Manager - Financial Crime Compliance - Ongoing Monitoring

Saffery; Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading firm of accountants in Manchester seeks a KYC & AML Operations Lead to oversee compliance and enhance client due diligence processes. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in AML regulations within professional services and a track record of effectively managing teams. Responsibilities include driving compliance, making critical decisions regarding client relationships, and improving operational efficiency. This role offers a competitive salary and extensive benefits, including flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Eligibility for profit sharing

Private medical insurance

Contributory pension scheme

Life assurance cover

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in KYC and AML compliance, particularly in professional services.
• Deep understanding of CDD/EDD processes and the risks associated with complex client structures.
• Proven ability to lead teams and nurture talent.

Responsibilities

• Drive compliance with KYC policies and procedures across existing clients.
• Act as go-to expert for KYC completion and query resolution.
• Support tech-driven improvements to boost compliance efficiency.

Skills

Leadership

KYC Compliance

Risk Assessment

Communication

Regulatory Knowledge

Job description

The role

Take the Lead in KYC & AML Operations

We're looking for a detail-driven leader to steer KYC remediation and ongoing monitoring processes, working closely with the FCC's leadership team. This is a hands-on role with real impact-perfect for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and knows how to manage a busy workload with precision.

As a manager, you'll be at the heart of a wide range of CDD responsibilities, including:

• Driving compliance: Ensure firm-wide KYC policies and procedures are applied consistently across existing clients.
• Making critical decisions: Approve continuation of existing business relationships. Including mandate to approve certain Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) risk triggers/clients.
• Being the go-to expert: Act as a key contact for the business, enabling timely and high-quality KYC completion and query resolution.
• Empowering your team: Build capability, share knowledge, and support career growth.
• Staying ahead: Keep up with evolving AML regulations and industry best practices.
• Innovation: Support tech-driven improvements that boost efficiency without compromising compliance.
• Improving processes: Spot opportunities to streamline and enhance service delivery.
• Inspiring confidence: Build strong stakeholder relationships and establish yourself as a trusted, empowering leader.

This list is not exhaustive, and you will be expected to help on other associated risk management tasks/ projects.

The team

The FCC team is well established and led by the firm's MLRO and Deputy MLRO, both of whom have full-time responsibility for overseeing the function. The team currently consists of 17 members of staff mostly based in London. Although this role is being housed in our Manchester office, the successful candidate will report to the Deputy MLRO and fully integrate into the core FCC team and regularly visit the London office for team building, training, etc (travel costs will be covered by Saffery).

You

The successful candidate will have worked within Professional Services, ideally an accountancy firm, and have extensive knowledge of AML regulations and how they apply to ongoing CDD procedures.

The successful candidate will have:

• Deep CDD/EDD expertise - You know your way around complex client structures (Trusts, Estates, Private Clients, Corporate Groups) and understand the risks they carry, ideally from a background in Accounting or Professional Services.
• Regulatory precision - You've applied CDD procedures with confidence, ensuring compliance and overseeing timely, high-quality outputs.
• Risk radar - You can assess client risk holistically-AML and beyond-and know when and how to elevate.
• Sector savvy - You understand the services we offer and associated risk management requirements.
• People skills - You're a natural communicator who builds strong relationships with client-facing teams and your direct colleagues and adds value through collaboration.
• Leadership mindset - You've led teams, nurtured talent, and take pride in helping others grow and overcome challenges.

Salary/benefits

• A 35-hour working week
• Eligibility for the firm's Profit Sharing Plan that runs from October to September each year. The scheme enables staff to share in the profits of the firm.
• Flexible working arrangements (flexible start and finish times around core hours and working from home) upon successful completion of probationary period and line manager approval
• Competitive annual salary
• Eligibility for the discretionary bonus scheme
• Twenty-five days annual leave.
• Eligibility for firm's private medical insurance upon successful completion of probation
• In addition, under the flexible benefits programme, employees are entitled to buy or sell up to five days holiday a year, subject to manager approval.
• Life assurance cover of four times salary.
• Eligibility for interest free season ticket loan on completion of probationary period.
• Contributory pension scheme (The firm will contribute 5% of salary on a matched basis with employee after six months service)
• Three-month probationary period.
• Access to a number of other benefits with preferential rates under the flexible benefit programme, which include; health screening/GP support, critical illness cover, dental and optical plan. More information can be found online.
• Reward gateway includes benefits such as discounted retail, travel & activities.

The organisation

Saffery is a firm of chartered accountants and business advisers. We have over 90 partners and 1000 staff that work from nine offices in the UK, plus offices in Ireland, Guernsey, Switzerland and the UAE.

We are bound by our shared values: ensuring excellence and integrity in the work we undertake, and being enthusiastic and collegiate in working together to achieve the very best outcomes for our clients. We value our strong client relationships and genuinely partner-led approach and we place great importance on providing exemplary client service.

We are a member of Nexia International, a leading global network of independent accounting and consulting firms. This network connects us to over 250 other member firms in 120 countries across the globe, so we are able connect our clients to the very best advisers no matter what country their affairs take them to.

Our experts advise a broad range of individuals, their families, businesses and wider interests. The sectors in which we operate include: private wealth; owner-managed businesses; real estate; landed estates and rural businesses; sports and entertainment; not-for-profit organisations; and professional firms and consulting businesses.

Our people are our most important asset and so providing excellent training and development opportunities is an important part of what we do. Testament to this is our long-standing Investors in People accreditation, and we are proud to have been named as one of ‘Britain's Top Employers' every year since 2004.