactions.

Key Responsibilities:

- Lead the overall Compliance function and establish a robust compliance framework aligned with RBI and applicable regulatory requirements.

- Act as the primary point of contact for RBI and other regulatory authorities on compliance-related matters.

- Independently handle RBI inspections, observations, escalations, regulatory queries and supervisory interactions.

- Coordinate responses to RBI observations and ensure timely closure of regulatory findings and action points.

- Monitor and interpret changes in RBI circulars, Master Directions, notifications and regulatory guidelines, and ensure timely implementation across the organisation.

- Ensure compliance with regulations applicable to NBFCs, including KYC/AML, Fair Practices Code, outsourcing, digital lending, customer protection, grievance redressal, reporting and governance requirements, as applicable.

- Establish and monitor a Compliance Monitoring & Testing framework to identify regulatory gaps and emerging risks.

- Oversee timely and accurate submission of regulatory returns and reports to RBI and other applicable authorities.

- Work closely with Risk, Legal, Internal Audit, Operations, Technology, Finance and Business teams to ensure regulatory compliance.

- Provide regular compliance reports and regulatory updates to senior management, the Board and relevant Board committees.

- Drive remediation of compliance gaps and ensure sustainable closure of audit and regulatory observations.

- Advise business and leadership teams on regulatory implications of new products, processes, partnerships and business initiatives.

- Develop and maintain compliance policies, SOPs, frameworks and regulatory registers.

- Manage regulatory matters involving customer complaints, escalations and sensitive compliance issues, ensuring appropriate resolution and reporting.

- Build a strong compliance culture across the organisation through training, awareness and ongoing monitoring.

- Lead and mentor the compliance team and establish clear KPIs, ownership and accountability.

Key Requirements:

- 15+ years of overall experience in Compliance, preferably with significant experience in NBFCs / Banking / Financial Services.

- Strong and demonstrable experience dealing with RBI and regulatory authorities.

- Proven experience in handling RBI inspections, regulatory escalations, observations and closure of supervisory findings.

- Strong understanding of the RBI regulatory framework applicable to NBFCs.

- Experience in NBFC compliance, regulatory reporting, KYC/AML, digital lending and customer protection regulations.

- Ability to independently interpret regulations and translate them into actionable business requirements.

- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, particularly with senior management, Board members and regulators.

- Strong judgement, ownership and ability to manage high-pressure and sensitive regulatory situations.

- Experience managing and developing a compliance team.

Preferred Profile:

- Candidate currently or recently working as Head/VP/AVP - Compliance, Chief Compliance Officer, or senior regulatory/compliance leader in an NBFC.

- Experience with RBI-regulated lending / digital lending businesses will be highly preferred.

- Prior experience of directly managing RBI inspections and regulatory correspondence/escalations is essential.

- Exposure to Board-level compliance reporting and Audit/Risk Committee interactions is preferred.