Role Purpose:
The SAR Filing & Reporting Lead investigates escalated alerts and prepares suspicious activity reports for filing with the UAE FIU. The role runs the bank's SAR/STR process and AML regulatory reporting from inception. It reports directly to the MLRO, who retains sole authority for STR filing decisions.
Key responsibilities:
- Investigate escalated transaction-monitoring, sanctions, and fraud alerts and prepare recommended reporting decisions for the MLRO.
- Prepare and file suspicious-activity/transaction reports with the UAE FIU (goAML) within required timeframes, on the MLRO's approval.
- Manage the bank's response to FIU requests, production orders, and information requests.
- Maintain the SAR/STR case-management process and quality-assurance standards.
- Produce AML regulatory reports and management information on reporting volumes and outcomes.
- Maintain reporting records and audit trails to meet CBUAE and FIU requirements.
- Support the MLRO with typology analysis, thematic reviews, and Article 15 client fact-finding.
- Deploy AI-enabled case analytics and machine-learning models to triage escalated alerts, surface networks and typologies, and draft higher-quality, evidence-rich SAR/STR narratives faster.
- Leverage AI and automation to streamline goAML filing, FIU-response preparation, and quality assurance — reducing manual effort while strengthening consistency and audit trails.
Required Skills & Experience:
- 8+ years in AML or financial-crime investigations and reporting within banking or financial services, including team leadership.
- Deep expertise across SAR/STR investigation and filing, FIU reporting, and financial-crime typologies.
- Track record building or running AML reporting and case-management processes in a regulated environment.
- Knowledge of CBUAE AML/CFT reporting expectations, Federal Decree-Law 20/2018, UAE AML law, and FIU (goAML) requirements.
- Exposure to AI-enabled alert triage, case analytics, and advanced tooling.
- Able to think beyond traditional, manual reporting processes; brings experience of automated or AI-enabled financial-crime services, and advanced case analytics and typology detection.
- UAE-based candidates preferred.
Qualifications & Certifications (Preferred)
- Bachelor's degree in law, finance, or a related discipline preferred.
- A professional AML certification (e.g. CAMS or ICA) 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.
