Financial Crime Manager

Grant Thornton UK; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company is seeking a Financial Crime Manager to oversee the High-Risk Assessment Unit. This role involves managing operations, conducting risk assessments, and ensuring compliance with legal standards. Ideal candidates will have strong analytical skills and experience in financial crime roles. The company promotes a diverse and inclusive culture, offering flexible working arrangements to support work-life balance.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Support for personal passions

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience in a financial crime role.
• Deep understanding of legal requirements and best practices.
• Experience reviewing and approving high-risk clients.

Responsibilities

• Conduct enhanced due diligence and financial crime risk assessments.
• Manage reporting on Internal SARs to ensure appropriate escalation.
• Engage with client teams on complex high-risk clients.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Communication Skills

Research Skills

Education

ICA

CAMS

Job description

More than you expected

The UK member firms of Grant Thornton are part of a global network of independent audit, tax, and advisory firms, comprising over 76,000 professionals in more than 150 countries. We are a team of independent thinkers who prioritize quality, inclusion, and integrity. Globally, we bring diverse experiences to our clients, offering a better, personalized, proactive, and agile service. That’s Grant Thornton.

Job Description:

Financial Crime Manager

NEW GROUND WON’T BREAK ITSELF.

Every day, our teams help individuals and communities to do what is right and achieve their goals.

The Financial Crime team supports the firm in managing financial crime risk and compliance effectively and efficiently. This is a senior position reporting directly to the Senior Manager of the High Risk Assessment Unit (HRAU). The team lead is the MLRO. The role involves managing the daily operations of the HRAU, working closely with the Senior Manager and senior team members. You will also manage a team of Assistant Managers and Analysts.

You will focus on ensuring that higher-risk clients undergo appropriate due diligence, scrutiny, and approval processes during onboarding and ongoing monitoring. You will advise and engage with various stakeholders across the firm, providing guidance and training on financial crime risks. Monitoring, reporting, and investigations are key responsibilities, with decisions made by you or presented for decision to senior management. The role requires a proactive, self-motivated individual with strong analytical and communication skills and the ability to build and maintain strong relationships.

We support flexible working arrangements, including reduced hours and job shares, to help you balance work and life.

A look into the role

As a Manager in the High-Risk Assessment Unit within our Financial Crime Team, you will:

• Conduct enhanced due diligence and financial crime risk assessments on clients, third parties, and insolvency payments at onboarding, event-driven, and periodic reviews to ensure the firm manages its exposure to financial crime risks and complies with legal requirements.
• Provide guidance and support to the High-Risk Assessment Unit team members, including completing approvals within delegated authority, especially for PEP and other high-risk relationships.
• Manage reporting on Internal SARs (suspicious activity reports) to ensure appropriate escalation and reporting to authorities.
• Ensure the efficient operation of the High-Risk Assessment Unit, working collaboratively with the Client Due Diligence (CDD) Team and reporting issues to the Senior Manager.
• Review and risk assess high-risk screening matches during ongoing screening processes, documenting risks, assessments, and recommendations.
• Engage with client engagement teams on complex high-risk clients to ensure risks are fully understood and provide financial crime-related training to the team.
• Create and maintain process documentation for the high-risk escalation procedures in collaboration with the Senior Manager.
• Support and lead projects to implement new processes and technologies to enhance the effectiveness of due diligence and risk assessment processes.

Knowing you’re right for us

The minimum criteria for joining as a Financial Crime Manager in the High-Risk Assessment Unit are:

• Demonstrable experience in a financial crime role.
• Deep understanding of legal requirements and best practices around enhanced due diligence and complex risk assessments.
• Experience reviewing and approving high-risk clients.
• Strong research skills, including proficiency in open-source and structured databases, with the ability to analyze complex information and make informed decisions and recommendations.

Preferred skills include, but are not limited to, a relevant professional qualification (e.g., ICA, CAMS).

• High accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to comply with legal, ethical, and regulatory standards, and to keep knowledge up-to-date.
• Ability to engage, motivate, and build networks across stakeholder groups.
• Self-motivated with the capacity to meet multiple deadlines while maintaining high service standards.

Knowing we’re right for you

At Grant Thornton, we embrace diversity and believe in creating an inclusive culture where everyone can perform at their best and realize their potential. Our open culture encourages interaction with leaders who value your unique contributions. We support you to bring your whole self to work and pursue your passions both inside and outside of work.

Beyond the job

We recognize that life extends beyond work. We offer flexible working options to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance. The impact you make here can go far beyond your day job, whether through secondments, fundraising, or supporting entrepreneurs in developing countries. Our values—purposefully driven, actively curious, and candid but kind—guide us in doing the right thing.

We seek individuals eager to contribute, innovate, and exceed expectations, committed to doing what’s right for the firm, clients, colleagues, and themselves. That’s how it should be.