Central Inception Team Assistant

Mills & Reeve; Norwich; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading law firm in Norwich is seeking a Central Inception Team member to manage client inception processes. You will conduct identity verification and compliance checks, assist lawyers with regulatory obligations, and provide guidance to support staff. The ideal candidate should have strong IT and communication skills, be proactive, and have a methodical approach to tasks. This position offers competitive benefits and the chance to grow within a prestigious firm.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Wide range of benefits

Qualifications

• Ability to manage full file opening and closing processes.
• Experience conducting identity verification and due diligence.
• Strong capabilities in collating and assessing risk information.

Responsibilities

• Manage the full file opening and closing process.
• Conduct identity verification, ownership checks, and risk assessments.
• Provide guidance and training on the inception process.

Skills

Strong IT skills including knowledge of MS Office

Excellent communication skills

Excellent analytical skills

Strong prioritisation skills

Attention to detail

Methodical and organised approach

Proactive

Team player

Education

Educated to A-Level standard or equivalent

Educated to degree level or equivalent

Job description

Overview

Join our Central Inception Team to deliver seamless client inception, ensuring accuracy, compliance and exceptional support across every stage of the process.

The role

The Central Inception Team (CIT) acts as a key support function across the firm, ensuring lawyers meet their regulatory obligations. The team manages the full lifecycle of client and matter inception, including file opening and closing, and serves as a central point of contact for related queries. They provide guidance, training, and practical assistance to users throughout the process. Where necessary, the team liaises directly with clients to obtain additional information, ensuring compliance and accuracy at every stage.

The person

Essential Criteria

• Educated to A-Level standard or equivalent
• Strong IT skills including knowledge of MS Office
• Excellent communication skills – able to communicate effectively with fee earners and support staff to build positive relationships
• Excellent analytical skills
• Strong prioritisation skills and the ability to work well under pressure and to tight deadlines
• A common-sense approach
• Excellent attention to detail
• A methodical and organised approach to work
• A keenness to investigate issues and see a problem through to conclusion
• A team player, willing to take on responsibilities and new challenges
• Proactive
• Enthusiastic and keen to learn new skills

Desirable

• Educated to degree level or equivalent
• Attained a relevant qualification in money laundering
• Previous research experience
• Previous experience of working in a law firm or professional services environment
• An awareness of anti-money laundering procedures
• An understanding of conflict checks

The activities

Key responsibilities

• Client and matter inception: manage the full file opening and closing process, ensuring compliance with firm policies and regulatory requirements.
• AML and KYC checks: conduct identity verification, ownership checks, and risk assessments for new clients. Perform sanctions, PEP, and adverse media searches, escalating issues where necessary.
• Assess risk: collate relevant information to accurately assess a client's risk.
• Conflict checks: conduct conflict checks and escalate where necessary under the firm's escalation policy.
• Compliance support: work closely with the Risk & Compliance team to ensure accurate due diligence and maintain a robust audit trail.
• Research: carry out additional research when standard checks do not provide sufficient information, using reliable public sources.
• System management: accurately record and maintain client and matter details.
• Training and guidance: provide advice to lawyers and support staff on the inception process. Assist with induction training and mentor team members.
• Process controls: review and monitor key controls within the team\'s processes to maintain compliance standards.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

The Benefits

As you\'d expect, we offer a competitive salary and a wide range of benefits. Click here to find out more about our core benefit offering.

Pre employment screening

If we offer you a role, we will conduct comprehensive pre-employment screening. This screening will include, but is not limited to, a basic DBS, verification of your right to work, a three year employment history and a self-declaration to assess your character and suitability for the role. Full details of our pre-screening employment process are available upon request.

The firm

Mills & Reeve is centred on achieving more for clients, their businesses and the wider communities we serve. Our clients and their industries benefit from our knowledge and learning, and receive consistent experiences with no surprises. We tell them what they need to know when they need to know it.

We build personal relationships, with advice individually tailored to individual need. And if clients need things we don\'t offer, we draw on our network to give recommendations. Our 1,450 plus people and over 850 lawyers share one vision – achieving more for clients.

By joining Mills & Reeve, you\'ll have the chance to build your skills and experience within a firm that\'s not only ranked in the top 50 UK law firms, but also one that truly values their people. We\'re also ranked in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work list, and have been awarded Platinum Investors in People. Our mantra is “Achieve more. Together.”, which we feel embodies our purpose and is more than just a catchphrase!

Our values are the principles that help us fulfil our purpose. Our people shaped them and live them every day.

• We\'re ambitious - We aim high, we embrace new ideas and we\'re passionate about our work
• We\'re open - We communicate openly and honestly to build trust, and we do what\'s right
• We care - We\'re committed to each other, our clients, our communities and the planet
• We collaborate - We\'re easy to work with, we offer help willingly and we get things done – together

And finally

Everyone at Mills & Reeve brings a unique perspective and ideas to the team and we do everything we can to help each person to thrive. We\'re committed to providing an inclusive and supportive working environment, are happy to consider flexible working arrangements, and want to achieve the right balance for both our people and the firm. We encourage everyone to ask if they feel they need any workplace adjustments, and will do our best to support with these.

To find out more about our diversity and inclusion work, visit our website.