VodafoneThree Senior Manager - Financial Crime Compliance and Deputy MLRO

Vodafone Group; Newbury; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A telecommunications leader is recruiting a Financial Crime Compliance leader to oversee strategy and regulatory adherence. The role involves extensive leadership and analytical skills, focusing on compliance with UK regulations. Ideal candidates will possess professional certifications and a strong ability to influence stakeholders across the organization. A hybrid work environment is offered, with opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Bonuses

Flexible working hours

Learning and development tools

28 days off plus bank holidays

Qualifications

• Extensive experience as a functional leader in financial crime compliance.
• Ability to influence multiple stakeholders.
• Analytical skills for risk-based decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Lead financial crime compliance strategy and execution.
• Oversee regulatory adherence and risk assessments.
• Act as Deputy MLRO when required.

Skills

Strategic financial crime regulatory leadership

Stakeholder influence

Analytical insight

Policy leadership

Education

Professional certification in Financial Crime

Job description

Location: Newbury + *Hybrid

Salary: Excellent basic salary plus bonus and Vodafone benefits

Working hours: Full time 37.5 hours per week - Mon to Fri

*Hybrid

We believe that through collaboration and connection with our colleagues we can achieve great things. Our hybrid working approach allows our people to work both in the office and at home, providing the flexibility and resources you need to succeed in your role. We don't require you to be in on specific days; instead, we ask people to come into the office 2-3 days each week. You should work with your line manager to understand what their expectations are for you, your specific role and your team.

Who We Are

We’re here to build a network the UK can count on – one that connects people, places and potential. Because no matter where you live, what your background is, or how you get online – we think everyone deserves the same chance to stay connected, and with VodafoneThree, that future’s being built – today.

We’re creating more than the UK’s best network. We’re helping close the digital divide, empower communities and drive meaningful progress.

We believe that everyone should feel they belong. Whoever you are and whatever your story, there’s space for you here. We’re building a workplace where different perspectives are welcomed, voices are heard, and everyone feels safe to show up as themselves.

You’ll join a team that genuinely cares – about each other, about our customers, and about the future we’re building. From day one, you’ll be welcomed, valued and encouraged to bring your whole self to work.

Why VodafoneThree

Join us and you’ll be at the heart of change. That means building responsibly, investing sustainably and creating opportunities that last.

We’re not just expanding connectivity; we’re reimagining what a connected nation looks like. With £11bn invested in 5G and digital infrastructure, your work will directly power businesses, services, and communities across the country.

You’ll work on real challenges, with real impact, across every corner of the country. Wherever you join us, whatever your role, you’ll be helping to build a future that works better for everyone.

We move at pace, because what we’re building matters – and we’re learning as we go. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, but we’re just getting started.

Join us at the heart of our business in Corporate, one of the central support functions that underpin our business and keep us moving forward. We provide centralised support, expertise and guidance across our UK and Group operations, continuing to build on our success and trailblazing the way to our next stage of digital growth.

What you’ll do

We’re creating something special. We are joining forces to create the biggest mobile network provider in the UK. Through our collective strengths and talents, we will transform customers’ experience and create a best-in-class network for coverage, connectivity, and reliability, delivering greater value and more choice for the nation than ever before.

There are very few moments in our careers where we can feel the ground shifting beneath us, where we can sense that something bigger than we’ve known before is taking shape. We’re not just building a company. We’re going to build a culture, a legacy and a future to be proud of. This will require remarkable leadership and together we can set the standard in the industry and beyond for both customer and employee experience, in what it is a career-defining opportunity.

This role involves leading the development and execution of the financial crime compliance strategy, ensuring adherence to regulations such as the Money Laundering Regulations and the Proceeds of Crime Act. The successful candidate will oversee financial crime risk assessments, control programs, and policy implementation, while also acting as Deputy MLRO when needed. Strong leadership in financial crime compliance, extensive regulatory knowledge, and experience in managing regulatory interactions are essential.

The role requires strategic leadership, stakeholder influence, and the ability to drive continuous improvement in financial crime compliance. Key performance indicators include the timely submission of regulatory reports, the effectiveness of financial crime controls, and the completion rate of training programs. The candidate must demonstrate a commitment to professional development and possess the ability to analyze complex data to inform risk-based approaches.

• Financial Crime Compliance Leadership: Lead the development and execution of the financial crime compliance strategy across VodafoneThree. Ensure compliance with relevant regulations including the Money Laundering
• Regulations, Proceeds of Crime Act, Bribery Act, and FCA Handbook (SYSC, CONC, ICOBS). Monitor and report on key financial crime risks, including fraud, sanctions, tax evasion, and ABC.
• Lead the entity-wide financial crime risk assessment programme: Oversee the execution of all financial crime risk assessments, including business-wide risk assessments (BWRA), customer risk rating models, and country risk assessments undertaken across the first and second line teams to ensure their relevance, accuracy and quality.
• Oversight of Financial Crime Control Programme: Lead the team to independently assess the design and operational effectiveness of first line controls across VodafoneThree related to AML, CTF, ABC, fraud, and sanctions. Ensure a culture that delivers controls which are risk-based, proportionate, and aligned with regulatory expectations. Lead across the VodafoneThree business on the effective implementation of the 3 lines of defence model in the context of the key financial crime compliance risks present across the entity.

• Strategic leadership of financial crime compliance policy programme: Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of policies and standards across all financial crime disciplines (AML, CTF, ABC, fraud, sanctions), ensuring they are: (1) Consistent across brands and business units; (2) Aligned with shareholder expectations and regulatory obligations; (3) Accessible, practical, and embedded into operations
• Governance & Shareholder Reporting: Represent the second line in governance forums (e.g. Risk Committees, MLRO forums), providing independent oversight and challenge. Deliver regular reporting to senior leadership and shareholders on financial crime risk posture, control effectiveness, and emerging threats. This includes the authoring of the annual MLRO report and overseeing the team in the production of financial crime compliance MI to shareholder and stakeholders alike. Drive the continuous improvement of financial crime data and reporting to senior leadership, shareholders and other key stakeholders.
• Deputy MLRO Duties: Act as Deputy MLRO in the MLRO’s absence. If the MLRO is absent for a sustained period, this role holder will be required to assume FCA SMF17 accountability and the role of Nominated Officer. Lead the team in the receipt, assessment, and escalation of internal suspicious activity reports (SARs). Oversee the preparation and submission of SARs to the National Crime Agency (NCA). Maintain and enhance AML/CTF policies, procedures, and controls. Support regulatory engagement and responses to FCA and law enforcement inquiries.
• Cross-Functional Stakeholder Alignment: Establish and maintain strong partnerships with functional leads and key stakeholders across the VodafoneThree entity. Ensure coordinated delivery of financial crime compliance screening, know-your-customer/business checks, retail-store based verification checks and other operational capabilities and embed a culture of shared accountability for compliance-by-design throughout key operational areas.
• Training & Culture: Design and deliver tailored VodafoneThree wide training programmes on AML, sanctions, fraud, ABC, and financial crime awareness. Ensure that the training content and materials are appropriately simplified and engaging, whilst focusing on the key-risks relevant to the VodafoneThree entity. Ensure training content aligns with regulatory expectations. Support continuous professional development (CPD) across relevant teams. Promote a culture of integrity and ethical conduct throughout the organisation.
• Strategic Team Leadership and Capability Development: Lead a high-performing Financial Crime Compliance team with the technical, stakeholder, and delivery capabilities required to meet balancing the delivery of VodafoneThree obligations with a risk-based approach. Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Who you are

• Strategic financial crime regulatory leadership: Extensive experience as a functional leader for a large corporate, or in a senior leadership position for a smaller business in financial crime compliance within regulated financial services, ideally with exposure to telecoms. Strong working knowledge of UK AML/CTF regulations and FCA expectations
• Experience managing and dealing with regulatory bodies and handling regulatory data and reporting: Experience in submitting SARs to the National Crime Agency; submitting financial crime compliance data to the FCA 9e.g. REPCRIM); submitting trade control data to the HMRC. Also experienced in leading on data quality and and managing regulatory interactions.
• Stakeholder influence and oversight: Proven ability to lead cross-functional compliance programmes and VodafoneThree-wide risk assessments, covering multiple brands. As such, requirement to be able to influence multiple operational and senior stakeholders, with differing interests, to achieve a common outcome.
• Policy leadership: Demonstrated experience in policy and standards development across financial crime disciplines for a large corporate or group, where multiple brands adhere to a single set of policies and standards. Experience of representing multiple interests and operations in policy-setting whilst maintaining regulatory compliance
• Professional Certification, Accreditation and Continuous Development: Professional certification (e.g., ICA Diploma in Financial Crime, CAMS). Holds membership in a recognised professional body and demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement through ongoing accreditation and professional development, ensuring up-to-date expertise in a rapidly evolving financial crime compliance.
• Constructive Challenge and Senior Influence: Confidently raises issues and challenges assumptions at senior levels, contributing to robust governance and informed decision-making. Ensures that financial crime compliance is embedded where required in strategic discussions and risk frameworks.
• Analytical Insight and Strategic Culture: Analyses complex, multi‑environmental data to identify critical insights to inform the risk‑based approach and to drive a culture of strategic proportionality. Communicates findings in a clear, relevant, and actionable manner to diverse audiences across the telecoms sector, supporting evidence‑based decision‑making and strategic alignment.
• Operating Model Leadership: Strong experience of leading a large organisation in the effective implementation of the three lines of defence operating model in the financial crime compliance context.

Worried that you don’t meet all the desired criteria exactly? We know that everyone is unique, with multiple aspects to their identity and different experiences behind them. We are passionate about Inclusion for All and creating a workplace where everyone can thrive, whatever their personal or professional background. If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align exactly with every part of the job description or you require a more flexible working pattern, we encourage you to apply as you may be the right candidate for this role or another role, and our recruitment team can help you see how your skills fit in.

What we offer

We care about our people’s success by offering great pay, bonuses, up to 28 days off plus bank holidays, and paid ‘personal’ days for moments that truly matter (pro-rata). You can personalise our benefits for you and your family, like discounts, vouchers, a pension plan and loads more. We help with your career through our amazing learning & development tools.

Need to know

We are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and all offers of employment for this role are subject to background checks, including criminal (DBS) and financial checks to meet the regulators standards.

We believe everyone should have the opportunity to interview for a role that matches their skills. In collaboration with our Talent, Diversity & Inclusion teams and our employee-led DEI Networks, we identified a range of reasonable adjustments to help you feel comfortable and perform at your best self during the interview process. If you require any reasonable adjustments or have an accessibility request as part of your recruitment journey, for example, extended time or breaks in between online assessments, a sign language interpreter, or assistive technology, please contact your recruiter directly or email [e-mail] for guidance.

We use AI in different parts of our business to boost innovation, improve efficiency, and create new opportunities. We know many candidates use AI to fine-tune their CVs or prepare for interviews, but what we really care about is your unique experiences and achievements.

During the interview, we want you to rely on your own knowledge and skills to show us who you really are—your personality, creativity, and abilities. Above all, we’re looking for authenticity and can’t wait to get to know the real you.

#VodafoneThree #LI-Hybrid