Financial Crime Oversight Manager

MERJE; Bolton; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

MERJE, in partnership with a UK specialist financial services organisation, seeks a Financial Crime Oversight Manager in Manchester. This second-line role designs and tests controls, challenges risk exposure and helps shape the financial crime framework across the business.

You’ll work with senior stakeholders to translate regulatory requirements into practical, risk-based solutions, oversee risk assessments and monitoring, and lead investigations into suspicious activity.

Qualifications

• Experience in financial crime oversight within financial services.
• Strong knowledge of Money Laundering Regulations 2017, JMLSG Guidance and the FCA Financial Crime Guide.
• Ability to translate regulatory requirements into practical, risk-based solutions.

Responsibilities

• Design and test financial crime controls and track remediation.
• Support the MLRO in maintaining the financial crime framework, policies and procedures.
• Lead reviews of Business-Wide Risk Assessments and customer risk assessments.
• Monitor regulatory developments, perform horizon scanning and gap analysis against expectations.
• Produce reports and present findings to senior leadership and governance committees.
• Lead investigations into suspicious activity, sanctions and anti-bribery matters.
• Provide independent oversight of financial crime systems and change initiatives.
• Deliver financial crime guidance and training across the organisation.

Skills

Financial crime oversight

Stakeholder management

Regulatory knowledge

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Integrity and judgement

Job description

Financial Crime Oversight Manager

Risk | Full-time | Manchester 4 DAYS A WEEK IN OFFICE

The Opportunity

We're partnering with an ambitious and growing UK specialist financial services organisation to recruit a Financial Crime Oversight Manager.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a highly collaborative risk function where you'll play a pivotal role in shaping and enhancing the firm's financial crime oversight framework. You'll work closely with senior stakeholders across the business, providing independent challenge, practical advice and strategic oversight to ensure financial crime risks are effectively identified, assessed and managed.

Whether you're looking to step into a broader oversight role or you're already operating at this level and looking for a business where you can make a genuine impact, this position offers significant scope to influence how financial crime risk is managed within a growing regulated environment.

The Role

Operating within the second line of defence, you'll be responsible for assessing, monitoring and challenging the firm's financial crime risk exposure while supporting the ongoing development of its financial crime framework.

This is a varied role that combines strategic oversight with hands‑on delivery, giving you the opportunity to work across multiple financial crime disciplines and wider risk initiatives.

Key responsibilities include:

• Designing, reviewing and testing financial crime controls, providing constructive feedback to operational teams and tracking remediation activities.
• Supporting the Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) in maintaining and enhancing the financial crime framework, policies and procedures.
• Leading reviews and updates of Business-Wide Risk Assessments, customer risk assessments and system rules.
• Monitoring regulatory developments, undertaking horizon scanning and conducting gap analysis against regulatory expectations and industry best practice.
• Producing reports and presenting findings to senior leadership and governance committees.
• Leading investigations into suspicious activity, fraud, sanctions and anti‑bribery matters, supporting regulatory reporting where appropriate.
• Monitoring financial crime and fraud risk indicators, identifying trends and emerging risks.
• Providing independent oversight of financial crime systems, control design and change initiatives.
• Delivering financial crime guidance and training across the organisation.

While the role has no direct line management responsibility, you'll act as a trusted subject matter expert, coaching colleagues and supporting the continued development of financial crime capability across the business.

About You

We're looking for an experienced financial crime professional who combines strong technical expertise with excellent stakeholder management skills.

You'll be comfortable providing independent challenge while building collaborative relationships across the business and will enjoy translating complex regulatory requirements into practical, risk-based solutions.

You'll ideally bring:

• Demonstrable experience in a financial crime oversight, compliance or risk role within financial services.
• Strong knowledge of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, JMLSG Guidance and the FCA Financial Crime Guide.
• Knowledge of wider financial crime legislation, including sanctions, anti‑bribery and corruption, or tax evasion (desirable).
• Experience working across different financial products, customer types, distribution channels and jurisdictions.
• A strong understanding of financial crime systems, controls and emerging regulatory technology.
• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to make sound, evidence‑based decisions.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex concepts clearly to a range of stakeholders.
• A proactive, adaptable approach with the ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced environment.
• High levels of integrity, sound judgement and the confidence to influence senior stakeholders.

This is an office based role and you must be comfortable being in the Manchester office 4-5 days per week.