KYC & AML Analyst

About the Role
The company is seeking an AML/KYC Associate to join its Compliance – Financial Crime team in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
Reporting to the Compliance Officer and MLRO, you will play an important role in implementing and maintaining the firm's anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorist financing (CFT), counter-proliferation financing (CPF) and sanctions framework. You will support compliance with the DFSA's AML requirements, applicable UAE federal legislation and Group policies.
This is a hands-on operational role suited to someone with practical experience in KYC, client onboarding or financial crime compliance who can manage a caseload independently and contribute from day one.
The company serves Professional Clients, including corporate entities with complex ownership structures. You will therefore work across a range of due diligence requirements, from individual client verification to beneficial ownership analysis and source of wealth assessments.
Working closely with the Senior Compliance Analyst and the CO/MLRO, you will help ensure that client onboarding, ongoing monitoring and financial crime controls are completed accurately, efficiently and in line with regulatory expectations.
As you develop your expertise and demonstrate the required competence, you will have the opportunity to take on delegated authority for approving lower-risk client accounts.

Key Responsibilities
Client Onboarding and Customer Due Diligence

• Carry out the customer risk assessment at onboarding and assign a risk rating in line with the company's methodology, using it to determine the level of due diligence required.
• Carry out due diligence on corporate and other legal structures, including holding companies, SPVs, trusts, foundations and family offices, identifying and verifying beneficial owners, controllers and authorised signatories.
• Verify the identity of individual clients and connected persons in line with the company's CDD procedures.
• Assess source of funds and source of wealth, and check that information obtained is consistent with the client’s profile, business and expected activity.
• Prepare enhanced due diligence files for higher-risk clients, including politically exposed persons and clients connected to higher-risk jurisdictions, for approval by the CO/MLRO and senior management.
• Work with the Senior Compliance Analyst on Professional Client classification evidence gathered during onboarding.
• Over time, and once competence has been demonstrated, approve lower-risk client accounts within delegated authority.
• Liaise with clients, sales and operations teams to obtain outstanding information and documents.

Screening

• Screen clients, beneficial owners and connected parties against sanctions lists (including the UAE Local Terrorist List, the UN Consolidated List and other lists applied by the company), PEP databases and adverse media.
• Review and discount or escalate potential screening matches, documenting the rationale clearly.
• Support the company's procedures for implementing targeted financial sanctions without delay, including freezing measures and required notifications, under the direction of the CO/MLRO.

Ongoing Monitoring and Periodic Reviews

• Carry out periodic KYC reviews in line with each client’s risk rating, and event-driven reviews where a client’s ownership, control or circumstances change.
• Review transaction monitoring alerts and unusual activity, gathering information and documenting the outcome.
• Check client deposits and withdrawals for third-party payments, name mismatches and funding patterns inconsistent with the client’s profile, working with the payments and operations teams.
• Track expired documents and outstanding KYC items, and follow up to resolution.

Suspicious Activity and Escalation

• Identify and promptly escalate potential suspicious activity to the CO/MLRO through internal reporting procedures.
• Assist the CO/MLRO in gathering information and preparing reports submitted to the UAE Financial Intelligence Unit via goAML.
• Maintain confidentiality and follow tipping-off requirements at all times.
• Maintain the internal suspicious activity and FIU reporting registers.

Records, Reporting and Governance

• Maintain complete, accurate and auditable CDD files and records in line with record-keeping requirements.
• Prepare AML management information, including onboarding volumes, client risk profile, screening and alert statistics, and overdue reviews.
• Assist the CO/MLRO in preparing the annual MLRO report and the annual DFSA AML Return.
• Support the periodic update of the company's business risk assessment for money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing.
• Assist with DFSA supervisory requests, internal audits and external AML reviews.
• Liaise with the Group MLRO and global Financial Crime teams, applying Group policies alongside local requirements.

Policies, Training and Awareness

• Help keep AML/KYC procedures, checklists and templates up to date with regulatory and business change.
• Monitor updates from the DFSA, the UAE FIU, the Executive Office for Control and Non-Proliferation, the National Anti-Money Laundering Committee and FATF, and flag relevant developments.
• Support the delivery of AML/CFT and sanctions training to staff.

Professional Development

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the DFSA AML Module, UAE AML/CFT and sanctions requirements, and financial crime typologies relevant to the company's business.
• Complete required training and continuing professional development.
• Undertake other duties reasonably required for the role and consistent with its level of responsibility.

Experience

• Approximately 1–3 years’ KYC, onboarding or AML experience within a firm regulated by the DFSA, FSRA, SCA or FCA.
• Working knowledge of the relevant AML/CFT and sanctions requirements (DFSA AML Module, FSRA AML Rulebook, SCA requirements or the UK Money Laundering Regulations and FCA rules).
• Practical experience of corporate due diligence, including beneficial ownership analysis.
• Experience assessing source of funds and source of wealth.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to spot inconsistencies in documents and information.
• Clear written communication, including the ability to document decisions and rationale concisely.
• Well organised, with the ability to manage a caseload and meet service levels.
• Professional integrity and discretion in handling confidential information.

Desirable

• Direct experience of the DFSA AML Module.
• Experience with trusts, foundations, family offices or other complex structures.
• Familiarity with screening and verification tools, such as World-Check, Dow Jones, ComplyAdvantage or LexisNexis.
• Experience in online trading, CFDs, brokerage, investment services, private banking or wealth management.
• An AML qualification, such as the ICA Certificate in AML or CAMS, or progress towards one.
• Degree in law, finance, business, economics, criminology or a related subject.
• Arabic language skills, experience working in the DIFC and existing UAE residency.

The company is powered by our people. We are an equal opportunities employer and are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, where people feel confident to be themselves, feel valued and are able to do their best work.
The company reserves the right to review, alter and amend this job description from time to time in line with business requirements.