Head of Credit and Analytics

Job description / Role

Company Overview

Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Structured into five operating divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail and healthcare; employing more than 35,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Al-Futtaim Group partners with over 200 of the world's most admired and innovative brands. Al-Futtaim Group’s entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enables the organisation to continue to grow and expand; responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate.

By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration and integrity; Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers each and every day.

Overview of the Role

The Head of Credit is responsible for leading the company's end-to-end credit risk management, underwriting, and portfolio monitoring functions. The role ensures that all credit activities are conducted within the approved risk appetite, aligned with CBUAE regulations, internal governance policies, and the Group's risk management standards. The Head of Credit will oversee credit strategy and execution across various lending products while supporting the Hertz operating lease business through tailored credit structures and asset-risk assessment. Critical to this role is balancing risk and growth objectives, ensuring high-quality portfolio performance, regulatory compliance, and prudent decision-making that enables sustainable business expansion.

What You Will Do

• Develop and maintain the company’s Credit Risk Management Framework and Credit Policy in line with CBUAE Finance Companies Regulations, Corporate Governance Standards, and IFRS 9/ECL requirements.
• Define risk appetite, product-specific credit criteria, and approval authority limits; obtain Board and CBUAE approvals as required.
• Chair or participate in Credit Committee meetings and ensure sound underwriting decisions.
• Oversee consumer and corporate credit underwriting to ensure consistent application of risk standards across all products including personal loans, credit cards, auto finance, and SME lending.
• Monitor portfolio performance, delinquency trends, and concentration risks; recommend proactive risk mitigation actions.
• Ensure full compliance with CBUAE Finance Companies Regulations, Consumer Protection Standards, AML/CFT requirements, and related circulars or notices.
• Prepare and present periodic credit risk reports to the CEO, Board Risk Committee, and regulators.
• Liaise with CBUAE examiners during inspections and respond to regulatory queries.
• Establish end-to-end credit approval processes, including KYC/AML checks, documentation standards, and limit management.
• Ensure adequate segregation of duties between credit origination, underwriting, and collections/recovery.
• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing Credit Department covering underwriting, credit risk analytics, and portfolio management.
• Drive continuous training on CBUAE regulations, risk assessment, and market best practices.

Required Skills to Be Successful

• Candidates must come from the banking or financial services sector within the UAE market, with a strong understanding of local regulations and practices.
• Proven experience engaging directly with the UAE Central Bank and developing compliant credit policies aligned with regulatory standards.
• Demonstrated ability to design, implement, and scale credit systems across multiple lending and leasing products.
• Hands-on expertise in credit initiation and underwriting, ensuring sound credit assessment and portfolio quality.
• Track record of building and leading credit teams in a high-growth or transformation environment.
• Strong integrity, independence, and objectivity in decision-making, particularly under commercial or business pressure.
• Experience driving credit digitalization and automation initiatives within a regulated financial institution.

What Qualifies You for the Role

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Banking, Economics, or a related field required; Master’s preferred.
• Minimum 10-15 years of progressive credit risk/underwriting experience in the UAE banking or finance sector, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Proven track record in consumer and corporate credit risk management, portfolio analytics, and collections strategy.
• Strong knowledge of CBUAE regulations, Basel/Risk Management standards, IFRS 9, and UAE market practices.
• Experience in digital lending, credit scoring models, and automated decision systems is desirable.

Additional Information

We’re here to provide excellent service but a little help from you can ensure a five-star candidate experience from start to finish.

Before you click “apply”: Please read the job description carefully to ensure you can confidently demonstrate why this opportunity is right for you and take the time to put together a well-crafted and personalised CV to further boost your visibility. Our global Talent Acquisition team members are all assigned to specific businesses to ensure that we make the best matches between talent and opportunities. We not only consider the requisite compatibility of skills and behaviours, but also how candidates align with our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, and excellence.

As part of our candidate experience promise, we also want to make ourselves available to you throughout the application process. We make every effort to review and respond to every application.

About the Company

Established in the 1930's, the Al-Futtaim Group initially operated as a trading enterprise. Rapid development throughout the 1940's and 50's saw it establish itself regionally as an integrated commercial, industrial and services organisation, positioning itself one of the leading business houses in the lower Gulf region. Today, it operates collectively over 40 companies bearing the Al-Futtaim name, dominates many market segments in the UAE, and has expanded its sphere of operation to include Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Egypt.

The Group comprises a diverse range of strategically positioned operating subsidiaries and associate companies, structured to give the Al-Futtaim Group the flexibility and versatility to keep ahead of local competition while keeping pace with the ever-evolving global business scenario. The Groups continued investment in world-class systems technology is clear evidence of its commitment to maintain leading edge performance and service delivery.

The success of the Al-Futtaim Group can be attributed to a business approach that combines the ability to change with the traditional values of integrity, service and social responsibility that define its core business philosophy. This, linked with the Groups belief in decentralisation, gives the heads of the operating companies a high degree of functional autonomy and authority, providing the Group with essential flexibility, and individual employees a clearly defined work culture and sense of responsibility.