Senior Compliance Officer & Client Acceptance Advisory

Capitex; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading bank in the UAE seeks a Senior Compliance Officer to support complex onboarding decisions and provide advisory input on high-risk customers. Responsibilities include reviewing and approving high-risk client onboarding cases and guiding onboarding teams. Ideal candidates have at least 5 years of KYC experience in UAE banks, strong knowledge of customer risk assessment, and the ability to manage complex risk issues independently, ensuring compliance standards are met.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in Client Acceptance / KYC within UAE banks.
• Experience in onboarding and periodic reviews of customer files.
• Strong understanding of customer risk assessment.

Responsibilities

• Review and approve high-risk client onboarding cases.
• Provide advisory guidance to business and onboarding teams.
• Act as escalation point for complex customer risk issues.

Skills

Client Acceptance knowledge

KYC regulations

Risk assessment

Job description

The Senior Compliance Officer – Client Acceptance & Advisory will support complex onboarding decisions and provide advisory input on high-risk customers.
Key Responsibilities: Review and approve high-risk client onboarding cases, Provide advisory guidance to business and onboarding teams, Ensure compliance with KYC, CDD, and EDD requirements, Support policy interpretation and risk appetite alignment, Act as escalation point for complex customer risk issues.
Minimum 5 years’ experience in Client Acceptance / KYC within UAE banks, with demonstrated exposure to onboarding, periodic reviews, and remediation of customer files across relevant segments.
Prior senior or advisory role experience, providing guidance to stakeholders, reviewing complex cases, and supporting decision-making on high-risk relationships.
Strong understanding of customer risk assessment, including source of wealth/funds, PEP and sanctions considerations, adverse media, ownership/control structures, and ongoing monitoring expectations.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, managing workload and priorities effectively while delivering accurate outcomes within required timelines and service standards.