Senior Executive, Retail Risk

Confidential; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 700,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential is seeking a high-impact retail risk leader to establish the risk appetite and governance framework across credit underwriting, portfolio management, collections, and fraud risk in the UAE.

The role partners with executive leadership to enable sustainable, risk-adjusted growth while maintaining disciplined portfolio oversight, regulatory compliance, and strong risk governance across multi-location teams.

Qualifications

• Senior retail risk leadership experience (Director level or above).
• 15+ years in retail risk within banking or financial services.
• Deep expertise across credit risk, portfolio management, collections, and fraud risk.
• Proven track record of managing large-scale retail portfolios and defining risk strategy.
• In-depth knowledge of Basel, IFRS 9, regulatory compliance, and risk governance.
• Experience leading large, geographically dispersed teams.
• Ability to influence executive stakeholders and regulators.
• Strategic mindset with strong execution and delivery.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead the organization-wide retail risk strategy, aligned with business objectives and the approved risk appetite.
• Provide executive oversight across retail credit underwriting, portfolio management, collections, and fraud risk.
• Partner with senior business leaders to support responsible portfolio growth while maintaining strong risk governance.
• Monitor asset quality, delinquencies, loss performance, and emerging portfolio risks, ensuring timely mitigating actions.
• Lead retail risk governance and ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, Basel standards, IFRS 9, and internal policies.
• Advance the use of analytics, scorecards, automated decisioning, and digital risk capabilities.
• Oversee stress testing, provisioning, and the capital impact of retail portfolios.
• Provide clear portfolio and risk insights to executive leadership and relevant governance forums.
• Engage with regulators and senior stakeholders on material retail risk matters.
• Build and lead a high-performing, multi-location retail risk leadership team.
• Drive continuous improvement by incorporating evolving risk methodologies and relevant market practices.

Skills

Retail risk leadership

Executive stakeholder engagement

Regulatory compliance

Strategic execution

Job description

This is a high-impact leadership mandate with responsibility for establishing the retail risk appetite and governance framework across credit underwriting, portfolio management, collections, and fraud risk. The successful candidate will partner closely with executive leadership to enable sustainable, risk-adjusted growth while maintaining disciplined portfolio oversight and regulatory compliance

Key Responsibilities

• Define and lead the organization-wide retail risk strategy, aligned with business objectives and the approved risk appetite.
• Provide executive oversight across retail credit underwriting, portfolio management, collections, and fraud risk.
• Partner with senior business leaders to support responsible portfolio growth while maintaining strong risk governance.
• Monitor asset quality, delinquencies, loss performance, and emerging portfolio risks, ensuring timely mitigating actions.
• Lead retail risk governance and ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, Basel standards, IFRS 9, and internal policies.
• Advance the use of analytics, scorecards, automated decisioning, and digital risk capabilities.
• Oversee stress testing, provisioning, and the capital impact of retail portfolios.
• Provide clear portfolio and risk insights to executive leadership and relevant governance forums.
• Engage with regulators and senior stakeholders on material retail risk matters.
• Build and lead a high-performing, multi-location retail risk leadership team.
• Drive continuous improvement by incorporating evolving risk methodologies and relevant market practices.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will bring:

• Experience operating in a senior retail risk leadership position, ideally at Director level or above.
• At least 15+ years of retail risk experience within banking or financial services, including substantial leadership responsibility.
• Deep expertise across credit risk, portfolio management, collections, and fraud risk.
• A strong record of managing large-scale retail portfolios and defining risk strategy.
• In-depth knowledge of Basel, IFRS 9, regulatory compliance, and risk governance.
• Experience leading large, geographically dispersed teams.
• The credibility to influence executive stakeholders and engage effectively with regulators.
• A strategic mindset supported by strong execution and delivery capability.