Senior Financial Crime Consultant (Remediation Specialist)

Job Title: Senior Financial Crime Consultant (Remediation Specialist)
Location: London/Remote (UK based)
Salary/Rate: £500-600 per day
Start Date: 09/06/25
Job Type: 6 month initial contract - Outside IR35

Company Introduction

We have an exciting opportunity with one of our sector-leading consultancy clients! Their Fintech end-customer is currently looking for a Senior Financial Crime Consultant with deep expertise in Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Know Your Customer (KYC), and financial crime risk management within the UK financial services sector.

Job Responsibilities/Objectives

As a Senior Consultant, you will take a lead role advising, implementing, and enhancing financial crime compliance programmes to ensure regulatory adherence and mitigate risks related to money laundering, fraud, sanctions, and terrorist financing. You will also manage complex projects and drive change across financial crime functions.

AML & KYC Compliance:
* Lead and oversee Customer Due Diligence (CDD), Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD), and ongoing monitoring for high-risk clients.
* Ensure comprehensive adherence to UK AML regulations, FCA guidelines, and international financial crime standards (FATF, EU AML Directives, JMLSG, and POCA 2002).
* Develop, implement, and enhance AML and KYC policies, frameworks, and procedures aligned with organisational risk appetite.
* Provide senior-level advice on transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, and risk assessment processes for financial institutions.

Regulatory & Risk Advisory:
* Serve as subject matter expert on UK and global AML regulations, including sanctions compliance (OFAC, UK HMT, EU), Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) screening, and Suspicious Activity Reporting (SARs).
* Lead AML risk assessments, regulatory gap analyses, impact assessments, and remediation projects.
* Manage firm responses to FCA, HMRC, and other regulatory reviews, including drafting compliance reports and strategic risk mitigation plans.

Investigations & Reporting:
* Oversee suspicious transaction investigations and ensure timely SAR submissions to the UK Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).
* Direct fraud and financial crime investigations, supporting legal and regulatory enforcement actions as required.
* Monitor emerging financial crime trends, regulatory updates, and best practices, advising senior stakeholders accordingly.

Training & Awareness:
* Design and deliver advanced AML, KYC, and financial crime risk training programs to internal teams and stakeholders.
* Champion a strong compliance culture through awareness campaigns and risk workshops.

Process & Technology Optimisation:
* Advise on AML compliance technology strategy, including transaction monitoring, AI-driven KYC screening, and automated CDD/EDD solutions.
* Identify and lead efficiency improvements in financial crime detection, prevention, and reporting processes.

Programme Delivery & Leadership:
* Lead and deliver complex Programmes of Change within financial crime and compliance functions.
* Manage cross-functional teams and stakeholders to implement regulatory and operational changes effectively.
* Drive continuous improvement and embed sustainable compliance practices at senior management level.

Required Skills/Experience
The ideal candidate will have the following:

* 10+ years of commercial experience in AML, KYC, and financial crime risk within the UK financial services sector.
* Proven experience in managing and delivering remediation programmes to address regulatory gaps, control weaknesses, or audit findings within financial crime compliance.
* Proven track record of delivering complex Programmes of Change related to financial crime or compliance.
* Strong working knowledge of UK Money Laundering Regulations 2017 (MLR), Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA), and JMLSG Guidance.
* Experience within financial institutions, consulting firms, fintech, or regulatory bodies.
* Proficiency in transaction monitoring systems, KYC screening tools, and case management platforms (eg, Actimize, LexisNexis, World-Check, Refinitiv, etc)
* Strong Excel, data analytics, and reporting skills.
* Experience in Retail Financial Crime, Banking, or Lending & Payments (L&P) sectors.
* Ideally, experience leading or contributing to responses to Section 1:66 investigations or enforcement actions (recognised as a significant advantage).

Desirable Skills/Experience
Although not essential, the following skills are desired by the client:

* Bachelor's degree in Finance, Law, Business, or a related field.
* Relevant AML/KYC certifications such as:
o ICA Advanced Certificate/Diploma in AML or Financial Crime Prevention
o Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS)
o Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) - beneficial but optional
* Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills with meticulous attention to detail.
* Exceptional stakeholder management and advisory skills, capable of communicating complex regulations clearly to senior audiences.
* Ability to work effectively under pressure and meet demanding regulatory deadlines.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply now with your updated CV in Microsoft Word/PDF format.

Disclaimer
Notwithstanding any guidelines given to level of experience sought, we will consider candidates from outside this range if they can demonstrate the necessary competencies.

Square One is acting as both an employment agency and an employment business, and is an equal opportunities recruitment business. Square One embraces diversity and will treat everyone equally. Please see our website for our full diversity statement.