Financial Crime Agile Testing Programme Lead

3761 Barclays - BX - UK; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Barclays is seeking a Head of Agile Testing to lead proactive, risk-based testing across Financial Crime and Compliance risk areas. You will provide independent challenge through rapid sprint reviews, identify emerging risks, and assess control effectiveness for senior management.

The role requires deep experience in compliance risk frameworks, AML and sanctions, and strong leadership of senior specialist teams.

Qualifications

• Experience leading senior specialist teams.
• Ability to design and implement testing, assurance, or oversight frameworks.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience presenting risk matters to senior executives and governance forums.
• Knowledge of AML, sanctions, and broader compliance risk frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Agile Testing function for Financial Crime and Compliance risk areas.
• Provide independent challenge and insight through sprint-based reviews to identify risks and assess controls.
• Establish and enhance testing methodology, operating model, governance, reporting, and delivery capability.
• Collaborate with 1LOD, legal, and risk management to enable a comprehensive risk management approach.
• Oversee and escalate breaches and ensure alignment with regulatory requirements.

Skills

Compliance risk management

Senior leadership

AML & sanctions

Testing frameworks design

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Executive communication

Tools

Technology-enabled testing tools

Data platforms

Agile delivery

Job description

Purpose of the role

To provide data-led expert oversight and check and challenge on business and compliance matters to evidence that the organisation is operating in a compliance with Barclays legal, regulatory and ethical responsibilities.

Accountabilities

Identification and assessment of compliance risks through thorough reviews of business activities, changes, processes, testing and systems to. Identification and investigation of potential market abuse, including but not limited to, Insider Dealing, Unlawful Disclosure, Market Manipulation or Anti-Competitive Conduct. Conduct investigation of compliance risk events or breaches. Oversight and check and challenge of corrective actions and preventative measures to avoid future occurrences. Implementation of compliance policies and procedures in line with regulatory requirements and ensuring that the bank’s internal policies are aligned with international standards, including jurisdictional requirements. Collaboration with 1LOD, other relevant Compliance teams and legal, and relevant risk management functions to facilitate a comprehensive approach to compliance and risk management. Identification, investigation and oversight of potential money laundering, terrorist financing or other financial crime.

Director Expectations

To manage a business function, providing significant input to function wide strategic initiatives. Contribute to and influence policy and procedures for the function and plan, manage and consult on multiple complex and critical strategic projects, which may be business wide.. They manage the direction of a large team or sub-function, leading other people managers and embedding a performance culture aligned to the values of the business. Or for an individual contributor, they lead organisation wide projects and act as deep technical expert and thought leader, identifying new ways of working and collaborating cross functionally. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions.. Provide expert advice to senior functional management and committees to influence decisions made outside of own function, offering significant input to function wide strategic initiatives. Manage, coordinate and enable resourcing, budgeting and policy creation for a significant sub-function. Escalates breaches of policies / procedure appropriately. Foster and guide compliance, ensure regulations are observed that relevant processes in place to facilitate adherence. Focus on the external environment, regulators, or advocacy groups to both monitor and influence on behalf of Barclays, when appropriate. Demonstrate extensive knowledge of how the function integrates with the business division / Group to achieve the overall business objectives. Maintain broad and comprehensive knowledge of industry theories and practices within own discipline alongside up-to-date relevant sector / functional knowledge, and insight into external market developments / initiatives. Use interpretative thinking and advanced analytical skills to solve problems and design solutions in often complex/ sensitive situations. Exercise management authority to make significant decisions and certain strategic decisions or recommendations within own area. Negotiate with and influence stakeholders at a senior level both internally and externally. Act as principal contact point for key clients and counterparts in other functions/ businesses divisions. Mandated as a spokesperson for the function and business division.

All Senior Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard.

• L – Listen and be authentic
• E – Energise and inspire
• A – Align across the enterprise
• D – Develop others

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.

Role Purpose

The Head of Agile Testing leads the Agile Testing function, delivering proactive, risk-based, data-led testing across Financial Crime and Compliance risk areas.

The role provides independent challenge and insight through rapid, sprint-based reviews that identify emerging risks, assess the effectiveness of controls and remediation, and provide senior management with forward-looking intelligence.

The role is accountable for establishing and continually enhancing the Agile Testing methodology, operating model, governance, reporting, and delivery capability. This ensures testing remains agile, focused on the highest-risk areas, and aligned with the firm's risk appetite and strategic priorities.

Experience and Skills Essential

• Significant experience in Financial Crime, Compliance, Risk, Assurance, Audit, or Testing functions.
• Proven leadership experience managing senior specialist teams.
• Strong understanding of AML, Sanctions, ABC, Fraud, and broader Compliance risk frameworks.
• Experience designing and implementing testing, assurance, or oversight frameworks.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience presenting risk matters to senior executives and governance forums.

Desirable

• Experience establishing new functions or operating models.
• Strong expertise in data analytics and management information.
• Familiarity with agile delivery methodologies.
• Experience with technology-enabled testing tools and data platforms.
• Regulatory engagement and thematic review experience.

Success Measures

• Identification of emerging risks and thematic issues.
• Quality and timeliness of testing outputs.
• Management adoption of recommendations.
• Reduction in repeat control weaknesses and thematic findings.
• Stakeholder satisfaction and credibility of insights provided.
• Continuous improvement in frameworks, analytics, and delivery efficiency.
• Demonstrable contribution to improved risk management and regulatory outcomes.

Leadership Expectations

Sets strategic direction and delivers through others.

Demonstrates sound judgement and balanced, risk-based decision-making.

Facilitates constructive challenge while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships.

Drives innovation and continuous improvement.

Leads with integrity and accountability, with a strong focus on the firm's values and control environment.

Our Work Experience

Our Work Experience is the combination of everything that's unique about us: our culture, our core values, our company meetings, our commitment to sustainability, our recognition programs, but most importantly, it's our people.

Our employees are self-disciplined, hard working, curious, trustworthy, humble, and truthful.

They make choices according to what is best for the team, they live for opportunities to collaborate and make a difference, and they make us the #1 Top Workplace in the area.