Programme Manager - Regulatory Change - UAE

Since being founded in 2018, Copper has been building the standard for institutional digital asset infrastructure with a focus on custody, collateral management, and prime services.

Led by Amar Kuchinad, Coppers Global CEO, the firm provides a comprehensive suite of custody, trading and settlement solutions that reduce counterparty risk and bring greater capital and operational efficiency to digital asset markets. At the heart of Coppers offering is Multi-Party Computation (MPC) technology – the gold standard in secure custody. Copper’s multi-award winning custody system is unique in that it can be connected to centralised exchanges, DeFi applications and even staking pools without the assets leaving the custody.

Built on top of this state-of-the-art custody, ClearLoop is the first solution in the market that overcomes a growing industry challenge; counterparty risk with exchanges. This solution underpins a full prime services offering, connecting global exchanges, and enabling customers to trade and settle directly from the safety of their MPC-secured wallets. By reducing settlement time for transfers to a few milliseconds (without blockchain network dependency) and offering enhanced security measures, ClearLoop is rapidly reshaping the way asset managers trade and manage capital.

In addition to industry-leading security certifications, Copper has one of the strongest insurance coverages in the industry from an A+ rated insurer, positioning the firm as the partner of choice for institutions seeking to safeguard their assets.

Department environment

With a set of market leading products in custody, settlement, clearing, liquidity access, and our position as a leading infrastructure provider in the industry, Copper is well placed to become a pillar of future digital and tokenised assets industry.

The PMO ensures all projects and programmes are aligned with organisational strategy, delivering measurable value and driving long-term success. We empower the firm through strategic project leadership, governance, and best practices that enable consistent, high-quality delivery across the organisation and support every team in Copper with the tools, guidance, and insights needed to deliver successful outcomes and exceed stakeholder expectations.

Role purpose

Your role at Copper will be a highly experienced and delivery-focussed Programme Manager to lead a complex, cross-functional regulatory change project for Copper UAE affiliate with ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority in ADGM. This role is pivotal in ensuring our products, platforms, and services remain compliant with evolving global regulatory frameworks while driving business value and operational resilience.

Key Responsibilities Of The Role

• Own end-to-end delivery of UAE local regulatory change project, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives, regulatory timelines, and risk appetite.
• Engage and influence senior stakeholders and C-Suite across Compliance, Legal, Risk, Operations, and Technology to ensure programme success.
• Collaborate with SMEs to interpret new and existing regulations (e.g. FRSA Virtual Assets rulebook) and translate them into actionable change initiatives.
• Analyse and define business processes to identify gaps and operational improvements.
• Establish and maintain robust governance frameworks, steering committees, and reporting mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability.
• Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate programme risks and issues, ensuring timely escalation and resolution.
• Manage third-party vendors to deliver within scope, time, and cost constraints where required.
• Drive business readiness, training, and communication plans to embed regulatory changes effectively across impacted teams.
• Support internal and external audits and compliance reviews to ensure alignment with legal and regulatory standards.
  
  

• Proven track record in programme / project management, with a strong focus on regulatory or compliance-driven change.
• Background in financial services, fintech, or a similarly regulated industry.
• Experience with regulatory engagement and audit readiness.
• Strong leadership, influencing, and stakeholder engagement skills at C-suite level.
• Experience working cross functional teams within global organisations with complex governance structures.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills with the ability to present to a range of audiences, motivate others and lead change.
• Ability to work under pressure to meet project timeframes
• Professional certifications (e.g., MSP, PMP, PRINCE2, Agile) are desirable.
  
  

• Understanding of FSRA rulebook and other regulatory frameworks (e.g., MiCA, DORA).
• Familiarity with blockchain technology, crypto custody, and digital asset infrastructure.
• Experience working in or with crypto exchanges, custodians, or blockchain infrastructure providers.
• Knowledge of compliance tooling (e.g., Chainalysis, ComplyAdvantage, Case Management Tools) and regulatory tech platforms.
• Background in legal, compliance, or risk management is a plus.