Head of Financial Crime Operations – UK Personal Investor

Vanguard; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A financial services firm is seeking a Head of Financial Crime Operations in London. This leadership role involves setting the European financial crime strategy, ensuring regulatory compliance, and driving innovations in crime prevention. The ideal candidate should have over 10 years of operational leadership experience, particularly in financial crime, and demonstrate strong engagement with senior leaders and regulators. A hybrid working model is implemented to ensure flexibility and collaboration within the team.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in operational leadership, ideally in Financial Crime.
• Deep understanding of financial regulations related to retail investing.
• Proven engagement with boards and regulators.

Responsibilities

• Lead financial crime operations strategy and governance.
• Champion AI and automation in monitoring processes.
• Oversee investigation of complex financial crime cases.

Skills

Operational Leadership

Financial Crime Compliance

Strong Communication Skills

Strategic Thinking

Collaboration

Job description

Head of Financial Crime Operations

London, UK

Role Overview

As a key member of the senior leadership team, the Head of Financial Crime Operations is responsible for setting and executing the European financial crime 1st line strategy. This role ensures robust governance, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence across all applicable business lines. The Head will chair the Financial Crime Risk Committee, engage directly with executive leadership, 2nd line partners and regulators, and drive innovation in financial crime prevention. This leader owns the financial crime risk management for first line businesses, oversees significant budgets and resources, and represents the organization externally as a thought leader in the field.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the design and execution of a future-ready financial crime operations strategy that integrates technology solutions to enhance prevention, detection and management capabilities.
• Advise and influence senior business leaders and executive committees on financial crime risk, emerging threats, and strategic initiatives.
• Build and lead high-performing teams, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.

Operational Excellence & Innovation

• Champion the use of AI and automation to improve transaction monitoring screening, and case management processes – reducing false positives and increasing investigative efficiency.
• Lead transformation initiatives to modernise financial crime operations, including the implementation of new platforms, workflow tools, and digital onboarding solutions.
• Oversee third‑party relationships critical to financial crime prevention.

Governance & Oversight

• Lead the business operations of the financial crime, including transaction monitoring, customer due diligence (CDD), enhanced due diligence (EDD), PEP and Sanctions screening and suspicious activity reporting (SAR).
• Oversee the investigation and resolution of complex financial crime cases, ensuring timely escalation and reporting.
• Continuously assess and mitigate financial crime risks across the investment lifecycle, using data‑driven insights and predictive analytics to inform decision‑making.
• Ensure adherence to UK and international financial crime regulations (e.g., FCA, JMLSG, FATF), while working closely with strategy and CX teams to embed proportionate, risk‑based controls that enable innovation and customer growth.

Key skills / experience

• Extensive experience (10+ years) in operational leadership (including experience in Financial Crime) ideally with multi‑functional or business remit.
• Deep understanding of applicable regulations and law, especially as they relate to retail investing and broader financial services.
• Proven track record of engaging with boards, regulators and executive committees.
• Exceptional leadership skills, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Effective collaborator with ability to establish credibility quickly and influence at all levels.
• Strategic, proactive thinker with strong delivery focus and hands‑on approach.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in‑person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission‑driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long‑term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.