Credit Risk Manager (Private Banking)

About the role

A well-established regional bank with a growing presence in Dubai is looking for a Credit Risk Manager to provide independent credit oversight across its high-net-worth, retail and SME lending portfolios. The role suits a credit professional from a private banking or wealth management background who combines rigorous risk judgement with a practical, business-focused approach.

Key responsibilities

• Deliver independent credit risk assessments for new and existing HNWI, consumer and SME clients, covering new facilities, renewals, increases and amendments, and recommend actions to approvers and committees.
• Evaluate repayment capacity, facility structure and collateral strength so lending stays within the bank's risk appetite, credit policies and CBUAE requirements, including market conduct standards.
• Assess a wide product range, including securities-backed and Lombard lending, real estate-backed lending, mortgages, credit cards, personal loans and SME finance, and assign internal risk ratings.
• Support the Credit Committee by preparing credit packs, recording minutes and communicating decisions to the business.
• Monitor portfolio health through excesses, past dues, collateral shortfalls and covenant breaches, and manage the watchlist and stressed accounts using early warning signals.
• Oversee IFRS 9 staging and ECL provisioning, and grade shares, bonds, sukuk and issuers held as collateral.
• Review credit policies, procedures and lending authority frameworks, and produce portfolio MIS for senior management, Board committees, regulators and auditors.
• Contribute to credit automation, system enhancements and process improvements across the Risk function.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting or a related discipline; CA or CFA is advantageous.
• 5-7+ years of credit underwriting experience in UAE banking, ideally in a private bank or the private/wealth division of a larger institution.
• Strong hands-on experience in securities-backed lending, including equity and fixed-income collateral; exposure to mortgages, credit cards and SME cash-flow lending is highly desirable.
• Solid understanding of Private Banking, Wealth Management, Consumer Banking and SME products.

Required skills

• Advanced financial statement and cash flow analysis.
• Sound working knowledge of CBUAE regulations, including credit risk management standards, consumer protection, mortgage lending rules and IFRS 9.
• Advanced Excel skills, strong organisation and the confidence to challenge the business independently.