Financial Crime Manager

Grant Thornton UK; London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the UK is seeking a Financial Crime Manager to oversee the High-Risk Assessment Unit. This role involves managing daily operations, ensuring compliance with financial crime regulations, and providing guidance on due diligence processes. The ideal candidate will have strong analytical skills and experience in financial crime, with opportunities for flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Opportunities for secondments

Charity work

Qualifications

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

Responsibilities

• Manage daily operations of the High-Risk Assessment Unit.
• Undertake enhanced due diligence and risk assessments.
• Provide guidance and support to the team.

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, personal, proactive, and agile service. That’s Grant Thornton.

Job Description:

Financial Crime Manager

NEW GROUND WON’T BREAK ITSELF.

Every day, our teams help businesses and communities 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 is headed by the MLRO. The role involves managing the daily operations of the HRAU, working closely with the Senior Manager and senior team members, and leading a team of Assistant Managers and Analysts.

You will focus on ensuring that higher-risk clients undergo appropriate due diligence, scrutiny, and approval processes both at onboarding and during ongoing monitoring. You will also 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 robust relationships.

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

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 during onboarding, event-driven, and periodic reviews to manage exposure to financial crime risks, ensuring compliance with legal requirements and alignment with the firm’s risk appetite.
• Provide guidance and support to the High-Risk Assessment Unit team members, including completing approvals within delegated authority, especially relating to PEP and other high-risk relationships.
• Manage reporting of Internal SARs (Suspicious Activity Reports) to authorities, ensuring proper escalation and mitigation of financial crime suspicions.
• Ensure the efficient operation of the High-Risk Assessment Unit, collaborating with the Client Due Diligence (CDD) team and reporting issues to the Senior Manager.
• Review and assess high-risk screening matches, documenting risks, assessments, recommendations, and mitigations for decision-makers and client engagement teams.
• Engage with client teams on complex high-risk clients to ensure comprehensive understanding of risks and provide financial crime training to the team.
• Create and maintain process documentation for the high-risk escalation procedures in collaboration with the Senior Manager.
• Lead projects to implement new processes and technology to enhance the effectiveness of due diligence and risk assessment procedures.

Knowing you’re right for us

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

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

Additional desirable skills include:

• A relevant professional qualification (e.g., ICA, CAMS).

• High accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to comply with legal, ethical, and regulatory standards, updating knowledge regularly to maintain credibility.
• Ability to engage, motivate, and build networks with stakeholders.
• Self-motivation and ability to manage multiple deadlines while maintaining high service standards.

Knowing we’re right for you

At Grant Thornton, we foster an inclusive culture that values diversity and respects all colleagues. We encourage you to bring your whole self to work and pursue your passions both professionally and personally.

Our open culture means you'll interact with leaders interested in your growth and contributions. We support flexible working options to promote work-life balance.

Beyond the job

Life outside work is important. We support flexible working arrangements and aim to help you balance your professional and personal life.

The impact you make here extends beyond your day-to-day role. From secondments and charity fundraising to supporting entrepreneurs in developing countries, your work will contribute to societal good. Our core values—purposefully driven, actively curious, and candid but kind—guide everything we do.

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