Senior Client Onboarding Specialist

Schroders; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Schroders is seeking a Senior Client Onboarding Specialist in London to lead complex onboarding cases, assess ownership structures and apply rigorous AML/financial crime judgement. You will act as a senior technical reference, supporting the Client Onboarding lead and guiding colleagues across the team.

The role requires strong practical AML expertise, experience with high-risk clients, and the ability to balance risk controls with positive client outcomes.

Qualifications

• Significant AML/financial crime experience within financial services.
• Proven ability to apply independent judgement to complex client circumstances.
• Experience assessing complex and higher-risk relationships.
• Understanding of beneficial ownership, control structures and related risks.
• Experience with Enhanced Due Diligence and high-risk clients including PEPs and sanctions.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex, higher-risk onboarding cases across individuals, companies, trusts and other structures.
• Analyse ownership, control and governance to identify beneficial owners and connected parties.
• Critically assess KYC information to form a holistic client understanding.
• Apply AML expertise to assess risks from PEP exposure, sanctions and geographic risk.
• Assess source of wealth/funds and determine coherence of the narrative.
• Lead or support Enhanced Due Diligence and escalate where needed.
• Exercise independent judgement and articulate risk-based decisions clearly.
• Act as senior technical reference across KYC, AML and financial crime matters.
• Support the onboarding lead and guide colleagues on complex cases.
• Translate policy and risk appetite into practical application and controls.

Skills

AML expertise

KYC

Financial crime

Client onboarding

Risk assessment

Independent judgement

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

The Senior Client Onboarding Specialist is a senior practitioner within Wealth Management Client Onboarding, responsible for complex and higher-risk client relationships and for providing technical leadership across KYC, AML and financial crime matters.

The role combines hands-on ownership of complex cases with acting as a senior point of reference and deputy to the Client Onboarding lead, supporting consistent risk judgement and helping develop the technical capability of the wider team.

The successful candidate will bring strong practical AML and financial crime expertise and be comfortable moving beyond process-driven KYC to form a holistic view of the client and associated risks. This includes assessing complex structures, source of wealth and source of funds, identifying financial crime risks and determining when further investigation, challenge or escalation is required.

The role requires someone who can combine strong financial crime judgement with pragmatism, commercial awareness and a positive client experience.

About Us

Schroders is a global investment manager which provides active asset management, wealth management and investment solutions. We aim to provide excellent investment performance to clients through active management. We serve a diverse client base that includes pension schemes, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, foundations, high net worth individuals, family offices, as well as end clients through partnerships with distributors, financial advisers, and online platforms.

Established in 1804, we have around 5,500 people across 36 global locations. Schroders' success can be attributed to its diversified business model, spanning different asset classes, client types and geographies.

The base

We moved into our new HQ in the City of London in 2018. We’re close to our clients, in the heart of the UK’s financial centre and we have everything we need to work flexibly.

What you'll do

• Lead complex, higher-risk and judgement-intensive onboarding cases across individuals, companies, trusts, foundations and other complex structures.
• Analyse ownership, control and governance structures and identify relevant beneficial owners and connected parties.
• Critically assess KYC information and evidence to develop a holistic understanding of the client, their circumstances, activities and purpose of the relationship.
• Apply strong AML and financial crime expertise to assess risks arising from PEP exposure, sanctions, adverse information, geography, complex structures and other higher-risk characteristics.
• Assess source of wealth and source of funds, including complex cases, and determine whether the overall narrative and evidence provide a credible and coherent explanation.
• Lead or support Enhanced Due Diligence and identify inconsistencies, unusual circumstances and potential financial crime red flags requiring further investigation or escalation.
• Exercise independent judgement and clearly articulate the rationale for risk-based decisions.

2. Senior Technical & Deputy Support

• Act as a senior technical point of reference for complex KYC, AML and financial crime matters.
• Support and deputise for the Client Onboarding lead where appropriate, providing continuity and senior technical support across the team.
• Guide and challenge colleagues on complex cases, helping them reach well-reasoned and defensible conclusions.
• Support the resolution and escalation of challenging or sensitive client matters with Front Office, Compliance and Financial Crime.
• Help translate policy, regulatory requirements and risk appetite into practical, proportionate application.
• Contribute to strengthening AML and financial crime expertise across the wider team.
• Promote strong First Line ownership of financial crime risk within Client Onboarding.
• Challenge incomplete, inconsistent or insufficient information confidently and constructively.
• Engage credibly with Front Office, Compliance, Financial Crime and other senior stakeholders on complex client matters.
• Distinguish material financial crime risks from lower-value documentation or process issues and focus attention accordingly.
• Identify recurring risk or control themes and support improvements to the onboarding control environment.
• Balance effective financial crime controls with proportionate decision-making and client experience.
• Contribute to the continued development of Client Onboarding and the broader Client Lifecycle operating model.
• Bring practical financial crime expertise to improvements in risk methodologies, controls, procedures and technology.
• Identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary complexity and improve the quality and consistency of risk-based decision-making.
• Support the evolution of broader Client Lifecycle activity, including periodic reviews, trigger-event reviews and remediation.
• Bring broader Financial Crime Operations knowledge into the team where relevant, including experience of areas such as transaction monitoring or screening.

The knowledge, experience and qualifications you need

• Significant experience in AML, Financial Crime, KYC, Client Due Diligence or Client Onboarding within financial services.
• Strong practical AML and financial crime knowledge, with demonstrable experience applying independent judgement to complex client circumstances.
• Experience assessing complex and/or higher-risk individual and entity relationships.
• Strong understanding of beneficial ownership, control structures and connected-party risks.
• Strong experience assessing source of wealth and source of funds.
• Experience of Enhanced Due Diligence and higher-risk clients, including PEP, sanctions, adverse information and geographic risk considerations.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify material risks, inconsistencies and red flags and determine when further investigation or escalation is required.
• Ability to reach, articulate and defend considered risk-based conclusions.
• Confidence constructively challenging colleagues and stakeholders at different levels of seniority.
• Experience acting as a technical expert, senior escalation point or providing guidance to others.

The knowledge, experience and qualifications that’ll help

• Wealth Management or Private Banking experience.
• Experience within a dedicated AML or Financial Crime function, including First or Second Line roles.
• Financial Crime Operations experience beyond KYC, particularly transaction monitoring or screening.
• Experience with trusts, foundations, private investment companies and other complex wealth structures.
• Experience with periodic reviews, remediation or broader Client Lifecycle Management.
• Experience contributing to KYC/AML transformation, operating model or technology change.

We Recognise Potential, Whoever You Are

Our purpose is to deliver excellent investment performance to clients through active management. We believe diverse perspectives and an inclusive culture help us make better decisions and achieve better outcomes for our clients. That's why inclusion is a strategic priority for us, and we are an equal opportunities employer. You are welcome here, regardless of your age, disability, gender identity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, or any other protected characteristic.

We will consider flexible working arrangements for all roles and provide reasonable accommodations to support applicants and employees, including those with neurodiversity, disability, or physical and mental health needs. For more information, please visit our FAQs.

About Us

We're a global investment manager. We help institutions, intermediaries and individuals around the world invest money to meet their goals, fulfil their ambitions, and prepare for the future.

We have around 6,000 people on six continents. And we've been around for over 200 years, but keep adapting as society and technology changes. What doesn't change is our commitment to helping our clients, and society, prosper.

• Locations 1 London Wall Place, London, EC2Y 5AU, GB