AVP - KYC Coordination Team Lead | London, UK

Profile Summary

The KYC Coordination Team AVP Team Lead is responsible for managing the KYC Coordination Team which facilitates communication and document flow to support Know Your Customer ("KYC") and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance processes. Mizuho are seeking a dynamic and experienced individual to oversee and manage the end-to-end Rolling Review process within the Client Lifecycle Management division. This role involves leading a team of KYC Coordinators, ensuring seamless engagement with the front office and offshore rolling review teams, and maintaining compliance with regulatory standards and adherence to Mizuho GMS and procedures. The ideal candidate will bring strong leadership, operational expertise, and a deep understanding of KYC processes. Working closely with internal Mizuho stakeholders to meet regulatory and operational requirements and support the overall adherence to SLA's and procedures for MHBK, MHI, London & EMEA Branches.

The ideal candidate will be detail-oriented, internal and external client-focused, and skilled in managing complex documentation workflows, strong leadership, operational expertise, and a deep understanding of KYC processes while ensuring compliance with Mizuho Global Minimum Standards ("GMS") requirements and maintaining AML and KYC standards.

Key Responsibilities:

• Team Management
  Lead, mentor, and develop a team of KYC Coordinators, providing guidance on complex cases and ensuring quality output and be the point of escalation.
  Monitor performance metrics and conduct regular evaluations to ensure individual and team goals are met. Track and report client file / outreach status, response rates, and key performance indicators ("KPIs").
  Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement within the team.
• KYC End-to-End Oversight
  Maintain close oversight of the end-to-end KYC process, from a coordination perspective, supporting timely and accurate reviews of KYC records.
  Oversee periodic reviews, trigger events, and updates for existing client records to ensure timely and appropriate updating of client KYC records.
  Ensure adherence to defined timelines and escalate delays or roadblocks when necessary.
  Identify and escalate potential risks or red flags where appropriate.
  Stay updated on changes to Mizuho GMS policies and procedures.
• Stakeholder Management / Collaboration
  Act as the primary liaison between KYC rolling review and front office teams to ensure smooth communication and alignment and appropriate management of expectations.
  Partner with the front office senior management to address escalations, resolve issues, and provide clarity on KYC requirements.
  Oversee client outreach strategies, ensuring communications are clear, timely, and effective in gathering required documentation.
  Where specifically requested, liaise with Front Office / Relationship Managers to coordinate client outreach engagement.
• Process Optimization
  Drive process improvements to enhance efficiency, reduce operational risk, and drive client experience improvement.
  Maintain oversight of technology being utilised to manage the coordination process to identify changes or uplifts to ensure optimisation of record keeping, data accuracy, work flow management and production of effective Management Information.
  Liaise with Quality Control Management (QCM) to develop and update procedural documentation and training materials for the team.

Qualifications and Experience:
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
• 6-8+ years of experience in KYC, AML, client onboarding, or compliance roles with at least 2-3 years in a supervisory or leadership capacity.
• Experience in client-facing roles with a strong focus on communication and strong relationship management.

Skills and Competencies:

• Strong understanding of KYC and AML regulations, including global standards (e.g., FATF, FinCEN, and EU directives).
• Proven experience managing end-to-end KYC processes.
• Familiarity with client onboarding systems, databases, and relevant tools (Fenergo experience would be preferred). Additionally, Microsoft Office Suite proficiency.
• Exceptional problem-solving and decision-making skills with the ability to manage complex KYC cases.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to interact professionally with clients and stakeholders at all levels.
• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities simultaneously.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, with attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.

We champion a flexible work environment, as we understand the need for people to meet other commitments or simply strike a good work-life balance. As such, we are happy to talk flexible working for this role such as reduced working hours. The role will also include homeworking.

At Mizuho we are committed to supporting equality and diversity, and seek to create a workplace that is fully inclusive. We welcome applications from all sections of the community that we operate in and from all ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientation, beliefs, gender identities and disabilities.

If you require more information about our equal opportunities policy or wish to discuss any accessibility requirements or reasonable adjustments please contact the recruitment team - recruitment@mhcb.co.uk and we will be happy to help.