Senior Risk & ERM Partner - Regulatory Oversight

Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA); Dubai; On-site; AED 320,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) is seeking an Associate Director in Risk to support embedding the Enterprise Risk Management framework and provide risk guidance to business units. You will own divisional risk oversight, ensure timely risk registers and KRIs, and escalate material risks through governance channels.

You will lead risk assurance activities, analyse risk data for trends, and collaborate with Heads of Division to drive risk ownership in a multicultural UAE context.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in risk management, law, accounting, business or related discipline.
• Relevant professional qualifications are preferred.
• 5 years’ risk management experience in a regulated financial services environment.
• Experience within a financial services regulator, or in a risk role within a relevant financial services organisation, with exposure to risk assurance, risk advisory, and/or enterprise risk management (ERM) implementation.
• Experience supporting or contributing to cross departmental initiatives.
• Good understanding of the role and functions of a financial services regulator within the UAE context.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English, including the ability to prepare clear and accurate internal documentation.
• Working knowledge of Arabic would be advantageous.
• Expert-level Excel capability (essential) – ability to build complex models, analyse large and complex datasets, and generate clear, decision-ready risk insights.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end risk oversight for assigned divisions, including risk identification, assessment, monitoring, and follow-through of mitigation actions.
• Accountable for the quality and timeliness of divisional risk registers, Key Risk Indicators, and remediation outcomes.
• Provide independent risk advice to business units on risk exposures, control effectiveness, and alignment with the Risk Tolerance Statement.
• Constructively challenge risk assessments, control design, and risk acceptance decisions to ensure robust risk management practices.
• Analyse and interpret risk data (risk registers, Key Risk Indicators, assurance outputs) to identify trends, root causes, and emerging risk themes.
• Deliver insight-led reporting to support informed management and committee decision-making.
• Identify and assess emerging and cross-cutting risks, including those without clear ownership, and ensure appropriate escalation.
• Lead risk assurance activities, including scoping, testing, and forming clear risk opinions and recommendations.
• Recommend enhancements to the Enterprise Risk Management framework, tools, and methodologies based on observed gaps.
• Act as a risk partner to assigned divisions, providing proactive engagement and ongoing oversight of risk profiles.
• Influence and engage senior stakeholders, including Heads of Division, to drive risk ownership and accountability.
• Accountable for escalating material risks, issues, and control weaknesses through appropriate governance channels (Risk Executive Committee, Board Risk Committee, Board reporting).
• Contribute to governance outputs, including risk reports, committee papers, and escalation briefings.

Skills

Risk management

Stakeholder communication

Data analytics

Excel expertise

English proficiency

Arabic language

Education

Bachelor’s degree in risk management, law, accounting, business or related discipline

Tools

Excel

Data analytics tools

Job description

Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) is seeking an Associate Director in Risk to support embedding the Enterprise Risk Management framework and provide risk guidance to business units. You will own divisional risk oversight, ensure timely risk registers and KRIs, and escalate material risks through governance channels.

You will lead risk assurance activities, analyse risk data for trends, and collaborate with Heads of Division to drive risk ownership in a multicultural UAE context.