Financial Crime Compliance Specialist

The Financial Crime function is responsible for the ongoing management of the company’s Financial Crime policies, procedures and controls. This includes risk assessment and ongoing assurance of AML compliance, business advisory and management of high risk customer and suspicious activity escalations. You'll sit in the 2nd line Financial Crime Compliance team, operating independently from 1st line FinCrime Operations, reporting to the Deputy MLRO. You'll investigate escalations end to end, decide the right outcome for each customer relationship, and where suspicions are established, submit the disclosure to the NCA yourself.

Responsibilities

Investigate 1LOD escalations - transaction monitoring alerts, fraud referrals, adverse media, complex ownership, PEP reviews; Build a defensible evidence picture: transaction analysis, KYC/CDD review, open-source research, and engagement with the escalating team; Decide the outcome - maintain, offboard, and/or report to the NCA - and document the rationale; Draft and submit SARs and DAML requests via the SAR Portal, managing consent-regime timelines; Sequence offboarding around pending DAML requests, with no tipping off under s.333A POCA; Handle sensitive escalations, including HR referrals, with discretion; Keep audit-ready case records that stand up to regulatory and law enforcement scrutiny; Feed outcomes and typology trends back to 1LOD.

Requirements

Hands-on financial crime investigations experience in a regulated UK financial services firm, ideally 2nd line or escalations; First-hand experience drafting and submitting SARs and DAML requests to the NCA, including consent-regime timelines - not just internal referrals; Strong knowledge of POCA 2002 (ss.330-333A, DAML), the Terrorism Act 2000, MLR 2017, JMLSG and the FCA Financial Crime Guide; Confident across typologies - money laundering, fraud, sanctions/PEP, adverse media, complex ownership; Independent judgement on maintain/offboard/report decisions, defensible in writing and in person; Confidence to challenge 1st line escalation quality; Sharp written communication - your records will be read by the NCA, regulators and auditors.

Benefits

Private Healthcare including dental and opticians services through Vitality; Worldwide travel insurance through Vitality; Anniversary Rewards (£250, £500, £750, 4-week fully paid sabbatical); Salary Sacrifice Pension Scheme up to 7% match; 28 days holiday (plus bank holidays); Annual Learning and Wellbeing Budget; Enhanced Parental Leave; Cycle to Work Scheme; Season Ticket Loan; 6 free therapy sessions per year; Dog Friendly Offices; Free drinks and snacks in our offices