Lead Financial Crime Manager

Metro Bank Plc; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial institution in Greater London is seeking a Lead Financial Crime Manager to support the execution of its Financial Crime strategy. This role requires demonstrable leadership in financial crime compliance, overseeing regulations and risk frameworks, while managing a dedicated team. The organization values diversity and offers a competitive salary, annual bonus, and various benefits, along with opportunities for internal progression. If you're ready to take responsibility and drive risk management initiatives, seize this opportunity now.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Discretionary annual bonus

Generous holiday allowance

Attractive pension scheme

Healthcare benefits

Life assurance

Colleague discounts

Qualifications

• Demonstrable leadership experience in second-line financial crime compliance.
• Significant experience with diverse business models and product types.
• Deep understanding of UK and EU financial crime regulations.
• Strong expertise in preparing complex documentation.

Responsibilities

• Support in developing and enhancing the Bank's Financial Crime strategy.
• Advise senior stakeholders and represent function in governance forums.
• Maintain regulatory oversight and monitor emerging developments.
• Manage a dedicated Financial Crime team for high performance.

Skills

Leadership experience in financial crime compliance

Design systems and controls for products

Understanding of financial crime regulatory frameworks

Regulatory risk assessment

Strong Customer Due Diligence knowledge

Risk-based approach to FC management

Job description

Overview

At Metro Bank, we believe the best banking experience starts with people who genuinely care. We’re not just delivering banking services - we’re building trust through authentic connections. Here, our people come first; our colleagues are part of a team that values individuality, collaboration, and long-standing relationships. We are also all about balance so most of our jobs offer the opportunity for hybrid working built around your role and home life, wherever possible.

What you will do

As the Lead Financial Crime Manager you will support the Head of Financial Crime & Fraud Risk Strategy in developing, executing and continuously enhancing the Bank’s Financial Crime strategy. The role provides expert oversight, ensures regulatory compliance, strengthens risk frameworks, and leverages automation and AI to drive efficiency and informed decision-making.

• Provide strategic Financial Crime risk leadership by advising senior stakeholders, representing the function in key governance forums, and driving cross-functional collaboration to embed FC risk considerations across enterprise-wide risk and governance frameworks.
• Deliver expert Financial Crime risk support by maintaining regulatory impact oversight, monitoring emerging developments, guiding colleagues on policy compliance, and embedding dynamic, data-driven risk-based approaches across all FC activities to ensure consistency, alignment, and effective controls.
• Design, implement and oversee FC risk methodologies and assessments across enterprise, customer, country, industry, product and third-party risks, applying regulatory expectations, industry standards, and advanced practices (including the utilisation of automation and artificial intelligence).
• Oversee outsourcing of FC & Fraud controls by setting standards, evaluating proposals, and monitoring provider compliance with regulatory expectations and the bank’s risk appetite.
• Provide strategic oversight and guidance on Financial Crime systems and tools by leading their implementation, optimisation, and calibration, shaping procurement and design decisions, and recommending appropriate mitigation or approval for new or enhanced solutions.
• Manage, coach and mentor a dedicated FC team, ensuring high performance, strong capability, continuous improvement, and proactive risk management within the team.

And... we are a bank so risk is a part of everything we do. We love people who take responsibility, do the right thing for customers, colleagues and Metro Bank and have the ability to call out any concerns.

What you will need

• You must have demonstratable leadership experience in second-line financial crime compliance, with exposure to a range of business models, product types, customers, geographies, and distribution channels.
• Significant experience in designing systems and controls for new products and services in either large institutions or fast-growth environments.
• Deep understanding of UK and EU financial crime regulatory frameworks.
• Extensive experience in regulatory risk impact assessments, and in developing clear, proportionate policies and standards across diverse business areas and customer types.
• Strong expertise in preparing and presenting complex documentation for executive and regulatory audiences.
• Strong knowledge of Customer Due Diligence requirements and the handling of complex escalations.
• P—roven ability to develop and apply a proportionate, risk-based approach to FC risk management, ensuring alignment with regulatory expectations and the bank’s risk appetite.
• Demonstrated ability balancing regulatory requirements with operational efficiency and customer outcomes.
• Understand the risks associated with your job and what that means for you, Metro Bank and all our stakeholders.

Our promise to you

• We will make sure that you are well-rewarded by providing you with a competitive salary, discretionary annual bonus, and a wide range of benefits, including generous holiday allowance, attractive pension scheme, healthcare, life assurance, and a number of colleague discounts!
• We will give you the training to ensure you succeed in your role and plenty of internal opportunities to progress your career (around 40% of our recruitment comes from internal promotions!

Diverse teams really are the best teams. We know that candidates (especially women, research tells us) may be put off applying for a job unless they can tick every box. We also know that ‘normal’ office hours aren’t always doable, and while we can’t accommodate every flexible working request we are happy to be asked. So if you are excited about working with us and think you can do much of what we are looking for but aren’t sure if you are 100% there yet… why not give it a whirl? Please note that sometimes we may close a job earlier for applications if we are inundated with amazing candidates.. Good luck!