MEA Strategy & Controls Leader (Senior VP)

Citi Bank; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 520,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Citi in the UAE is seeking an experienced Controls leader to drive risk reduction and governance across the MEA Cluster. You will bridge Operations, Product, and Geography to embed robust controls and proactive risk management, supporting the transformation agenda and regulatory compliance.

The role requires deep operational risk expertise, stakeholder influence across multiple markets, and a focus on simplifying controls while protecting client experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree is required.
• 10+ years of Operational Risk Management experience in financial services preferred.
• Deep understanding of operational risk frameworks and MEA regulatory regimes.

Responsibilities

• Lead proactive risk reduction across the MEA Cluster with thematic reviews and early gap identification.
• Define and execute MEA Controls strategy aligned to Services Controls framework.
• Serve as primary Controls partner to MEA Operations, enabling a unified risk and control approach across all products.
• Advise Product, Operations, and country leadership on control design, effectiveness, and remediation across Transaction Banking and financial products.
• Identify enhancements to documentation, controls, and processes, including MCA construct, to meet regulatory requirements.
• Support Transformation agenda by embedding risk and control practices into projects and process re-engineering initiatives.
• Chair governance committees, manage agendas, and ensure action follow-up.

Skills

Operational Risk

Regulatory Knowledge

Stakeholder Management

MCA Framework

Risk Transformation

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Citi in the UAE is seeking an experienced Controls leader to drive risk reduction and governance across the MEA Cluster. You will bridge Operations, Product, and Geography to embed robust controls and proactive risk management, supporting the transformation agenda and regulatory compliance.

The role requires deep operational risk expertise, stakeholder influence across multiple markets, and a focus on simplifying controls while protecting client experience.