Anti-Financial Crime & Onboarding Manager Manchester, London

LHV UK; City of Westminster; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK-licensed bank is seeking an Anti-Financial Crime & Onboarding Manager in central London. This pivotal role involves overseeing KYC and AML operations, ensuring compliance, and collaborating with stakeholders. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in financial crime risk management, strong attention to detail, and excellent communication skills. This position offers a competitive salary and the chance to work in a dynamic financial environment.

Benefits

Competitive salary & progression

Open and inclusive culture

Hybrid working

Vitality Health Plan

Medicash health plan

5% employer pension contribution

Life assurance

28 days holiday plus additional days

Qualifications

• Experience in a KYC, AML, or compliance role within a financial institution.
• Familiarity with screening and case management tools.
• Ability to manage workload in line with SLAs.

Responsibilities

• Oversee customer due diligence and enhanced due diligence activities.
• Manage investigations of alerts from monitoring systems.
• Assist in the preparation of internal reports on Financial Crime.

Skills

Experience in KYC, AML, or compliance

Attention to detail

Strong communication skills

Ability to work under pressure

Tools

LexisNexis

ComplyAdvantage

RiskNarrative

Dow Jones

Job description

Overview

You will play a pivotal part in the frontline defence against financial crime, serving as a subject matter expert and reference for team members. You will oversee the quality and accuracy of due diligence performed by the frontline team, ensuring high standards are consistently met. You will work in close partnership with internal stakeholders and external partners to strengthen and evolve our AML and KYC processes, and provide regular updates via preparation of MI on financial crime risk.

LHV Bank Limited is a UK-licensed bank operating across three core business segments: Retail Banking, SME Lending, and Banking Services (BaaS). The bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of LHV Group, a listed financial services provider headquartered in Estonia. LHV Bank operates under a full UK banking licence granted in May 2023. The Bank supports over 200 fintech clients with embedded financial infrastructure, provides retail savings products via digital channels, and offers SME credit solutions across the UK. In line with its regulatory responsibilities and growth ambitions, LHV Bank is committed to maintaining a robust and proportionate financial crime control environment.

Responsibilities

• As a 1st Line Anti-Financial Crime & Onboarding Manager you will be responsible for overseeing and supporting customer due diligence (CDD), enhanced due diligence (EDD), and transaction monitoring activities to ensure the Bank's compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations. You'll play a critical role in identifying and mitigating financial crime risk at the frontline of customer interaction.
• Oversee and support AML/KYC reviews on new and existing customers in line with internal policies and regulatory requirements.
• Review and advise on suitability of customer documentation and verification (e.g., ID, proof of address, source of funds/wealth).
• Assess and monitor screening and background checks using internal systems and third-party tools.
• Manage and monitor investigations of alerts from monitoring systems conducted by the frontline, escalating suspicious activity as appropriate.
• Liaise with internal teams to obtain missing information or resolve KYC issues.
• Contribute to the overall continuous improvement and development of the AML/KYC operations by supporting the implementation of internal controls, process improvements and documentation updates.
• Assist in the preparation of internal reports and MI relating to Financial Crime and AML.
• Stay current on AML/CTF legislation, typologies, and regulatory expectations.

Qualifications and Experience

• Experience in a KYC, AML, or compliance role within a financial institution (preferably with experience in Commercial/SME Lending).
• Working knowledge of the UK regulatory environment, including the Money Laundering Regulations, JMLSG Guidance, and FCA Handbook.
• Familiarity with screening and case management tools e.g. LexisNexis, ComplyAdvantage, RiskNarrative, Dow Jones.
• Team player with a proactive attitude and ethical mindset.
• Strong attention to detail and investigative mindset.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage workload in line with SLAs.
• Strong communication skills including the ability to forge new connections with existing stakeholders and escalate risks diligently in line with agreed processes.
• Keen eye for detail and problem solving with an investigative mind and the desire to find solutions to problems independently and quickly using a risk-based rationale in line with relevant legislation.

Role Requirements

• This is primarily an office-based role, requiring a minimum of two days per week in either the Manchester or London office with occasional travel to these offices.

Benefits

• Competitive salary & progression
• Open and inclusive culture
• Hybrid working
• Fantastic offices and great working environment
• Vitality Health Plan (includes private health insurance, travel insurance, gym discounts)
• Medicash health plan (Level 3)
• 5% employer pension contribution
• Life assurance
• Income protection insurance
• 28 days holiday plus 3 additional days, bank holidays & further days for various key life events
• Team socials