Manager, Authorisation (UAEN)

Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA); Dubai; On-site; AED 300,000 - 540,000; Full time

Job summary

Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) is seeking a seasoned professional to deliver risk-based authorisation for new financial services applicants in the DIFC. The role focuses on assessing applications, ensuring fitness & propriety, and handing over authorised firms to the Supervision Division while coordinating with internal and external stakeholders.

Ideal candidates will bring 5–7 years in relevant roles, strong regulatory knowledge, and the ability to work with DFSA systems and AI tools

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a financial services field such as Accounting, Economics, Business Administration or Risk Management preferred.
• Continuing professional education relevant to target position.
• 5-7 years’ experience in a similar or relevant role.

Responsibilities

• Engage with potential new applicants in a helpful and transparent manner.
• Manage key relationships with internal and external stakeholders including applicants to ensure that these relationships serve the best interests of the DFSA.
• Assess new authorisation applications in accordance with DFSA’s risk tolerance. Balance the imperatives of quality control, speed and stakeholder experience.
• Assess the fitness & propriety of owners, controllers and Authorised Individuals.
• Identify complex or unprecedented features of applications, especially those that test the existing boundaries of definitions, policies or DFSA’s risk tolerance.Escalate to relevant colleagues both within and outside the Authorisation team.
• Analyse business models and process to Identify key risks. Recommend mitigants where appropriate. Complete a risk assessment of new firms at the point of authorisation/ registration.
• Make recommendations to decision-makers whether applicants meet DFSA’s minimum requirements or not and whether the application should be approved or refused.
• Handover newly authorised firms to the Supervision Division, taking an all-DFSA approach in a clear and defined manner.
• Contribute to policy, technology or business process projects as assigned.
• Give timely and accurate updates to reporting manager/ project sponsor regarding project task progress.
• Seek clarity on relative prioritisation of project tasks and BAU tasks.
• Ensure that systems & databases are promptly and accurately updated with all mandatory or relevant data fields.
• Ensure all relevant documents, emails and artefacts are saved into DFSA systems to provide a record and audit trail of the application assessment process.
• Use deployed AI agents to assist in duties in accordance with DFSA policies & procedures

Skills

Risk assessment

Stakeholder management

Regulatory knowledge

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in a financial services field such as Accounting, Economics, Business Administration or Risk Management

Tools

DFSA systems

AI agents platform

Job description

This role is open for UAEN Applicants only

Job Purpose:

To deliver effective and efficient risk-based authorisation across a broad range of firms and entities that wish to provide financial services in or from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), all in accordance with the DFSA’s risk-based approach.

Key Responsibilities:

New Applications

• Engage with potential new applicants in a helpful and transparent manner.
• Manage key relationships with internal and external stakeholders including applicants to ensure that these relationships serve the best interests of the DFSA.
• Assess new authorisation applications in accordance with DFSA’s risk tolerance. Balance the imperatives of quality control, speed and stakeholder experience.
• Assess the fitness & propriety of owners, controllers and Authorised Individuals.
• Identify complex or unprecedented features of applications, especially those that test the existing boundaries of definitions, policies or DFSA’s risk tolerance.Escalate to relevant colleagues both within and outside the Authorisation team.
• Analyse business models and process to Identify key risks. Recommend mitigants where appropriate. Complete a risk assessment of new firms at the point of authorisation/ registration.
• Make recommendations to decision-makers whether applicants meet DFSA’s minimum requirements or not and whether the application should be approved or refused.
• Handover newly authorised firms to the Supervision Division, taking an all-DFSA approach in a clear and defined manner.

Key Projects

• Contribute to policy, technology or business process projects as assigned.
• Give timely and accurate updates to reporting manager/ project sponsor regarding project task progress.
• Seek clarity on relative prioritisation of project tasks and BAU tasks.

Information System & Technology

• Ensure that systems & databases are promptly and accurately updated with all mandatory or relevant data fields.
• Ensure all relevant documents, emails and artefacts are saved into DFSA systems to provide a record and audit trail of the application assessment process.
• Use deployed AI agents to assist in duties in accordance with DFSA policies & procedures

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, & SKILLS:

Eligibility Criteria:

• Bachelor’s degree in a financial services field such as Accounting, Economics, Business Administration or Risk Management preferred.
• Continuing professional education relevant to target position.

Minimum Experience:

• 5-7 years’ experience in a similar or relevant role.

Knowledge, Skills & Attributes:

• Knowledge: specialist knowledge in at least one business model activity supervised by DFSA.
• Knowledge: an appreciation for the core mission of financial regulators in general and DFSA in particular.
• Knowledge: good general knowledge of DFSA financial regulations.
• Knowledge: recent industry and technological innovations would be an advantage.
• Knowledge: keep abreast of pertinent market, industry and regulatory developments.
• Technology: ability to quickly become proficient with DFSA systems and AI agents.
• Analysis: good critical analysis and risk identification skills.
• Communication: ability to communicate effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders, using a variety of verbal and written communication methods and tailoring their use to the situation and audience.