Head of Compliance - Europe
Maples Group
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Maples Group seeks a Head of Compliance – Europe to lead strategic compliance across Jersey, Ireland, Luxembourg and the UK. The role covers regulatory regimes including BVI, Cayman, Jersey, Ireland and Luxembourg, with potential for oversight of FCA from 2028.
The incumbent will ensure robust MLRO governance and drive cross-border AFC initiatives. The position requires extensive experience, multi-jurisdiction leadership, and the ability to travel regularly between Dublin, Jersey, London and
Qualifications
- 15+ years of experience in compliance within legal, professional or financial services with senior leadership.
Responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership of AFC compliance framework across Europe.
- Develop and implement the compliance strategy for Maples Group in the European region.
- Maintain MLRO functionality across jurisdictions.
- Oversee licensing, registrations and notifications in multiple jurisdictions.
- Lead change programmes and remediation projects to improve compliance processes.
- Report to CCO and senior management on key compliance matters.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
The Maples Group is a standard bearer in financial and legal services, trusted by many of the world’s largest hedge fund managers, private equity firms and international corporations.
Our distinction flows from our carefully curated team: 2,500+ professionals characterised by tenacity, ethics and exacting excellence. Operating in key financial centres across the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, our international presence offers a unique springboard for career development and cross-cultural immersion. Our side‑by‑side financial and legal services are similarly ripe for interdisciplinary learning and growth.
The Maples Group looks to add a London or Dublin based Head of Compliance – Europe (covering our Legal Advisory Services business) to our team and invites eager and qualified candidates to apply. We are committed to diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity as we attract, retain and develop world‑class talent.
Our merit‑based culture suits professionals in pursuit of boundless careers and lives. Beyond their acumen, team members are collaborative and conscientious, bringing a healthy sense of drive and purpose to each interaction and to all aspects of their work.
Reporting to the Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), the Head of Compliance – Europe (M&C) will provide strategic leadership and oversight of the compliance function across the Maples and Calder legal advisory practice in Jersey, Ireland, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom covering the laws of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), the Cayman Islands, Jersey, Ireland and Luxembourg.
The role holder will have direct accountability for ensuring that Maples and Calder is at all times compliant with the financial crime supervisory regimes applicable in each jurisdiction, including the requirements of:
- the BVI Bar Association;
- the Cayman Legal Services Supervisory Authority (LSSA);
- the Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC);
- the Irish Legal Services Regulatory Authority and the Law Society of Ireland;
- from 2028 onwards, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The Head of Compliance will oversee the following Maples and Calder entities:
- Maples and Calder (Jersey) LLP
- Maples and Calder (Ireland) LLP
- Maples and Calder (Luxembourg) SARL
- Maples and Calder (in the United Kingdom)
The Head of Compliance – Legal Advisory Services ("HOC") has a direct reporting line into the Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO").
The HOC will have oversight and management responsibility for the compliance teams covering the offices providing legal advisory services in the European region and any related overseas service provision where applicable. The number of direct reports is 4.
- Ensure that Maples and Calder is at all times duly authorised to provide legal advisory services in accordance with the provisions and rules of each relevant regulatory body and/or supervisory authority
- Hold, or oversee the holding of named officer positions, including Money Laundering Reporting Officers (MLRO), Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer (AMLCO) or equivalent functions, across all jurisdictions as required
- Ensure compliance with Maples Group policies and statutory responsibilities as required for named officer positions in each jurisdiction
- Maintain oversight of regulatory licensing, registrations and notifications across all six jurisdictions
- Monitor and interpret legislative and regulatory developments across all jurisdictions, assessing their impact on the business and implementing necessary changes
- Own and maintain the European region Anti-Financial Crime (AFC) Compliance Framework, ensuring it at all times complies with respective regulatory obligations across all jurisdictions, including regular reviews and updates
- Develop and implement the compliance strategy for Maples and Calder in the European region, aligned with the Group’s overall business strategy
- Keep abreast of local and international leading practices on risk and compliance-related matters across all relevant jurisdictions
- Ensure effective implementation of compliance monitoring programmes in all jurisdictions and identify areas of synergy between offices in the region
- Serve as the senior escalation point for high‑risk reviews, PEP approvals and enhanced due diligence matters across all relevant jurisdictions
- Oversee the analysis of client matters for sanctions exposure and other financial crime risks, providing direction and approval where required
- Ensuring that issues management items across all jurisdictions are identified and reported to the CCO and other relevant stakeholders in a timely manner in line with issues management procedures
- Ensure that screening procedures are executed efficiently and effectively in each office
- Lead change management and remediation projects to continuously improve compliance processes across all jurisdictions
- Develop and implement data analysis, collection tools and systems, and other strategies that optimise efficiency and quality
- Continuously review processes to identify opportunities for enhancements and efficiencies across the function
- Oversee the MLRO functionality across all jurisdictions in the European region, ensuring internal irregular activity reports are reviewed and processed within required timeframes
- Ensure all communications, regulatory and law enforcement requests are maintained and appropriately logged in accordance with domestic obligations and Maples Group requirements
- Ensure suspicious activity reports are processed and any matters requiring externalisation to the relevant Financial Intelligence Unit are completed in accordance with Maples Group policy and local legislative requirements
- Provide regular reporting of compliance matters, key risk indicators and metrics to the CCO and senior management
- Oversee the preparation of monthly and quarterly compliance reports, interpreting data, analysing results and ensuring data accuracy
- Support the preparation and presentation of board‑level compliance reports across all jurisdictions in the European region, including regulatory and industry compliance developments, internal compliance matters and training status
- Ensure compliance with policies, procedures, systems and controls to enable the necessary reports to be provided to each regulator and/or supervisory authority as specified, and ensure reports are filed in a timely manner
- Oversee responses to regulatory notices, auditor queries or reports, and ensuring review by local reporting officers, local boards, regulatory advisers and senior management prior to submission
- Provide strategic direction and support to internal audit on compliance‑related matters and findings
- Address quality deficiencies from periodic testing
- Conduct periodic gap analyses on regulations and regulatory measures to ensure policies and procedures align with regulatory requirements across all jurisdictions in the European region
- Ensure compliance manuals and matrices across all jurisdictions continue to meet the requirements of the relevant regulator and/or supervisory authority and, where different but not in conflict with, Maples Group compliance requirements
- Foster a culture of building and maintaining strong relationships with regulatory bodies, demonstrating the commitment of the Maples Group in meeting regulatory compliance standards
- Ensure the Compliance function continually and sufficiently supports relevant internal and external stakeholders across all jurisdictions to execute their operational compliance responsibilities
- Engage regularly with attorneys and service line leadership across all jurisdictions in the European region to share compliance updates, regulatory developments and results of compliance reporting
- Lead initiatives that build trust, employee engagement and workforce productivity across the compliance function
- Provide strategic leadership to the compliance teams across all jurisdictions in the European region, supporting the achievement of established KPIs
- Advise senior management on the appropriateness of client relationships from a regulatory, risk and compliance perspective
- Represent the Maples and Calder compliance function at Group‑level forums, committees and working groups
- Provide strategic leadership and direction to the Compliance personnel across all jurisdictions in the European region
- Develop and implement the compliance personnel strategy, including budget planning, headcount forecasting and succession planning
- Lead the annual performance lifecycle management for the function, identifying training needs and partnering with HR stakeholders to deliver on the process
- Develop trusting relationships with direct reports, providing real‑time coaching, mentoring and technical guidance
- In conjunction with the Learning and Development function, oversee the development and delivery of AFC training materials and other compliance topics to ensure that all relevant employees are aware of their obligations
- Ensure all induction training and annual AML refresher training is provided to all relevant staff across all jurisdictions, maintaining appropriate training logs to ensure 100% completion
- Identify training topics and develop programmes for the compliance teams on KYC, group procedures, clients/structures, services and regulatory developments
- Lead recruitment initiatives across the function, including workforce planning, reviewing applications and facilitating interviews
- Foster a culture of compliance excellence, professional development and continuous improvement across the team
- Complete other duties as may be reasonably requested from time to time by the CCO or other representatives of the Maples Group
In addition to indisputably high ethical standards, the ideal candidate possesses the following:
- 15 or more years of experience working in compliance within legal services, professional services or financial services, with a demonstrable track record of senior compliance leadership
- Education to Bachelor’s degree level or equivalent, with a relevant professional qualification in law, compliance, or equivalent discipline
- Additional certifications such as ICA (International Compliance Association) diplomas or similar are highly desirable
- Ability to pass fit and proper assessments and serve as a named officer (MLRO, AMLCO or equivalent) as approved by local regulators across multiple jurisdictions
- Demonstrable capability of assuming MLRO and/or AMLCO appointments in one or more of the relevant jurisdictions
- An expert understanding of KYC and AML regulatory obligations, including practical experience of the regulatory regimes administered within the jurisdictions of the European region
- Proven experience of managing compliance functions across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously
- A broad range of highly developed management and leadership skills, including a demonstrable ability to lead, motivate and develop individuals and teams across geographies
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills and an ability to develop and sustain professional relationships with boards, senior management and external stakeholders
- Experience of managing regulatory inspections, audits and enforcement matters
- Demonstrable project management experience, including leading change programmes and remediation projects
- Advanced data modelling and analytics skills, with experience in Microsoft Productivity tools inclusive of Excel, Word, PowerPoint and PowerBI
- Strong attention to detail with advanced professional writing skills
- Strong presentation, facilitation and stakeholder management experience at board and senior leadership level
- Proactive and solutions driven, with the ability to work autonomously and exercise sound judgement
- Budget management experience, including workforce planning and resource allocation
Due to the multi‑jurisdictional nature of the role, the successful candidate must be able and willing to travel regularly to our offices in Dublin, Jersey, London and Luxembourg, as required.
The most enduring professional relationships are reciprocal relationships. The Maples Group prioritises employee health and wellbeing. Depending on your location, we offer a range of benefits, including:
- Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental and optical)
- Competitive vacation packages
- Educational assistance and professional development programmes
- Savings or pension plan
- Life insurance
- Travel insurance
- Global mental wellness programme
- Sports clubs and social events
Over five decades, the Maples Group has grown from modest beginnings into one of the world's preeminent professional services firms, offering specialised fiduciary, fund administration, regulatory and compliance, entity formation and management and legal services on the laws of the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Ireland, Jersey and Luxembourg.
You can learn more about the Maples Group on our corporate website. Experience our culture and our people on our Careers Page or on LinkedIn.
Please note that it is the Maples Group standard policy to undertake various background screening checks on all applicants to whom a conditional job offer is made. Except for roles based in the Republic of Ireland, the background checks will include criminal records checks when a conditional job offer is made. If you have a criminal record, it does not mean that your job offer will be automatically withdrawn. The Maples Group will make all job offer decisions on a case‑by‑case basis and will take a number of factors into account, such as the role that you are applying for and the nature and circumstances of the past offence. You will have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before a decision is made. Further details will be provided at the time any conditional job offer is made.
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