The Role
As the Anti-Financial Crime & Onboarding Manager, you will act as a key point of expertise for the frontline team, ensuring customer due diligence activities are completed to a high standard and in line with regulatory expectations.
You will support the ongoing development of AML/KYC processes, provide guidance on complex onboarding matters, and work closely with internal stakeholders across Risk, Lending, Operations and Financial Crime.
Key Responsibilities
- Oversee and support AML/KYC reviews for new and existing SME customers, ensuring compliance with internal policies and regulatory requirements.
- Review customer documentation, including identification, proof of address, source of funds and source of wealth information.
- Provide guidance and quality assurance oversight to frontline onboarding teams.
- Support investigations arising from screening and transaction monitoring alerts, ensuring appropriate escalation where required.
- Assess customer risk profiles and advise on appropriate due diligence measures.
- Identify opportunities to improve onboarding processes, controls and procedures.
- Support the creation of Financial Crime MI and reporting for senior stakeholders.
- Stay up to date with evolving AML/CTF legislation, regulatory expectations and financial crime typologies.
- Act as a trusted advisor to internal teams on customer onboarding and financial crime risk matters.
Requirements
- Strong experience within AML, KYC, Customer Due Diligence or Financial Crime roles within a regulated financial services environment.
- Experience supporting or overseeing customer onboarding processes.
- Previous exposure to SME, commercial banking, business banking or lending environments is highly desirable.
- Strong understanding of UK AML regulations, including the Money Laundering Regulations, JMLSG Guidance and FCA expectations.
- Experience reviewing CDD/EDD documentation and assessing customer risk.
- Strong understanding of financial crime controls, including screening, adverse media, PEPs and source of funds/wealth assessments.
- Comfortable working with frontline teams and providing practical risk-based guidance.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders and challenge where required.
Desirable Experience
- Experience within a challenger bank, fintech, payments firm or commercial lending environment.
- Familiarity with financial crime technology platforms such as LexisNexis, ComplyAdvantage, RiskNarrative, Dow Jones, World-Check or similar.
- Experience improving AML/KYC processes and procedures.