Head of Financial Crime - Risk Services

The Head of Financial Crime is a newly established role to lead all 1st Line of Defence Financial Crime activities across Shawbrook Group. This role will lead the Financial Crime team that will be part of the Risk Services teams.

This role is a critical role for the success of the Financial Crime Risk Services requiring a candidate who has a proven track record of delivering tangible results a leader who commands followship from the teams they lead and someone an entrepreneur mindset that can drive radical change challenging the status quo. Delivering and aligning to Shawbrook Group objectives.

To be successful in this role the candidate must have the following attributes:

• Subject matter expertise as the key 1st line point of contact they will be expected to contribute at a senior level and provide requisite updates across the Banks products.
• Leadership skills need to bring together various existing teams as one-team identifying efficiencies and optimising future ways of working
• Data-driven SMFs in franchises will need clear consistent and accurate reporting to give confidence that the Risk Services are delivering in line with expectations. This role will play a key part in defining relevant metrics and ensuring the Risk Services has the data available to automate this reporting
• Radical thinking ability to work with stakeholders across the Group and challenge existing requirements constructively.
• Curiosity about tech and AI need to identify potential use cases or available tech and work with stakeholders in the Group to implement changes related to their area.

Key Role Responsibilities

Financial Crime Framework

• Framework Alignment: Designing articulating and maintaining how all elements of the financial crime framework align across all the business.
• Policy Implementation: Developing and implementing group-wide financial crime policies and procedures.
• Risk Management: Operating within Group Risk Appetite Metrics and Franchise Performance & Risk Metrics taking corrective actions as needed.
• Oversight and Assurance: Supporting responses to 1st Line Franchise 2nd Line and 3rd Line oversight assurance and audit recommendations ensuring timely delivery of actions
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring the Risk Services activities comply with all applicable laws regulations and rules.

Leadership

• Lead:  Teams which will undertake all 1LOD financial crime activities across Shawbrook Group including Onboarding & Customer Due Diligence Periodic Reviews Trigger Events Transaction Monitoring Customer Screening Investigations Quality Control 1st Line Advisory Control design Fraud ABC Escalations.

Investigations and Intelligence

• Suspicious Activity Management: Investigating reviewing and resolving activities and transactions identified as potentially suspicious in line with established policies and procedures and fulfilling the duties of the nominated officer by preparing and filing Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) with the National Crime Agency (NCA) as required.
• Escalations: Managing high-risk customer reviews including Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) and escalating customers outside the Banks risk appetite or under suspicion of financial crime.
• Fraud Prevention: Developing and implementing strategies to identify and prevent first-party and third-party fraud.

Operational effectiveness

• Optimise: Leveraging technology including Generative AI to drive automation reduce cycle times and reduce human touchpoints in processes.
• Systems: Ensuring a consistent set of systems and tools across the Risk Services minimising the number of systems used for the same processes
• Data Quality: Promoting a data-led approach with high standards of data quality.
• Change Management: Contributing to bank-wide change management programs related to financial crime and supporting new acquisitions.

MI and Reporting

• Analytics and Reporting: Producing analytics management information (MI) and reporting on financial crime activities within the Risk Services
• KPI and KRI Establishment: Working with Franchise Risk Directors to establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) for effective financial crime management.

Training and Awareness

• Financial Crime Culture: Promoting an anti-financial crime culture across the Bank through communications and training.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Committee Representation: Representing Financial Crime Risk Services at relevant Oversight Committee and Group Executive Risk Committee as required.

Qualifications :

Business Skills & Competencies

• Leadership: communication motivation organisation and delegation strategic thinking problem solving and decision-making. With a strong focus to developing talent and succession planning.
• Regulatory Knowledge: understanding of JMLSG Financial Crime FCA Handbook and key legislation such as Money Laundering Regulations POCA and Bribery Act
• Due Diligence Experience: Researching and conducting non personal E2E due diligence.
• Sector knowledge: broad understanding of the financial services regulatory depth understanding of SME and Retail sectors.
• Senior experience in Financial Crime Extensive experience in financial crime activities across SME and Retail. Proven ability to work and lead a Financial Crime team in a commercial environment displaying strong strategic and operational oversight.
• Professional Qualification: Preferably holding an appropriate professional qualification. Strong work experience in financial services and regulatory environments

Additional Information :

Your Wellbeing - We take your health and well-being very seriously by providing a range of benefits to give you and your family peace of mind. These include:

• Market leading family friendly policies such as access to our Maternity Adoption and Paternity policies from Day 1 of your employment
• Free access to Headspace a mindfulness & meditation digital health app
• Free access to Peppy digital health app that offers personalised support through fertility treatment becoming a parent or menopause
• EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) - Offering you support on a wide range of subjects including financial concerns mental wellbeing and more general queries around family work housing and health
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounts on gym membership
• Contributory pension scheme & death in service

Your Lifestyle - Its important you strike the right balance between your work and personal life. We provide benefits to support you when at work and when youre enjoying your leisure time.

• Minimum of 27 days holiday per year
• Option to buy or sell holiday days through our flexi-holiday scheme
• Discounts on gym membership nationwide
• Access to discounts on a range of high street and online brands
• Community support and charitable giving

Your Contribution - Were focused on rewarding those that go the extra mile in helping us achieve our goals.

• Participation in our annual discretionary bonus scheme designed to reward your contribution to our success
• Proudly Shawbrook recognition scheme focused on recognising our role models and thanking our colleagues for a job well done

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time