EDD CQ Lead

Barclay Simpson; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Private medical cover

Employer pension contribution

Life assurance

Income protection

Enhanced annual leave

Job summary

Barclay Simpson is recruiting on behalf of a UK bank for an experienced financial crime professional to lead Enhanced Due Diligence and Quality Control across fintechs and regulated institutions. You will assess how clients manage financial crime risk, challenge weaknesses in controls, and help determine appetite alignment.

You’ll oversee onboarding and EDD reviews, conduct virtual and onsite assessments, and provide technical guidance to analysts.

Qualifications

• Substantial EDD and financial crime risk experience across fintechs and regulated banks.
• Experience reviewing fintechs or regulated financial institutions via virtual and onsite reviews.
• Strong understanding of weaknesses in financial crime controls within correspondent banking, payment intermediaries or e-money institutions.
• Ability to lead EDD reviews, perform QC, and develop analysts' capability.
• Knowledge of UK AML legislation, JMLSG guidance and the SAR regime.

Responsibilities

• Oversee onboarding and periodic EDD reviews across a diverse portfolio.
• Conduct virtual and onsite assessments and provide technical guidance to analysts.
• Deputise for the Director of Financial Crime Risk as required, with potential for line management.
• Review clients' business models and governance to build clear risk assessments and recommendations.
• Maintain quality and consistency of EDD reviews through QC and coaching.
• Present clear, well-supported recommendations to senior stakeholders and committees.
• Use management information to identify concerns across the portfolio and drive process improvements.

Skills

EDD leadership

Financial crime risk

Onsite/virtual reviews

Stakeholder communication

UK AML/JMLSG/SAR knowledge

Job description

Senior EDD & Quality Control Lead - Banking Services

We're recruiting on behalf of our client, a UK bank, for an experienced financial crime professional to lead Enhanced Due Diligence and Quality Control across a portfolio of fintechs and regulated financial institutions.

This role offers considerable exposure to client businesses and senior decision-makers. You'll assess how clients manage financial crime risk in practice, challenge weaknesses in their controls and help determine whether those risks fall within the bank's appetite.

Reporting to the Director of Financial Crime Risk, you'll oversee complex onboarding and periodic EDD reviews, conduct virtual and onsite assessments, and provide technical guidance to analysts. You'll also deputise for the Director where required, with potential to take on formal line management responsibilities in future.

The role

Your work will involve reviewing clients' business models, financial crime frameworks and governance arrangements, using client discussions, desktop research and onsite visits to build a clear assessment of risk.

You'll maintain the quality and consistency of EDD reviews through QC, structured feedback and coaching, while helping the team deliver against agreed timelines. You'll handle complex escalations, present recommendations to senior stakeholders and committees, and use management information to identify concerns across the portfolio.

There's also scope to improve review processes and support wider financial crime projects.

What you'll need

We're looking for substantial EDD and financial crime risk experience, including:

• Assessing fintechs or regulated financial institutions through virtual and onsite reviews.
• A strong understanding of financial crime control weaknesses within correspondent banking, payment intermediaries or e-money institutions.
• Leading complex EDD reviews, conducting QC and developing analysts' technical capability.
• Confidence challenging clients and presenting clear, well-supported recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• A sound working knowledge of UK AML legislation, JMLSG guidance and the SAR reporting regime.

Experience limited to standard KYC processing or retail banking due diligence is unlikely to provide the depth required for this position.

Limited travel may be required.

The package includes hybrid working, private medical cover, an employer pension contribution, life assurance, income protection and enhanced annual leave.