Manager, FCC Quality Assurance - Compliance

Job Brief

To support the independent Financial Crime Compliance (FCC) Quality Assurance function through the execution of risk-based quality assurance reviews across key FCC processes, including customer onboarding, KYC/CDD, Enhanced due diligence (EDD), transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, and suspicious transaction reporting (STR) processes. The role is responsible for assessing adherence to regulatory requirements, internal policies, procedures, and established FCC control standards, while identifying areas requiring enhancement and supporting continuous improvement across the FCC control environment.

The role operates independently from operational processes under review and supports the strengthening of the overall FCC governance and control framework through QA reviews, thematic assessments, root-cause analysis, and remediation validation activities.

Support the development, implementation, and enhancement of the FCC Quality Assurance framework, methodology, procedures, governance standards, and review approaches.

Participate in the enhancement of:

• FCC QA methodologies
• QA scorecards
• Sampling approaches
• QA procedures
• FCC regulatory gap assessment review approaches

Support the development of the annual FCC Quality Assurance plan using a risk-based approach, considering:

• Regulatory expectations
• Enterprise-wide FCC risk assessment outcomes
• Internal audit observations
• Regulatory findings
• Emerging risks
• Operational risk indicators

Conduct risk-based QA reviews across FCC operational areas, including;

• Customer onboarding and KYC/CDD reviews
• Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD)
• Periodic review activities
• Transaction monitoring investigations
• Sanctions screening reviews
• STR/SAR escalation and reporting processes
• Sanctions and Watchlist Management process
• Trade based money laundering (TBML) reviews
• Search and freeze notices handling and escalation processes
• FCC regulatory gap assessment, implementation, and closure tracking processes

Assess adherence to:

• UAE AML/CFT laws and cabinet decisions
• CBUAE regulations and guidance
• FATF recommendations.
• Internal FCC policies and procedures

Identify control weakness, procedural gaps, documentation deficiencies, governance weaknesses, and inconsistencies in FCC review and investigation processes.

Perform thematic reviews and root-cause analysis to identify recurring issues, trends, emerging risks, and areas requiring process enhancement.

Support remediation tracking, remediation validation, and closure assessment activities to ensure identified issues are appropriately addressed within agreed timelines.

Identify opportunities to strengthen FCC controls, QA methodologies, governance processes, and review practices through thematic analysis, lessons learned, and emerging regulatory expectations.

Support continuous improvement initiatives relating to QA frameworks, reporting capabilities, review approaches, automation opportunities, and control enhancement.

Prepare clear, concise, and risk-focused QA observations, reports, dashboards, and management summaries for review by senior management.

Escalate material findings, control weaknesses, regulatory concerns, and governance issues to the Unit Head - FCC Quality Assurance.

Support regulatory examinations, internal audit reviews, and management information requests related to FCC QA activities.

Coordinate with FCC Operations, Compliance, Business Units, Technology Teams, and other relevant stakeholders during QA reviews, thematic assessments, remediation validation activities, and governance activities.

Maintain appropriate documentation, evidence repositories and audit trails supporting QA reviews and conclusions.

Support ad hoc activities, targeted reviews, thematic assessments, and analytical exercises as directed by the Unit Head - FCC Quality Assurance.

• Bachelor's degree in finance, Economics, Computer Science, or a relevant discipline.
• Professional certifications such as CAMS, ICA, CFE are preferred.
• Minimum 5 - 8 years of experience within Financial Crime Compliance, compliance testing, QA, transaction monitoring, FCC analytics, internal audit, or related control functions.
• Experience with in UAE banking, consulting or advisory sector preferred.
• Experience with FCC systems, transaction monitoring systems, sanctions screening systems, or management information reporting preferred.
• Experience in conducting QA reviews, thematic analysis, trend analysis, or FCC reporting activities preferred.
• Effective communication skills in English. Arabic language proficiency would be an added advantage.