Director of Financial Audit

About this opportunity

A leading institution in the UAE is building and scaling a digital-first financial services organisation. The organisation will initially focus on client segments in the UAE, including mid to large corporates and institutional clients, with plans to expand into additional segments over time. Backed by a strong balance sheet and significant business pipeline, it aims to become a modern, AI-enabled full-service organisation in the UAE. About Role: The Director of Financial Audit leads independent, risk-based internal audit assurance and advice over the governance, risk management, systems, data, and controls supporting the bank's financial and prudential reporting and finance operations. As the permanent in-house auditor alongside the Head of Internal Audit in the bank's hybrid model, the role owns delivery of the financial audit programme and coordinates with the co-source partner across the wider audit plan. It provides the Head of Internal Audit and the Board Audit Committee with objective insight on the reliability and integrity of financial reporting and the effectiveness of related controls from inception, including pre-launch readiness engagements. Key Responsibilities: Develop and deliver a risk-based financial audit portfolio within the annual internal audit plan, maintaining a dynamic view of finance and reporting risks and recommending changes to coverage as the bank, its products, systems, and regulatory requirements evolve. Lead end-to-end audits of finance governance and key processes, including the general ledger, reconciliations, consolidation, period close, management reporting, and financial data flows, assessing whether risks are identified and controls are appropriately designed and operating effectively. Assess governance, accountability, data lineage, systems interfaces, and controls supporting financial statement preparation, disclosures, and prudential and regulatory reporting to the CBUAE. Evaluate the governance and control environment for IFRS 9 expected credit losses, valuation, fair value, impairments, and other significant accounting estimates and judgements, including model governance, data quality, assumptions, overlays, and independent review. Plan and deliver pre-launch (Day-1) assurance or advisory engagements over finance and reporting readiness, while preserving internal audit independence and avoiding responsibility for control design, implementation, or management sign-off. Coordinate with Finance, Risk, Compliance, and external audit to understand other assurance activity, identify gaps or duplication, and retain internal audit's independent scope, judgement, and conclusions. Own the scoping, supervision, quality review, and reporting of co-sourced specialist engagements under the Head of Internal Audit's direction, ensuring work follows the bank's methodology, is documented in the audit platform, and complies with independence, conflict-of-interest, and cooling-off requirements. Communicate significant issues, root causes, thematic insights, and risk implications to the Head of Internal Audit and, as directed, the Board Audit Committee; agree clear management actions, validate remediation effectiveness, and escalate overdue or inadequately addressed issues. Use data analytics, continuous monitoring, and full-population testing where appropriate to sharpen risk assessment, target audit procedures, identify control breakdowns or unusual patterns, and generate forward-looking insight. Contribute to the internal audit methodology, quality assurance and improvement programme, audit tooling, and capability development of the growing in-house team as reliance on co-sourcing reduces over Years 2-3. Assess the financial and reporting implications of new products, strategic initiatives, system implementations, and finance transformation, providing timely assurance and advice at key decision points without assuming management responsibility. Champion the responsible use of approved AI, automation, and continuous-auditing tools across the financial audit lifecycle, with appropriate data security, model validation, explainability, human oversight, and documentation. Required Experience & Skills: 12+ years in internal audit, risk assurance, or related financial-controls assurance within banking or financial services, including significant leadership of risk-based internal audit engagements; external audit experience is valuable where complemented by demonstrated internal audit experience. Deep expertise in finance and reporting risks, ICFR, IFRS, and the governance, systems, data, and controls supporting general-ledger, reconciliation, close, consolidation, and prudential reporting; a qualified accountant or auditor with banking experience. Track record designing and delivering risk-based financial internal audit portfolios, evaluating control frameworks, and communicating insights to senior management and Board committees in a regulated, greenfield, or transformation environment. Knowledge of CBUAE internal audit and financial reporting requirements (including Circulars 161/2018 and 162/2018), IFRS, and the IIA Global Internal Audit Standards within the 2024 International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF). Exposure to AI-enabled data analytics and continuous auditing of financial data. Able to think beyond traditional, manual audit procedures; brings experience of automated or AI-enabled assurance and continuous auditing, and advanced financial data analytics. Qualifications & Certifications: (Preferred) Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance preferred; a relevant postgraduate qualification is an advantage. A professional internal audit or accounting certification (e.g. CIA, ACA, ACCA, or CPA) is preferred. Candidates must meet CBUAE Fit & Proper requirements, and any applicable controlled-function eligibility criteria where required. Ready to join us Apply today and take the next step in your career.