Global KYC / AML Lead | London, UK | In-Office

Meredith Brown Associates; London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious investment firm is seeking a Global KYC/AML Lead to oversee compliance initiatives. This role is pivotal for ensuring regulatory adherence and optimizing client onboarding processes across global jurisdictions. Successful candidates will demonstrate deep expertise in AML/KYC operations and a strategic mindset in driving change.

Qualifications

• Progressive experience in AML/KYC operations within asset management or wealth management.
• Experience in multi-jurisdictional environments.
• Ability to drive strategic change and manage projects.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the end-to-end KYC lifecycle process.
• Lead and manage a global team of KYC/AML specialists.
• Engage with regulators and manage compliance audits.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Communication

Problem-solving

Education

Professional certification (CAMS, ICA, or equivalent)

Tools

World-Check

Salesforce

Fenergo

Job description

Global KYC / AML Lead

Meredith Brown Associates London, United Kingdom

Global KYC / AML Lead

Meredith Brown Associates London, United Kingdom

A prestigious investment firm, with circa $55Bn in assets under management, is looking to hire an experienced and strategic KYC/AML Specialist to lead the operational expertise in their global KYC/AML compliance initiatives.

This role is critical in ensuring the firm’s client onboarding and due diligence processes meet regulatory requirements and internal policies across jurisdictions. The role will partner closely with the global Client Onboarding team, managing all KYC/AML processes during client onboarding and delivering a seamless experience to new clients. You must have a proven track record in driving change, delivering remediation projects, leading process improvements, and confidently engaging with both clients and regulators

Role & Responsibilities

KYC/AML Operations & Oversight

• Provide oversight of the end-to-end KYC lifecycle process, including onboarding, periodic reviews, and event-driven reviews.
• Lead, mentor, and manage a global team of KYC/AML specialists across multiple offices.
• Manage account opening pipeline, ensuring timely completion of milestones while maintaining high service standards.
• Demonstrate multi-jurisdiction KYC/AML expertise to support business growth and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure compliance with global AML and KYC regulatory requirements, including FATF, BSA/AML, UK FCA, MAS, SEC, and other applicable regulations.
• Ensure continuous training and upskilling of staff on evolving regulatory requirements and internal policies.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant policies and implement appropriate controls and procedures.

Client & Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as a subject matter expert and escalation contact for all client-facing KYC/AML queries during onboarding and ongoing review processes.
• Build trusted relationships with internal client teams, legal, compliance, and technology departments.
• Lead complex client escalations, providing guidance and recommendations on KYC matters.

Regulatory Interaction

• Lead and participate during regulatory inspections, audits, and external reviews on KYC/AML matters.
• Prepare and lead presentations and responses to regulatory queries in coordination with Compliance and Legal teams.
• Maintain a strong audit trail of KYC documentation and compliance activity.

Process Improvement and Change Execution

• Lead global initiatives to optimise and automate KYC workflows and reduce operational risk.
• Develop dashboards to monitor workload, quality control, and turnaround times across regions.
• Drive standardisation and consistency of KYC practices across regions.
• Collaborate with technology teams to implement effective digital solutions and policy-driven automation.

Remediation & Quality Assurance

• Manage large-scale remediation projects including data cleansing, client outreach, and documentation updates.
• Perform root cause analysis and proactively remediate issues identified during QA, audits, or regulatory reviews.
• Ensure high-quality outcomes through development and implementation of quality controls.

Skills & Experience

• A proven track record of progressive experience in AML/KYC operations within asset management or wealth management.
• Experience working in multi-jurisdictional environments with exposure to APAC, EMEA, and North America.
• Deep understanding of global AML/KYC regulations and best practices.
• Proven ability to drive strategic change, manage projects, and implement process improvements.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills with experience in regulatory and client-facing roles.
• Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving abilities.
• Professional certifications such as CAMS, ICA, or equivalent are strongly preferred.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.
• Able to influence and collaborate across functions and geographies.
• Ethical, accountable, and results-oriented.
• Familiarity with tools such as World-Check, LexisNexis, Refinitiv, Dow Jones Risk Compliance, or similar are desirable.
• Experience with onboarding tools or workflow platforms like DealCloud, Salesforce, Fenergo, or Appian are desirable.

This is a rare opportunity to take an integral role, and for your work to have considerable influence, at a multi-national investment house with offices in Europe, the US and Asia, with a collaborative and supportive culture that values its people.

Please note that only successful applicants can be contacted.

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