AML and Sanctions Advisory - Principal Associate

MERJE; East Midlands; Hybride; GBP 70 000 - 95 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

MERJE is seeking a Principal Associate for AML and Sanctions Advisory in the East Midlands, with hybrid working (3 days in office). The role reports to the MLRO and shapes the financial crime framework across onboarding, screening and monitoring, delivering pragmatic risk-based decisions and robust challenge.

The successful candidate will own policies, drive improvements, and lead remediation while collaborating with operational teams to ensure UK regulatory alignment and ongoing control

Qualifications

• Strong regulatory knowledge across Money Laundering Regulations, JMLSG guidance, POCA and OFSI sanctions.
• Experience conducting financial crime reviews in high-volume environments across CDD, screening and monitoring.
• Ability to assess complex situations, balance risk with commercial needs and support informed decisions.
• Experience testing controls, challenging first-line operations and driving remediation.
• Excellent communication skills to explain regulatory issues and drive improvements.
• Accredited industry qualification (ICA or ACAMS) demonstrating ongoing professional development.

Responsabilités

• Develop risk-based CDD processes covering entities, owners and control persons.
• Oversee sanctions screening and transaction-monitoring controls for effectiveness.
• Maintain policies, procedures and annual training reflecting regulatory expectations.
• Lead second-line testing and provide credible challenge to first-line controls.
• Lead remediation and continuous improvement of monitoring rules.
• Improve case quality of SARs and advise on complex onboarding decisions.

Connaissances

Regulatory expertise

Financial crime experience

Risk assessment

Second-line controls

Stakeholder influence

Professional qualification

Formation

ICA or ACAMS

Description du poste

AML and Sanctions Advisory - Principal Associate

Location: East Midlands

Working pattern: Hybrid - 3 days a week in the office

We are recruiting on behalf of an established UK lender who are looking to recruit this key hire into their AML 2nd line team.

Reporting directly to the MLRO, you'll play a key role in shaping, delivering and continually improving the organisation's AML and Sanctions Compliance framework.

As Principal Associate, you'll work across the full financial crime control environment, from customer onboarding and due diligence to sanctions screening and ongoing transaction monitoring. You'll combine technical expertise and sound judgement with a pragmatic, solutions-focused approach, providing effective challenge, resolving complex cases and helping colleagues make risk-based decisions.

What you'll be responsible for

Developing effective, risk-based controls

• Design, implement and enhance Customer Due Diligence (CDD) processes covering legal entities, ultimate beneficial owners, directors and persons with significant control.
• Oversee and improve sanctions and politically exposed person (PEP) screening, alongside transaction-monitoring controls.
• Ensure controls remain proportionate, effective and aligned with the business's risk appetite.

Delivering the financial crime programme

• Coordinate key AML and sanctions initiatives, system implementations and compliance reporting.
• Keep projects on track, maintain accurate records and ensure deliverables meet regulatory and business requirements.
• Contribute to the ongoing development of the financial crime control framework.

Making policy and training count

• Own and maintain policies, procedures and annual training, ensuring they reflect current regulatory expectations and operational needs.
• Translate complex regulatory requirements into clear, practical guidance that supports consistent decision-making.

Strengthening oversight and assurance

• Deliver second-line testing and provide robust challenge to first-line controls.
• Identify weaknesses in screening and transaction-monitoring rules, recommending improvements before issues develop into breaches.
• Assess control effectiveness, document findings and drive meaningful improvements.

Leading remediation and continuous improvement

• Lead responses to financial crime risk events and support the tuning of monitoring rules.
• Ensure audit findings and control weaknesses are addressed effectively and within agreed timescales.
• Use quality assurance insights to improve processes, strengthen oversight and reduce recurring issues.

Improving case quality and decision-making

• Provide quality assurance and constructive coaching to improve the quality of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs).
• Carry out secondary reviews of CDD and support consistent, risk-based outcomes.
• Advise on complex onboarding decisions, PEP and sanctions alerts, and nuanced transaction-monitoring triggers.

Building strong stakeholder relationships

You'll work closely with operational teams and compliance colleagues, building the trust needed to encourage early escalation of concerns and open discussion of control weaknesses. You'll help ensure that financial crime requirements, assurance activity and testing remain aligned with UK regulatory standards and Joint Money Laundering Steering Group (JMLSG) guidance.

What you'll bring

You'll be an experienced financial crime professional who combines strong technical knowledge with the confidence to challenge, influence and advise.

You'll bring:

• Strong UK regulatory expertise: A detailed, practical understanding of the Money Laundering Regulations, JMLSG guidance, the Proceeds of Crime Act and UK sanctions requirements administered by the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI).
• End-to-end financial crime experience: A proven track record of conducting financial crime reviews in high-volume environments, with experience across customer due diligence, screening and transaction monitoring.
• A risk-based mindset: The ability to assess complex situations, balance risk with commercial considerations and support proportionate, well-informed decisions.
• Second-line oversight capability: Experience testing controls, providing credible challenge to first-line operations, identifying weaknesses and driving remediation.
• Strong communication and influencing skills: The confidence to explain complex regulatory issues clearly, build effective relationships and turn findings into practical improvements.
• A commitment to professional development: An accredited industry qualification, such as ICA or ACAMS, demonstrating your commitment to maintaining and developing your expertise.

You'll be comfortable working independently, managing competing priorities and taking ownership of complex issues

If you're a technically strong AML and sanctions professional who combines sound judgement with a pragmatic, solutions-focused approach, this is an opportunity to take ownership, influence key decisions and help shape the future of financial crime compliance.