Head of Transaction Monitoring (DMLRO)

Head of Transaction Monitoring | Banking | Dubai, UAE

Location: Dubai, UAE

Additional responsibilities: Deputy MLRO duties

The opportunity

A CBUAE regulated bank is seeking an experienced Head of Transaction Monitoring to lead its transaction monitoring function and strengthen the detection, investigation and escalation of potentially suspicious activity.

The role will predominantly focus on transaction monitoring, covering operational leadership, investigation quality, systems effectiveness and governance. Alongside this core remit, the successful candidate will undertake additional Deputy MLRO responsibilities, supporting the MLRO with suspicious activity reporting, regulatory engagement and wider financial crime oversight.

Key responsibilities

Transaction monitoring leadership

• Lead the bank's transaction monitoring function, ensuring effective coverage of relevant customers, products, channels and transaction activity.
• Manage alert review and investigation teams, setting clear expectations for quality, productivity, escalation and timely case resolution.
• Oversee alert volumes, ageing and backlogs, ensuring adequate resources and appropriate prioritisation of higher-risk activity.
• Maintain clear investigation procedures, escalation criteria and documentation standards.
• Ensure monitoring reflects the bank's financial crime risk assessment, customer profiles and emerging risks.

Systems effectiveness and optimisation

• Oversee transaction monitoring scenarios, customer segmentation, thresholds and detection coverage.
• Work with Financial Crime Compliance, Technology and Data teams to identify data gaps and improve completeness, accuracy and system performance.
• Lead scenario reviews, tuning and testing to improve detection quality and manage unnecessary alerts.
• Translate emerging money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing typologies into practical monitoring requirements.
• Oversee user acceptance testing and controlled implementation of system and scenario changes.
• Use investigation outcomes, quality assurance findings and suspicious activity reporting trends to assess effectiveness and identify improvements.
• Support independent validation and ensure identified weaknesses are addressed.

Investigations and escalation

• Oversee investigations into unusual activity, ensuring decisions are supported by transaction analysis, customer information and relevant evidence.
• Ensure investigators consider expected account activity, source of funds, beneficial ownership, linked parties and customer risk.
• Provide guidance on complex cases involving cross-border payments, corporate structures and higher-risk customers or jurisdictions.
• Ensure potentially suspicious activity is escalated promptly to the MLRO or authorised reporting officer.
• Coordinate with customer due diligence, sanctions, fraud and business teams to obtain information and address connected risks.

Additional Deputy MLRO responsibilities

• Support the MLRO in assessing escalated cases and preparing suspicious transaction and suspicious activity reports.
• Support submissions to the UAE Financial Intelligence Unit through goAML, in accordance with applicable requirements and delegated authority.
• Deputise for the MLRO when formally authorised, subject to applicable regulatory and internal requirements.
• Assist with responses to regulatory, financial intelligence unit and law enforcement enquiries.
• Support decisions on higher-risk relationships, account restrictions and customer exits.
• Maintain confidentiality and effective controls against tipping off.
• Contribute to wider AML/CFT governance, policy reviews, risk assessments and staff training.

Governance and regulatory oversight

• Maintain transaction monitoring policies, procedures and controls aligned with applicable CBUAE requirements and UAE AML/CFT legislation.
• Produce management information covering alert trends, investigation quality, backlogs, escalations, reporting and system effectiveness.
• Report material weaknesses and emerging risks to the MLRO and relevant governance committees.
• Lead transaction monitoring responses to regulatory inspections, internal audits and compliance reviews.
• Own remediation within the function, ensuring actions resolve underlying issues and demonstrate sustained improvement.
• Develop team capability through coaching, technical training and robust quality assurance.

Candidate requirements

• Significant financial crime compliance experience within banking, with substantial experience leading transaction monitoring operations.
• Strong practical knowledge of transaction monitoring systems, alert investigations, scenario optimisation and suspicious activity escalation.
• Experience within a CBUAE regulated bank is strongly preferred, alongside a sound understanding of UAE AML/CFT requirements.
• Demonstrable experience managing teams, investigation quality, operational capacity and remediation programmes.
• Ability to assess complex transaction patterns and explain the rationale for escalation or case closure.
• Experience working with Technology and Data teams on monitoring improvements, testing and data quality.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to use management information to challenge control effectiveness.
• Sound judgement, clear communication and confidence engaging with senior stakeholders.
• Relevant professional qualifications, such as CAMS or an ICA qualification, would be advantageous.

Preferred experience

• Previous Deputy MLRO responsibilities or direct support to an MLRO.
• Experience preparing or reviewing suspicious transaction and suspicious activity reports, including familiarity with goAML.
• Exposure to retail and corporate banking, cross-border payments, correspondent banking or trade finance.
• Experience delivering transaction monitoring system implementations, upgrades or substantial optimisation programmes.
• Familiarity with UAE and GCC financial crime typologies.
• Arabic language skills would be advantageous.

Ideal profile

An established Head of Transaction Monitoring or senior transaction monitoring leader who combines strong operational management with technical systems knowledge and sound investigative judgement.

The successful candidate will be comfortable owning the bank's transaction monitoring capability while providing credible support to the MLRO on reporting, escalation and broader financial crime matters.

For a confidential discussion, contact Sultan Afzal at [Confidential Information].