Vice President-Model Validation

Role Purpose

Independent Model Validation

• Lead validation across risk, finance, business, and compliance models.
• Ensure risk-based validation coverage based on materiality and complexity.
• Assess methodology, data, assumptions, performance, implementation, and documentation.
• Oversee back-testing, benchmarking, and ongoing monitoring.

Enterprise Model Governance

• Own the end-to-end model governance framework and lifecycle.
• Maintain model inventory, tiering, and ownership structures.
• Define and maintain model management policies and standards across the model lifecycle.
• Oversee model changes, limitations, exceptions, and third-party models.

Model Risk Management

• Define and implement model risk appetite and thresholds.
• Monitor model risk exposures and ensure timely remediation.
• Track validation findings and escalate material issues.
• Embed model risk within enterprise risk management.

Committees and Regulation

• Lead engagement with model management and board model committees.
• Present validation outcomes, key risks, and approval recommendations.
• Ensure decisions are documented, justified, and tracked.
• Ensure compliance with CBUAE Model Management Standards and support audits and regulatory reviews.

AI/ML and Stakeholders

• Establish validation standards for AI/ML models, including explainability, bias, stability, and drift.
• Define monitoring and challenger model frameworks for complex models.
• Partner with Risk, Finance, Compliance, IT, and Business teams.
• Provide independent challenge and advisory on model design and usage.

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop a high-performing validation and governance team.
• Build capabilities across quantitative validation, governance, and AI/ML.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in a quantitative discipline such as economics, statistics, mathematics, data science, finance, or engineering.
• 12–15 years of experience in model validation or model risk management.
• Experience across risk, finance, and compliance models.
• Hands-on AI/ML model validation experience.
• Strong exposure to CBUAE regulations and model governance frameworks.

Technical and Leadership Skills

• Strong expertise in validation techniques, model performance testing, and monitoring.
• Coverage across credit risk, IFRS 9, stress testing, AML/fraud, and forecasting models.
• Deep knowledge of UAE banking regulations and global model risk frameworks.
• Strong executive presence, independent challenge, stakeholder management, and delivery focus.