Internal Auditor – Risk & Regulatory Assurance

ABOUT THE JOB Lean Technologies is a fast-growing fintech company building the financial data infrastructure for the MENA region. Operating in a highly regulated, security-sensitive environment, we serve mission-critical financial services that demand robust SLAs, strict security controls, and highly scalable systems. As an Internal Auditor you're responsible for independently assessing the adequacy and effectiveness of Lean's governance, risk management, and internal control frameworks across all group entities. The role executes the annual audit plan, evaluates compliance with applicable regulatory frameworks (including CBUAE, SAMA, ADGM FSRA, and VARA where relevant), and provides assurance to management and the Board/Audit Committee on the organization's control environment. The Moment: Lean has tripled in size over the past twelve months and is entering its next stage of growth. What began as the region’s pioneering Open Finance platform is evolving into a multi-product financial infrastructure company powering payments, data, and lending across MENA. We are expanding into new markets, launching new products, and operating at increasing scale and complexity. Lean has processed billions in transactions and serves more than 350 financial institutions and fintech clients, including Tabby, Careem, and DAMAC. and are backed by investors including General Catalyst, Sequoia Capital, and Bain Capital Ventures. This role is critical to ensuring that Lean’s governance, risk management, and control environment scales securely, reliably, and efficiently with the business. What You’ll Do: - Plan and execute risk-based internal audits across group entities, covering regulatory compliance, AML/CFT, technology and operations, governance, and financial controls. - Develop and maintain the annual group audit plan and universe, ensuring appropriate coverage of high-risk areas across all licensed entities. - Assess design and operating effectiveness of controls; identify control gaps, root causes, and process weaknesses. - Draft clear, actionable audit findings and reports for management and relevant committees (GLRCC, Audit Committee). - Track and follow up on remediation of audit findings and management action plans. - Liaise with external auditors, regulators, and second-line functions (Compliance, Risk) to ensure coordinated assurance coverage and avoid duplication. - Support internal audit outsourcing/co-sourcing arrangements where applicable, ensuring compliance with relevant regulatory restrictions on intra-group or outsourced audit work. - Stay current on regulatory developments across CBUAE, SAMA, ADGM FSRA, and VARA frameworks affecting audit scope and methodology. - Lead adhoc assessments as required by regulators and/or internal policies. - Contribute and support investigations as needed. - Maintain audit working papers and documentation to a standard suitable for regulatory inspection. Qualifications: - Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field. - 4–7 years of internal audit experience, ideally within fintech, payments, or financial services. - Professional certification (CIA, CISA, ACCA, or equivalent) preferred. - Experience auditing across multiple regulatory jurisdictions (GCC experience strongly preferred). - Familiarity with Open Finance, Open Banking, Retail Payment Systems regulation, AML/CFT requirements, and virtual asset regulatory frameworks is a plus. Skills & Competencies: - Strong analytical and risk assessment skills. - Excellent written communication for audit reporting to senior stakeholders and committees. - Ability to work independently across multiple entities and manage competing priorities. - Sound understanding of internal control frameworks and audit methodologies. - High degree of professional skepticism, integrity, and discretion. NB. While we think the above experience could be important, we’re keen to hear from people that believe they have valuable experience to bring to the role. If you identify with the team and mission, but not all of our requirements, then please still apply!! WHY JOIN US? We’re building the financial infrastructure for MENA. Not as a slogan, as a fact. Since 2019, we’ve become the first regulated Open Banking and Open Finance company operating across the UAE and Saudi Arabia. We’ve processed billions of dollars. We connect millions of accounts. We enable companies like Binance, Careem, and Etisalat to build products that were previously impossible in this region. Our recent $67.5M Series B from General Catalyst and Sequoia isn’t just validation: it’s fuel. We’re expanding into new markets, launching new products, and setting the pace for what financial innovation looks like in MENA. We solve hard problems. We move fast. We hold ourselves to a high standard. And we’re looking for people who’ve done this before to help us do it right. If you’re motivated by building something that lasts, not just something that scales, Lean is where you need to be. Not only do we offer competitive salaries, private healthcare, and flexible office hours, but we also insist that every member of the team hold a meaningful equity stake in the business to ensure long-term alignment. We'd love you to join us for this journey! Lean is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. When applying for a job at Lean Technologies, we will need to collect, use and share Personal Data about you with different members of our team during the application process. This may mean transferring your data to members of the team in one of our office locations worldwide outside of the country you are in. Please refer to our Privacy Notice on our website for more information about how we may use and store your Personal Data