Customer Experience Officer

Korn Ferry; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Korn Ferry is assisting a leading UAE financial services institution to build a digital-first bank. The role focuses on authorizing branch transactions, enforcing maker-checker controls, and ensuring compliant customer service from Day 1.

The position requires 6+ years in retail banking, strong operational discipline, and a deep understanding of KYC/AML and regulatory standards. Collaboration with digital tools and analytics is central to day-to-day work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business or finance is preferred and relevant regulatory knowledge.
• Extensive experience in branch operations, KYC/AML, and maker-checker controls.
• Proven ability to lead a branch customer experience team in a regulated environment.

Responsibilities

• Review and authorize branch transactions and customer instructions with proper documentation.
• Enforce maker-checker segregation and escalate gaps or suspicious activity.
• Coach branch makers to reduce errors and improve service quality.
• Act as first escalation point for complex requests and complaints within authority.
• Ensure compliance with KYC, AML, sanctions, and consumer protection requirements.

Skills

Branch operations

Maker-checker

KYC/AML

AI-enabled tools

Customer service leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/finance

Tools

AI verification tools

Job description

A leading institution in the UAE is building and scaling a digital-first financial services organisation. The organisation will initially focus on client segments in the UAE, including mid to large corporates and institutional clients, with plans to expand into additional segments over time. Backed by a strong balance sheet and significant business pipeline, it aims to become a modern, AI-enabled full-service organisation in the UAE.

Role Purpose:

Acts as the authorizing checker for customer transactions and requests, ensuring maker-checker control, service quality, and compliant execution. Supports a differentiated assisted customer experience and readiness from Day 1.

Key responsibilities:

• Review and authorize branch transactions, account maintenance, and customer instructions initiated by maker roles, checking documentation, signatures, limits, and compliance requirements.
• Enforce maker-checker segregation and **escalate** control gaps, override attempts, errors, and suspicious activity promptly.
• Support and coach branch maker roles through day-to-day guidance, quality feedback, and on-the-job learning to reduce errors and rework.
• Act as first escalation point for complex customer requests, complaints, and exceptions; resolve matters within authority and route others appropriately.
• Ensure point-of-service adherence to KYC, AML, sanctions, and consumer-protection requirements, including accurate capture and verification of customer documentation.
• Monitor branch service and control measures, including turnaround times, error rates, queues, wait times, and customer satisfaction; contribute improvement actions.
• Guide customers in using digital and self-service journeys while preserving appropriate assisted service.
• Contribute to branch procedures, checklists, contingency processes, operational-readiness rehearsals, end-of-day checks, and records management.
• Use approved AI-assisted verification and anomaly-detection tools as decision support, applying independent judgement before authorization.

Required Skills & Experience:

• 6+ years in retail branch banking within banking or financial services, including senior leadership of a branch customer experience team.
• Deep expertise in branch operations, account servicing, transaction processing, maker-checker controls, cash and instrument handling, and customer complaint resolution.
• Proven record building branch procedures, service standards, maker-checker controls, and operational-readiness practices in a regulated environment.
• Strong knowledge of relevant CBUAE expectations and applicable KYC, AML, sanctions, consumer-protection, and conduct standards.
• Exposure to AI-enabled verification, digital customer-service tools, and advanced branch service and transaction analytics.

Qualifications & Certifications (Preferred)

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, or a related field preferred.
• Retail banking, branch operations, or AML/KYC certification preferred.
• CBUAE Fit & Proper requirements and any applicable controlled-function eligibility criteria, where required.