Head of Risk Assessment Section

irisexecutives; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 1,500,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Government employment package

Job summary

Iris Executives, a leading UAE-focused executive search firm, seeks a Head of Risk Assessment Section within its Internal Audit Department in Abu Dhabi. The role leads enterprise risk assessments, tests control effectiveness and delivers clear, action-oriented reporting for senior management.

The ideal candidate has UAE-national experience and 10+ years in ERM/GRC, internal audit or related assurance functions, with GRCP/GRCA or equivalent certification as a strong plus.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in enterprise risk management, GRC, internal audit, or related assurance functions.
• Hands-on experience embedding ERM frameworks and Three Lines accountability.
• Proven ability to assess risks, prioritise exposures and coordinate remediation.

Responsibilities

• Develop and embed enterprise risk frameworks, policies and procedures.
• Design and implement fraud risk assessment methodologies and controls.
• Identify, assess and monitor key risks across units and locations; define treatment plans.
• Prepare executive risk reports and escalate unresolved risk to senior management.

Skills

ERM framework

Fraud risk management

Internal controls

Governance & reporting

Education

Bachelor's degree

GRCP/GRCA or equivalent

Job description

Head of Risk Assessment Section Internal Audit Department Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

About Iris Executives Iris Executives is a leading executive search firm specializing in Emiratisation and senior-level recruitment since 2010. We partner with government entities and strategic organisations across the UAE to identify exceptional leadership and advisory talent. We are currently supporting a leading UAE federal government entity in the search for an experienced Head of Risk Assessment Section.

Role Overview

This role sits at the heart of the organisation's Internal Audit function, acting as its early-warning system. Reporting into senior audit leadership, you will build and run a practical way of spotting what could go wrong — before it does — across headquarters and dispersed operations. Day to day, you will lead enterprise-wide risk assessments: identifying and scoring operational, financial, compliance and fraud risks, testing whether internal controls genuinely work, and turning findings into clear, decision-ready reporting for senior management. Your work ensures leadership sees the most serious exposures early, understands whether controls are effective in practice — not just on paper — and knows exactly who must act before a weakness becomes a crisis.

Key Responsibilities

• Enterprise Risk Governance & Frameworks Develop and embed enterprise risk management frameworks, policies and procedures across the organisation. Support risk governance and reporting that respects the Three Lines Model — management owns risk, Internal Audit assures it.
• Fraud Risk & Internal Controls Design and implement fraud risk assessment methodologies, including identification of fraud schemes and control gaps. Evaluate and strengthen preventive and detective controls, including segregation of duties, approval levels and supervisory review.
• Risk Assessment, Treatment & Monitoring Identify, assess and monitor key risks across business units and dispersed operations, scored by likelihood and impact. Define treatment plans with management and track mitigation actions and residual risk until resolved.
• Reporting & Governance Prepare executive risk reports that distinguish significant exposure from routine issues and secure accountable management action. Escalate unresolved risk while ensuring compliance with governance standards.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Experience: UAE National with a minimum of 10 years of progressive experience across enterprise risk management, GRC, internal audit, internal controls or related assurance functions. Hands-on experience establishing or embedding ERM frameworks — risk appetite, governance, reporting and Three Lines accountability. Practical fraud risk management experience — designing preventive and detective controls, testing control effectiveness and supporting remediation. Proven ability to assess risks, prioritise exposures and track treatment plans across multiple departments, entities or locations.

Education: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Political Science or a related field. GRCP / GRCA or an equivalent GRC certification is a strong advantage.

Skills

• Governance, risk and compliance best practices and frameworks (COSO, ISO 31000, ISO 31010, IIA Three Lines Model)
• Fraud risk management and fraud detection techniques
• Internal audit and internal controls evaluation
• Strong analytical, reporting and stakeholder communication skills, with the ability to lead cross-functional initiatives

Why This Role Matters

This position plays a key role in protecting a major national institution from fraud, control failure and operational disruption. By building the organisation's risk-assessment capability, the Head of Risk Assessment Section contributes directly to its resilience, integrity and ability to deliver on its mission.

Benefits

• The organisation offers a comprehensive government employment package. Full compensation details will be discussed confidentially with shortlisted candidates.

Industry: Government | Enterprise Risk & Governance | Internal Audit & Assurance