Head of Risk and Compliance

Aequitas Investment Partners; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Aequitas Investment Partners is seeking a Head of Risk and Compliance to manage the day-to-day compliance for AIP FS Pty Ltd (AFSL 700016) and lead the expansion of general financial product advice to retail clients while retaining wholesale scope.

The role reports to the COO and involves direct liaison with Responsible Managers, the Risk and Compliance Committee and the Board, delivering independent advice and hands-on compliance execution across monitoring, investigations and remediation.

Qualifications

• Ten years+ in financial services compliance
• Experience leading AFSL compliance or similar
• Experience with retail and wholesale financial product advice
• Involvement in AFSL applications or variations
• Strong monitoring, escalation and remediation capability
• AML/CTF program design and execution
• Familiarity with Corporations Act and ASIC requirements

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day compliance for AFSL 700016 (AIP FS Pty Ltd)
• Lead the operational workstream to vary the AFSL to add general financial product advice
• Maintain compliance framework, registers, policies and disclosures
• Coordinate Responsible Manager and organisational competence evidence
• Oversee ASIC lodgement calendar, approvals, and regulatory communications
• Design and execute risk-based monitoring across activities and client interactions
• Document services, AML/CTF perimeter and governance for the operating model
• Lead governance and reporting for investment processes and committees

Skills

AFSL compliance

risk management

monitoring & supervision

AML/CTF

stakeholder engagement

regulatory reporting

Education

Tertiary qualification in law/finance/commerce/risk

Job description

At Aequitas Investment Partners, we empower independent financial advisers and AFSLs to scale efficiently and profitably. Through institutional-grade SMAs and rigorous investment governance frameworks, we simplify investment operations and free advisers' time to focus on what counts most — serving their clients.

We are a B2B business — our clients are financial advisers and AFSLs, not retail investors.

About the role

The Head of Risk and Compliance will manage the day-to-day compliance function for AIP FS Pty Ltd (AFSL 700016) and lead the operational workstream to vary the AFSL to add general financial product advice to retail clients while retaining its wholesale scope. Reporting to the COO, this is a hands-on senior individual-contributor role with direct exposure to Responsible Managers, the Risk and Compliance Committee and the Board. The role will provide independent advice and escalation while personally completing the monitoring, supervision, assessments, registers, reporting, training, investigations and remediation required to keep the licence and business control environment effective.

Key responsibilities

• Complete a business-wide gap assessment and update policies, procedures, disclosures, client journeys, contracts, registers, systems, training and records before launch; permit no retail activity before authorisation and formal readiness sign-off.
• Maintain the compliance framework, obligations register, compliance calendar and core registers covering incidents and breaches, complaints, conflicts, representatives, training, marketing approvals and regulatory correspondence.
• Assess incidents and potential breaches, conduct investigations and root-cause analysis, advise on reportability, prepare notifications and verify remediation to closure.
• Coordinate Responsible Manager and organisational competence evidence, licence conditions, representative appointments, financial requirements, annual obligations, audits and regulator engagement.
• Own the ASIC lodgement calendar and portal process: prepare, coordinate required approvals or signatures, submit and retain evidence for reportable situations, annual financial statements and audit materials, licence and Responsible Manager changes, representative and auditor notifications, IDR data and other applicable AFSL returns.
• Maintain the compliance arrangements for retail and wholesale general financial product advice, including the FSG, general advice warnings, client classification, complaints and IDR, AFCA, marketing review, representative competency and Design and Distribution Obligations where applicable.
• Design and execute a risk-based monitoring and supervision program covering representative communications, presentations, webinars, marketing, client interactions, disclosures, complaints, client classification, training and records.
• Determine and document the designated services, reporting-entity responsibilities and AML/CTF perimeter across AIP FS, its products, distribution model, platforms and service providers, obtaining specialist advice where required.
• Design, implement and maintain the ML/TF risk assessment and risk-based AML/CTF program, governance, policies and Board reporting for the confirmed operating model.
• Act as the compliance lead for investment governance processes by ensuring committee documentation including charters, conflicts, delegations, mandates, decision records and action items are complete, current, appropriately approved and evidenced for audit and regulatory review.

About you

• At least 10 years' financial services compliance experience, including five years operating or leading an AFSL compliance function.
• Recent experience within an AFSL providing general financial product advice to both retail and wholesale clients.
• Direct involvement in an AFSL application or variation, including implementing the resulting operational framework for retail general advice.
• Strong monitoring and representative supervision capability, including risk-based sampling, evidence review, findings, escalation, remediation and effectiveness testing.
• Substantial AML/CTF experience spanning risk assessments, compliance programs, customer due diligence, beneficial ownership, PEP and sanctions screening, ongoing monitoring, AUSTRAC reporting, training and assurance.
• Strong working knowledge of the Corporations Act and relevant ASIC regulatory requirements.
• A tertiary qualification in law, finance, commerce, risk or a related field. Recognised compliance or risk qualifications will be highly regarded.
• Hands-on operator — forms a defensible view, influences senior stakeholders and personally executes the work.
• Independent and courageous — challenges assumptions and escalates material concerns without delay.
• Commercially pragmatic — builds proportionate, workable controls without compromising obligations.

Your background likely looks like one of these:

• Head of Compliance at a boutique fund manager or asset consultant
• Product compliance lead within a Responsible Entity
• Head of Compliance for Platform or wrap-product
• Head of Compliance for an investment manager
• Head of Compliance for a B2B or B2B2C financial products business