Director of Financial Audit

About the role

The Director of Financial Audit leads independent, risk‑based internal audit assurance for the bank’s financial and prudential reporting, working alongside the Head of Internal Audit in a hybrid model.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and deliver a risk‑based financial audit portfolio within the annual internal audit plan, adapting coverage as the bank evolves.
• Lead end‑to‑end audits of finance governance and key processes such as general ledger, reconciliations, consolidation, period close and management reporting.
• Assess governance, data lineage, system interfaces and controls supporting financial statement preparation and regulatory reporting to the CBUAE.
• Evaluate IFRS 9 expected credit loss models, valuation, fair‑value and other significant accounting estimates.
• Plan and deliver pre‑launch (Day‑1) assurance engagements while preserving audit independence.
• Coordinate with Finance, Risk, Compliance and external audit to avoid duplication and maintain independent scope.
• Own scoping, supervision and quality review of co‑sourced specialist engagements.
• Communicate significant issues and risk implications to senior audit leadership and the Board Audit Committee.
• Use data analytics, continuous monitoring and full‑population testing to sharpen risk assessment and generate forward‑looking insight.
• Contribute to audit methodology, tooling and capability development as co‑sourcing reduces.
• Assess financial and reporting implications of new products, system implementations and finance transformation.
• Champion responsible use of AI, automation and continuous‑auditing tools across the audit lifecycle.

Required profile

• 12+ years in internal audit, risk assurance or related financial‑controls assurance within banking or financial services.
• Deep expertise in finance and reporting risks, ICFR, IFRS and related governance, systems and data controls.
• Qualified accountant or auditor with banking experience; professional certification such as CIA, ACA, ACCA or CPA preferred.
• Knowledge of CBUAE internal audit and financial reporting requirements and IIA Global Internal Audit Standards.
• Experience designing risk‑based audit portfolios and communicating insights to senior management and board committees.

Required skills

• AI‑enabled data analytics
• Continuous auditing tools
• Financial data analytics