Senior Credit Risk Manager

Aventus; Dubai; On-site; AED 420,000 - 640,000; Full time

Job summary

Aventus in Dubai is seeking a Senior Credit Risk Manager to lead independent credit assessment, portfolio oversight and risk governance across the consumer banking portfolio.

The role requires deep IFRS 9/ECL expertise, strong financial analysis and the ability to influence senior stakeholders and committees, with responsibility for regulatory reporting and policy development within the UAE framework.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance or Accounting; CA or CFA preferred.
• 10-12+ years' credit underwriting in banking, with 7+ years in GCC/MENAT.
• Strong consumer banking credit background with retail lending knowledge.
• IFRS 9 / ECL, risk appetite and portfolio monitoring knowledge.
• Solid UAE regulatory knowledge (CBUAE/DFSA).
• Experience in board/regulatory reporting, policy development and risk governance.
• Excellent organizational and stakeholder management; MS Office and banking systems familiarity.

Responsibilities

• Lead independent credit risk assessments across the consumer banking portfolio and present recommendations to approvers and credit committees.
• Assign and review internal risk ratings based on robust financial and qualitative analysis.
• Oversee portfolio quality by tracking excesses, past dues, collateral shortfalls and covenant breaches.
• Identify early warning signals, manage watchlists and stressed accounts and recommend actions to prevent slippage.
• Own IFRS 9 staging and ECL provisioning and monitor risk appetite parameters.
• Deliver portfolio and risk reporting to the Board Risk Committee, senior management, external auditors and regulators.
• Develop and maintain credit policies, procedures, committee charters and risk frameworks per regulatory requirements.
• Lead and contribute to credit risk automation and system enhancement projects.

Skills

Credit risk management

IFRS 9 / ECL

Financial analysis

Stakeholder management

Regulatory reporting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Accounting

CA or CFA preferred

Tools

MS Office

Banking systems

Job description

Title: Senior Credit Risk Manager

Location: Dubai

About the Client

Our client is a well-established regional bank with an expanding presence in the UAE. As it continues to grow its consumer lending business, it is seeking a Senior Credit Risk Manager to lead independent credit assessment, portfolio oversight and risk governance across its consumer banking portfolio. This senior role suits an experienced credit professional who brings technical depth, sound judgement and the confidence to influence senior stakeholders and Board-level committees.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead independent credit risk assessments across the consumer banking portfolio, including new-to-bank, renewal, increase and amendment requests, and present recommendations to approvers and credit committees.
• Assign and review internal risk ratings, making sure credit decisions are based on robust financial and qualitative analysis.
• Oversee portfolio quality by tracking excesses, past dues, collateral shortfalls and covenant breaches, and drive timely remediation.
• Identify early warning signals, manage the watchlist and stressed accounts, and recommend action to prevent slippage.
• Own IFRS 9 staging and ECL provisioning, and monitor concentration limits and risk appetite parameters.
• Deliver portfolio and risk reporting to the Board Risk Committee, senior management, external auditors and regulators, and support audit and regulatory submissions.
• Develop and maintain credit policies, procedures, committee charters and risk frameworks in line with the bank's risk appetite and CBUAE and DFSA requirements.
• Lead and contribute to credit risk automation and system enhancement projects across the bank.

Key Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting or a related discipline. CA or CFA qualification strongly preferred.
• 10-12+ years' credit underwriting experience within banking, including at least 7 years in the GCC or wider MENAT region.
• Strong consumer banking credit background, with a solid understanding of retail lending products and portfolio dynamics.
• Thorough knowledge of credit risk management frameworks, including IFRS 9 / ECL, risk appetite and portfolio monitoring practices.
• Strong financial analysis skills and a sound understanding of the UAE regulatory environment (CBUAE and DFSA).
• Experience in Board and regulatory reporting, policy development and risk governance.
• Strong organisational and stakeholder management skills, proficiency in MS Office and banking systems, and a collaborative, team-oriented approach.