AML / KYC Associate

About the Role

A respected and regulated financial institution based in Dubai is seeking an AML / KYC Associate to join their team. The successful candidate will undertake essential duties supporting financial crime and compliance operations, including customer onboarding, KYC/CDD processes, screening procedures, transaction monitoring support, and the management of documentation and escalations.

Responsibilities

• Conduct AML and KYC/CDD-related tasks for both new and existing clients.
• Examine customer documentation, profile details, risk categorization, ownership frameworks, and related information.
• Perform or assist with sanctions, PEP, and adverse media screening, ensuring findings are clearly recorded.
• Review transaction monitoring alerts by analyzing anomalous customer activities, preparing detailed case notes.
• Detect documentation discrepancies, suspicious behaviors, and situations warranting escalation.
• Assist with periodic customer reviews, file updates, remediation actions, and quality assurance control as needed.
• Keep precise trackers, case notes, evidence files, and documentation prepared for audit.
• Collaborate with Compliance, Operations, Risk, Onboarding, and Business units to resolve outstanding tasks within agreed timelines.
• Support reporting and management information related to case volumes, pending tasks, escalations, documentation gaps, and recurrent issues.
• Help enhance standard operating procedures, checklists, templates, and AML/KYC processes.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in fields such as Business, Finance, Accounting, Law, Risk, Economics, or a relevant area.
• Experience ranging from none up to 4 years in areas including AML, KYC/CDD, onboarding, screening, transaction monitoring, compliance operations, banking, fintech operations, or financial crime prevention.
• Fundamental knowledge of AML/KYC principles, customer due diligence methodologies, sanctions screening, identification of red flags, and application of a risk-based approach.
• Strong meticulousness and accuracy when handling customer documentation, case notes, and operational trackers.
• Proficient in Excel and comfortable working with operational data sets and reports.
• Effective communication skills in written and spoken English; proficiency in Arabic is advantageous.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in regulated sectors such as banking, fintech, payments, insurance, wealth management, or cryptocurrency.
• Familiarity with CDD/EDD processes, sanctions checks, transaction monitoring, periodic reviews, remediation activities, or quality control audits.
• Hands-on experience with compliance tools like World-Check/Refinitiv, Dow Jones, ComplyAdvantage, LexisNexis, Actimize, Oracle FCCM, SAS AML, or related platforms.
• Relevant certifications or progress towards CAMS, ICA, CFE, or comparable qualifications.

Additional Information

Applicants should provide their notice period, current location, and UAE work authorization or visa status. The employer encourages applications from candidates across diverse backgrounds and bases hiring decisions on qualifications, experience, and potential. They emphasize excluding unnecessary sensitive personal data from resumes.