Senior Compliance Manager, Financial Crime

Mosaic Insurance; Greater London; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance firm in Greater London is seeking a Senior Compliance Manager focused on financial crime to lead strategy and oversight. This role involves conducting risk assessments, managing compliance controls, and advising senior leadership. Candidates should have 5-7 years of experience in financial crime compliance and excellent communication skills. Professional certifications such as ACAMS are desirable. The position supports a risk-sensitive culture while ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5-7 years of relevant experience in financial crime compliance within a regulated industry.
• Deep technical knowledge of core legislation, including AML and CTF.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy and policy to prevent money laundering, fraud, and bribery.
• Conduct risk assessments and compliance monitoring activities.
• Provide expert guidance to senior management.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Leadership and Communication

Technical Knowledge

Extensive Experience

Education

ACAMS Certification or ICA Diploma

Job description

Senior Compliance Manager, focusing in Financial Crime, is responsible for leading strategy, policy, and oversight to prevent money laundering (AML), fraud, sanctions breaches, and bribery. The role serves as a key advisor to senior leadership, embedding a strong risk culture, managing regulatory change, and ensuring robust controls including KYC/CDD. Occasionally deputising for the MLRO/Head of Compliance, when required.

Key responsibilities include conducting risk assessments, performing control testing, employee training, reporting to Boards, and managing stakeholder relationships across the business to support growth while maintaining compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Policy and Procedure Management: Develop, maintain, and update the organisation's financial crime policies, procedures, and controls to align with financial crime regulations, applicable laws and best practices, including financial crime regulations, AML regulations and the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).
• Risk Assessment and Mitigation: Lead comprehensive, organization wide financial crime risk assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities and develop plans to mitigate or eliminate those risks.
• Advisory and Guidance: Serve as a subject matter expert, providing clear, practical advice and guidance to senior management and business units on complex financial crime matters, including client onboarding, KYC/CDD (Know Your Customer / Customer Due Diligence) requirements and transaction monitoring.
• Monitoring and Reporting: Oversee compliance monitoring activities, conduct internal investigations and file reviews. Prepare clear and detailed management information (MI) reports for boards, committees, and regulators highlighting key findings and risk levels. Ensure records are accurate and that documentation is appropriately filed and maintained.
• Regulatory Liaison: Assist in responding to inquiries from regulatory bodies (e.g., the FCA) and manage external audit processes.
• Training and Awareness: Develop and deliver financial crime compliance training programs to employees across the organization to foster a strong risk and compliance culture.
• Strategic Projects: Participate in cross-functional projects, such as new product launches or mergers and acquisitions (M&A), to ensure financial crime compliance requirements are fully met.

Core Responsibilities

• Expert Advice & Guidance: Support the Head of Compliance and act as the point of escalation Lead for financial crime matters to ensure the business is provided with prompt advice. This involves being responsive and being able to do effective and quick research. Provide expert interpretation of AML, CTF, sanctions, and bribery regulations (e.g., FCA Handbook, JMLSG) to senior management and business lines.
• Policy & Control Development: Develop, implement, and maintain financial crime policies, procedures, and controls (like KYC/CDD).
• Risk Management: Oversee financial crime risk assessments, monitoring activities, and control testing, identifying gaps and driving remediation.
• Regulatory Change Management: Horizon scan for new regulations as well as industry best practices and integrate essential improvements into the organisation's financial crime framework. Ensure timely implementation across the firm.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Develop and maintain effective relationships with business units (1st Line), Internal Audit, and senior leadership to embed a strong risk culture and manage compliance projects.
• Reporting & Oversight: Prepare compliance reports for committees and boards; may act as Deputy MLRO.
• Team Leadership: Provide support to compliance team members. Mentor junior compliance staff, sharing knowledge and best practices.

Key Focus Areas (Financial Crime)

• Anti-Money Laundering (AML) & Counter Terrorist Financing (CTF)
• Know Your Customer (KYC) & Customer Due Diligence (CDD)
• Sanctions Compliance
• Anti-Bribery & Corruption (ABC)
• Fraud Prevention & Controls

Required Skills and Experience

• Extensive Experience: A minimum of 5-7 years of relevant experience in financial crime compliance within a regulated industry, such as financial services, legal, or insurance.
• Technical Knowledge: Deep technical knowledge of core legislation, including AML, CTF (Counter Terrorist Financing), sanctions regimes, the Bribery Act, and relevant local regulatory guidance (e.g., JMLSG guidance in the UK).
• Analytical Skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities to interpret complex data, identify trends, and formulate effective solutions.
• Leadership and Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with proven experience in influencing senior stakeholders, leading teams, and driving change.
• Professional Certifications: A relevant professional qualification, such as the ACAMS Certification (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist) or an ICA Diploma in Anti-Money Laundering or Financial Crime Prevention, is highly desirable.

Personal Skills

• The ability to develop long-term strategies for risk and compliance management
• Self-starter - able to display initiative and work with autonomy
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• A strong sense of ethical standards to serve as the organization's moral compass and ensure robust, compliant decision-making
• Analytical - the confidence to question where appropriate in order to reach the core issue