Head of Financial Crime, CIB Digital Assets and Currencies

HSBC; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global bank is seeking a Head of Financial Crime in London to lead a team focusing on Digital Assets and Currencies. The role involves advising on financial crime risks, setting policies, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in financial crime within the financial services sector and possess strong leadership skills. The position supports hybrid working, reflecting the bank's commitment to flexible work environments.

Benefits

Private healthcare

Enhanced maternity and adoption pay

Contributory pension scheme

Qualifications

• Significant experience in financial crime in a global firm.
• Comprehensive understanding of compliance requirements.
• Proven leadership and influencing skills.
• Extensive knowledge of financial crime risk frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Leading a global team of financial crime risk stewards.
• Providing advice on Digital Assets and Currencies.
• Setting policy and guiding businesses on financial crime risks.
• Ensuring compliance with laws and internal codes.

Skills

Financial crime risk management

Regulatory compliance

Strategic leadership

Digital Assets and Currencies expertise

Team leadership

Education

Experience in financial crime as a regulator or senior manager

Understanding of regulatory frameworks

Job description

Head of Financial Crime, CIB Digital Assets & Currencies – Risk and Compliance

Some careers open more doors than others.

If you’re looking for a career that will unlock new opportunities, join HSBC and experience the possibilities. Whether you want a career that could take you to the top, or simply take you in an exciting new direction, HSBC offers opportunities, support and rewards that will take you further.

Our Risk and Compliance function has a critical role to play in supporting, challenging and advising across all areas of the business through establishing policy, monitoring profiles, and identifying and managing forward‑looking risk and compliance. We focus on creating an environment that encourages our people to speak up and do the right thing, as well as protecting our customers, the organisation and the integrity of the financial markets in which we operate. Already an industry‑leader in many respects, we want to continue setting standards and evolving to respond to strategic changes.

As an HSBC employee in the UK, you will have access to tailored professional development opportunities and a competitive pay and benefits package. This includes private healthcare for all UK‑based employees, enhanced maternity and adoption pay and support when you return to work, and a contributory pension scheme with a generous employer contribution.

We are seeking a Financial Crime expert in Digital Assets & Currencies for the role of Head of Financial Crime, CIB Digital Assets & Currencies.

The Financial Crime (FC) Function acts as the Second Line of Defence (LOD), comprising 'Risk Stewards' independent of the Group’s commercial risk‑taking activities (First LOD or FLOD). The FC Function implements critical controls using intelligence, analytics, technology, detection, and investigation. Risk Stewards review and challenge FLOD activities to ensure effective management of FC risks, including fraud, money laundering, bribery, sanctions violations, terrorist financing, proliferation financing, export control violations, and tax evasion. The FC Function adheres to HSBC Group’s Risk Management Framework (RMF).

Responsibilities

• Leading a global team of financial crime risk stewards, providing advice on Digital Assets and Currencies.
• Offering subject matter expertise to set policy and guide businesses on financial crime risks, including high‑risk activities such as bribery & corruption, money laundering, sanctions, export controls, proliferation and terrorist finance, fraud, and tax evasion.
• Articulating risk appetite and policies for Digital Assets and Currencies.
• Acting as a trusted advisor and challenging FLOD as a risk steward.
• Ensuring compliance with external laws, internal codes, policies, and market practices.
• Representing the financial crime risk agenda in governance levels, including participation in the Corporate and Institutional Banking Financial Crime ExCo and relevant committees.
• Driving policy implementation, issue management, fostering a compliance culture, and optimising relations with risk and control owners.
• Maintaining effective relationships with global, regional, and local stakeholders.
• Influencing the operational effectiveness of the team.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in financial crime as a regulator, investigator, or senior manager within a global firm in the financial services industry.
• Comprehensive understanding of regulatory frameworks and compliance requirements in financial services, with a background in Financial Crime risk management advisory.
• Proven strategic leadership and influencing skills, applicable beyond your direct span of control.
• Extensive knowledge of financial crime risk frameworks and execution, with expertise in Digital Assets & Currencies.
• A background or deep understanding of operational risk is highly desirable.
• Experience in creating, leading, and motivating a team.

The base location for this role is London – Hybrid working.

You’ll achieve more when you join HSBC.

Opening up a world of opportunity.

Being open to different points of view is important for our business and the communities we serve. At HSBC, we’re dedicated to creating diverse and inclusive workplaces. Our recruitment processes are accessible to everyone – no matter their gender, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or age.

We take pride in being a Disability Confident Leader and will offer an interview to people with disabilities, long‑term conditions or neurodivergent candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the role.

If you’d like to apply for one of our roles and need adjustments made, please get in touch with our Recruitment Helpdesk.

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