Head of Correspondent Banking & Client Due Diligence – UK

Antal International Network; United Kingdom; On-site; Confidential; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services firm in the UK is seeking a Head of Correspondent Banking & Client Due Diligence. The role will involve providing strategic direction for the Client Onboarding department, ensuring compliance, and overseeing the due diligence process. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10 years of experience in the field, strong management skills, and a degree in a relevant subject. Competitive salary offered.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years' experience in Customer Due Diligence within financial services.
• Minimum 5 years' team management experience required.

Responsibilities

• Manage the due diligence and client life-cycle process.
• Provide subject matter advice to senior management.
• Ensure regulatory compliance for client onboarding.
• Maintain ownership of Client Lifecycle Management system.

Skills

Hands-on

Strong communication skills

Attention to detail

Able to prioritize

Advanced report writing

Analytical skills

Team management

Confident to challenge

Education

Degree in a relevant subject

Professional qualifications in compliance

Tools

Microsoft Office

Sanction screening tools

Job description

Head of Correspondent Banking & Client Due Diligence – UK

Job Title: Head of Correspondent Banking and Client Due Diligence – UK

Location: United Kingdom

Salary: £134K (Depending on Experience)

Purpose of the Role: To set the strategic direction and provide leadership and oversight for the Client Onboarding department

Responsibilities

• Managing the due diligence and client life-cycle process for customer, vendor, and counterparty relationships from initial onboarding to periodic and trigger-event driven reviews and offboarding and exits process for customers, counterparties and vendors /suppliers.
• Ensuring that appraisals and competency assessments are completed for members of the Client Onboarding department, and that opportunities to develop their, skills, knowledge and abilities are provided.
• Provide subject matter advice and guidance to the Deputy Head of Client Onboarding and Senior Business Compliance Manager, Correspondent Banking Due Diligence as well as the wider the Client Onboarding department with regards to customer due diligence and enhanced due diligence
• Drafting, maintain and where relevant update client onboarding / client life-cycle operating procedures for the department in line with the Bank’s policies and procedures and ensure these are effectively implemented and embedded.
• Ensuring support and guidance is provided to Relationship Managers with regards to due diligence and client life-cycle requirements.
• Working closely with Relationship Managers in maintaining adequate Service Level
• Agreements (SLAs) for the timely completion of due diligence records.
• Maintain ownership of the Client Lifecycle Management system and ensure relevant enhancements are identified, scoped and implemented.
• Provide on-going support to the development and implementation of digital platforms for client life‑cycle management.
• Ensuring adequate records are kept with regards to the steps that have been taken in terms of due diligence and client life‑cycle management of individual relationships.
• Providing sign‑off (i.e. confirmation that KYC has been completed satisfactory) for all client accounts (both new and existing clients at point of onboarding and refresh and remediation); Identify, manage, initiate and where relevant execute projects and initiatives to improve the operational effectiveness of the Client Onboarding department.
• Providing relevant and timely Management Information (MI) to senior management and relevant governance and oversight committees on the operational and risk management effectiveness (i.e. Key Performance Indicators) of the Client Onboarding department;
• Ensuring the Risk Assessment and Controls Self‑assessment is completed.
• To ensure regulatory compliance to on boarding and Client Life Cycle management (CLM).

Communication Partners

• Head of Compliance & MLRO
• Divisional Head Corporate & Institutional Banking
• Head of Transaction Monitoring

Skills and Competencies

• Hands‑on, able to work on own initiative, pro‑active and take full responsibility delivering role objectives.
• Strong communication skills and be able to communicate effectively with various stakeholders.
• Strong attention to detail and focused on results and delivery of objectives.
• Able to prioritise and to work to tight deadlines.
• Able to present issues and results to senior management and to influence.
• Advanced report writing and presentation skills.
• Able to analyse complex sets of data and be inquisitive and curious by nature.
• Able to manage, support and develop team members.
• Self‑aware and confident to work independently and take responsibility for own development.
• Confident to challenge actions and behaviours that are not consistent with the Bank’s policies and the best interests of the business and its customers.
• Able to walk through processes and procedures and detect possible control weaknesses to target testing appropriately.

Experience

• A minimum of 10 years’ experience within a Customer Due Diligence function in a financial services environment, ideally gained at a small or medium size firm.
• A minimum of 5 years’ team management experience essential.

Qualifications

• Degree in a relevant subject, such as Business or Management etc
• Professional / Industry qualifications in compliance an advantage

IT Skills

• A good overall knowledge of Microsoft Office (e.g. Excel, Word and Outlook)
• Knowledge of using Sanction, PEP and adverse media screening tools essential
• Knowledge of using transaction monitoring system would be beneficial