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Financial Crime Manager - £65,000

If you are interested in this candidate, please contact Charlie Watson via email cwatson@cerfinancial.co.uk or call on 0207 626 6065.

00327670

PROFILE:

Experienced Financial Crime and Compliance Specialist with more than six years of experience protecting financial institutions and ensuring regulatory compliance. Certified Fraud Examiner and ICA Diploma Holder in Anti-Money Laundering, has extensive experience in AML, CFT, sanctions, and fraud prevention. Competent in risk assessment, compliance framework development and implementation, and promoting regulatory standard adherence. Skilled in developing policies, offering assurance on financial crime controls, and offering second-line advice. Adept in managing client interactions, performing audits, and cultivating a compliance culture in financial institutions. Demonstrated capacity to teach teams, assess regulatory changes, and promote risk-reduction and sustainable company operations.

SKILLS:

  • Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Compliance
  • Sanctions and Adverse Media Analysis
  • Compliance Monitoring Programs (CMP)
  • Policy Development and Implementation
  • Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT)
  • Fraud Detection and Investigation
  • Assurance testing
  • Internal Controls and Quality Assurance
  • Regulatory Compliance (FCA, OFAC, EU, UN Sanctions)
  • Risk Assessment and Mitigation
  • Financial Crime Training Development
  • Governance and Anti-bribery Compliance

CAREER HISTORY:

August 2022 - Present

Banking

Financial Crime Compliance

As a Financial Crime Compliance professional, I play an important role in supporting the bank's anti-financial crime framework by ensuring regulatory compliance and fostering a strong compliance culture. Using my knowledge in sanctions, AML, ABC, and financial crime risk management, I help to protect the institution from financial crime threats while maintaining operational integrity.

  • Maintained and executed the Financial Crime Monitoring Plan, ensuring all monitoring activities align with the bank's risk appetite.
  • Conducted thematic monitoring reviews, including testing controls, identify and assess risks, reporting findings, and recommending mitigating actions.
  • Assessed and implemented enhancements to financial crime controls, improving the effectiveness of processes and mitigating risks.
  • Managed and reviewed quality assurance testing, ensuring robust compliance with AML, sanctions, fraud, and anti-bribery regulations.
  • Delivered comprehensive financial crime risk assessments, identifying emerging threats and remediation.
  • Provided second-line advisory on sanctions, application of AML and financial crime policies as well as regulatory changes
  • Led quarterly assurance evaluations of financial crime policies and controls to ensure their effectiveness and compliance with regulatory requirements.
  • Supported the MLRO in preparing and delivering financial crime training to the bank staffs.
  • Conducted horizon scanning for regulatory updates, ensuring the bank is updated via email weekly on changes relevant to the bank.
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to address compliance challenges, ensuring alignment with departmental and organizational objectives.

February 2022 – May 2022

Investments

Compliance/ Financial Crime Officer

As a Compliance Officer, I was responsible for ensuring the firm's adherence to regulatory obligations, with an emphasis on financial crime compliance and general compliance functions. This included assisting with audit processes, monitoring regulatory developments, and developing essential compliance strategies to ensure the firm fulfilled FCA requirements.

  • Developed and updated introduction training sessions on financial crime, anti-money laundering (AML), and compliance requirements, thereby increasing staff awareness and adherence to regulatory norms.
  • Reviewed and approved Financial Promotions, Gifts and Entertainment, and PA Account Dealing requests to ensure compliance with the firm's standards and regulatory expectations.
  • Conducted horizon scanning and summarized relevant FCA updates for the business, identifying potential risks and aligning procedures with changing laws.
  • Assisted with FCA reporting using Connect and RegData, working with the finance team to ensure timely and accurate submissions.
  • Developed and implemented a Compliance Monitoring Program to analyse and minimize compliance risks throughout the organization.

September 2021 – January 2022

Brokers

Anti-Money Laundering Officer (Contract)

  • Provided assurance on financial crime controls and assisted with the implementation of a rigorous Compliance Monitoring Program.
  • Conducted comprehensive risk assessments for all existing clients, assessing financial crime risks and assuring compliance with AML, sanctions, and anti-bribery laws.
  • Investigated questionable activity, escalated potential financial crime cases, and worked with key stakeholders to resolve issues.
  • Financial crime policies, including as AML, ABC, and sanctions frameworks, were reviewed and improved in order to match with changing regulatory requirements and conduct impact analyses.
  • Produced actionable management information and created new KPIs to improve compliance teams' monitoring and decision-making.

December 2019 – August 2021

Global markets

Financial Crime Compliance Officer – Financial Crime

Conducted comprehensive risk assessments and provided compliance approvals for new clients, ensuring alignment with AML and KYC standards. Analysed financial data to identify patterns indicative of fraudulent activity, reducing exposure to financial crime risks.

  • Supported the MLRO in the implementation and enhancement of compliance frameworks related to anti-financial crime initiatives.
  • Monitored and reviewed high-risk customer profiles, implementing controls to mitigate financial crime threats.
  • Prepared detailed risk assessment reports for presentation to the Credit Committee, enabling informed decision-making.
  • Assisted the MLRO (Money Laundering Reporting Officer) in investigating Suspicious Activity Reports before submission to the NCA (National Crime Agency).
  • Conducted quality assurance reviews and testing of compliance systems and controls to ensure operational effectiveness.
  • Developed and maintained Management Information reports, including Key Risk Indicators, to track compliance performance and risks.
  • Managed data collation and submission for the FCA REP-CRIM regulatory returns.

February 2014 – May 2019

Banking

Internal Auditor

  • Conducted comprehensive financial and operational audits to assess compliance with corporate rules and regulatory standards, detecting control flaws and executing corrective actions.
  • Developed and carried out risk-based audit strategies, focusing on high-risk areas to strengthen the Bank's internal controls, ensure regulatory conformity, and reduce compliance risks.
  • Analysed anti-bribery, anti-corruption, and fraud prevention policies were reviewed, with the goal of proactively recognizing and correcting any weaknesses and decreasing operational and reputational risk.

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS:

UNIVERSITY

BSC ACCOUNTING

CERTIFICATIONS:

  • ICA DIPLOMA IN ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING – INTERNATIONAL COMPLIANCE ASSOCIATION (ICA)
  • CERTIFICATE IN ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING – INTERNATIONAL COMPLIANCE ASSOCIATION (ICA)
  • CERTIFIED FRAUD EXAMINER – ASSOCIATION OF CERTIFIED FRAUD EXAMINERS (ACFE)

If you are interested in this candidate, please contact Charlie Watson via email cwatson@cerfinancial.co.uk or call on 0207 626 6065.

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