Head of Financial Crime Operations – UK Personal Investor

Vanguard; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services firm is seeking a Head of Financial Crime Operations to set and execute their European strategy. This senior leadership role involves shaping governance, ensuring regulatory compliance, and innovating financial crime prevention measures. Ideal candidates bring over 10 years of operational leadership experience, a deep understanding of regulations, and exceptional communication skills. The position supports a hybrid working model fostering collaboration and personal growth.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in operational leadership, preferably in Financial Crime.
• Deep understanding of financial regulations.
• Proven experience engaging with boards and regulators.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute the financial crime operations strategy.
• Advise senior leaders on financial crime risks and initiatives.
• Lead high-performing teams and foster a culture of improvement.

Skills

Operational leadership

Financial Crime experience

Regulatory compliance knowledge

Exceptional leadership skills

Interpersonal skills

Strategic thinking

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.