Head of Home Finance Operations

Role overview

This senior leadership position is responsible for directing end-to-end Home Finance operations across two offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The role is designed to safeguard operational performance, regulatory adherence, and Shari’a compliance while managing a high-value business line with monthly volumes of about AED 1.5 billion. It also supports strong sales execution through disciplined risk control, scalable processes, and digital modernization. The position leads a team of 42 employees across multiple locations and works closely with Business, Risk, Shari’a, Compliance, and Technology teams to support growth within the bank’s approved risk boundaries.

Operations and governance

• Provide senior leadership for Home Finance Operations across both locations, ensuring consistent execution, strong controls, and alignment with risk requirements.
• Oversee the full operational journey, including booking, disbursement, post-disbursement servicing, collections support, and ongoing account maintenance.
• Maintain compliance with CBUAE rules, internal policies, and Shari’a Board guidance, while keeping the function fully audit-ready.
• Build and sustain standard operating procedures, control mechanisms, key risk indicators, and escalation routes that reduce losses, errors, and customer issues.
• Represent operations as the main owner during audits, regulatory inspections, and Shari’a reviews, and ensure observations are closed promptly.

Digital transformation and process improvement

• Drive automation and digital change initiatives across the Home Finance lifecycle in line with leading banking practices.
• Spot process gaps and control weaknesses, then implement solutions that are durable, scalable, and able to reduce turnaround time, manual work, and operational risk.
• Work with IT, Digital, and Data teams on enhancements, user acceptance testing, integrations, and workflow redesign.
• Advance straight-through processing, digital document handling, and data quality initiatives.

Customer experience and service quality

• Promote a customer-first operating model that delivers clear, timely, and compliant journeys.
• Cut friction and complaints by simplifying processes, communicating proactively, and monitoring service performance.
• Embed service-level expectations, quality assurance checks, and root-cause analysis practices.

Portfolio support and business enablement

• Support one of the UAE’s largest Home Finance portfolios by ensuring the operation can sustain high sales volumes.
• Prepare the function for new products, regulatory updates, and major business initiatives.
• Provide senior management with actionable operational insights, metrics, and recommendations.

Stakeholder management and governance

• Act as a key operational partner for Business, Credit, Risk, Compliance, Shari’a, Legal, IT, Finance, and external vendors.
• Run cross-functional forums that align business growth, operational capability, and risk appetite.
• Compile and present management information, risk dashboards, and performance reports.

People leadership and capability building

• Lead, coach, and motivate a high-performing team spread across multiple locations, with clear ownership and accountability.
• Support performance management, succession planning, and capability growth for future skills needs.
• Encourage a culture built on integrity, continuous improvement, compliance, and accountability.

Specialist knowledge and experience

The role requires executive-level leadership in multi-site operations, strong expertise in Islamic Home Finance and Shari’a-compliant processes, and deep experience in operational risk and governance. It also calls for a customer-focused mindset, strong senior stakeholder communication, and the ability to handle complex, high-volume, high-value portfolios.

Qualifications and experience

• 10–15+ years of progressive banking operations experience, with substantial exposure to Home Finance Operations.
• Strong background in Islamic Banking and Shari’a-compliant products and processes.
• Proven success managing large teams and complex portfolios in the UAE market.
• Demonstrated history of leading digital transformation and large-scale operational change programs.