Head of Financial Crime

THE FIRM

A global law firm.

THE ROLE

Based within the Risk & Compliance team, this is a newly created senior leadership role which will involve responsibility for setting and delivering the firm’s financial crime strategy across the firm’s global office network.

The Head of Financial Crime will serve as the firm’s deputy MLRO and principal in-house specialist on anti-money laundering (“AML”), sanctions, anti-bribery and corruption, fraud prevention and wider financial crime compliance, working closely with the General Counsel/Global MLRO, Regional MLROs, the Risk & Compliance Partner and Partners across the firm.

The role will assume direct line-management responsibility for the firm’s Compliance Managers, Risk & Compliance Officers and Sanctions Lawyer. It will provide clear leadership and direction on KYC/client due diligence, sanctions and wider financial crime matters, driving consistency, quality and efficiency across the firm’s offices.

Key Responsibilities

• Acting as the firm’s senior specialist and principal point of escalation on AML, sanctions, anti-bribery and corruption, fraud and wider financial crime risk across all of the firm’s offices;
• Setting and driving the firm’s global financial crime strategy, aligned with the firm’s risk appetite and the expectations of the SRA, and equivalent regulators in the firm’s other jurisdictions;
• Providing leadership, direction and day-to-day line management to the firm’s Compliance Managers and internationally based Risk & Compliance Officers in London, together with a Sanctions Lawyer, with responsibility for KYC/client due diligence, sanctions and the wider financial crime aspects of onboarding;
• Acting as the senior decision-maker on high-risk client and matter escalations, complex source of funds and source of wealth enquiries, sanctions exposure and other elevated financial crime issues referred by the firm’s offices;
• Leading the development, drafting and periodic review of the firm’s financial crime, policies, procedures and controls, ensuring they remain effective and fit for purpose across all jurisdictions in which the firm operates;
• Monitoring legal and regulatory developments relevant to financial crime, including sanctions regimes, across the firm’s jurisdictions and advising the Risk & Compliance Partner and General Counsel/Global MLRO on their implications for the firm;
• Supporting the General Counsel/Global MLRO and regional MLROs in relation to suspicious activity reporting obligations and the firm’s wider AML governance framework;
• Leading the firm’s engagement with regulators and other authorities on financial crime matters, including supporting regulatory audits, inspections and information requests;
• Designing and reporting management information and key performance indicators relating to financial crime risk, onboarding turnaround times and the quality of client due diligence to the Risk & Compliance Partner and firm management;
• Identifying and championing improvements to onboarding systems, screening tools and other compliance technology to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the firm’s financial crime controls;
• Designing and delivering firmwide financial crime training and awareness programmes for Partners, fee earners and business services staff;

THE CANDIDATE

With at least 10 years’ experience in financial crime, AML and sanctions gained within a leading law firm, financial institution or professional services environment, you will have a detailed knowledge of UK financial crime and AML legislation (including the Money Laundering Regulations, POCA and the Bribery Act) together with a working understanding of international regulatory regimes relevant to the firm’s global office network.

Lipson Lloyd Jones Ltd is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.