Head of Client Onboarding - KYC

Hollybank Trustees Ltd; Warszawa; Hybrid; PLN 260,000 - 380,000; Full time

Job summary

Hollybank Trustees Ltd seeks an experienced Head of KYC & Client Onboarding to lead and develop the KYC and due diligence function for a regulated financial institution in Poland. This hands-on leadership role focuses on building a fast, efficient, and compliant onboarding operation with clear KPIs and SLAs.

You will oversee the end-to-end onboarding, CDD processes, and ongoing monitoring while driving improvements in speed and quality, collaborating with Compliance, AML/MLRO and other

Qualifications

• Significant KYC, CDD and onboarding experience in regulated financial services.
• Strong Polish and EU AML/KYC regulatory knowledge.
• Proven experience leading teams with KPI/SLA delivery.
• Experience with screening and financial crime controls.
• Excellent English; Polish language capability is highly desirable.
• Experience across jurisdictions is a strong advantage.
• CAMS or ICA qualification would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop the KYC and Client Onboarding team.
• Own the end-to-end onboarding and CDD process, ensuring quick, compliant onboarding.
• Establish and manage KPIs for onboarding speed, SLA performance, quality, and compliance.
• Oversee ongoing monitoring, reviews, remediation and enhanced due diligence.
• Develop scalable KYC procedures and workflows to improve efficiency.
• Embed screening, verification, financial crime and escalation controls across the lifecycle.
• Produce MI for senior management and audits.
• Serve as escalation point for complex KYC/financial crime matters.

Skills

KYC experience

CDD experience

Onboarding experience

Regulatory knowledge

Stakeholder management

English proficiency

Polish language (desirable)

Education

CAMS or ICA qualification

Tools

KYC case-management tools

Job description

Location: Hybrid / Warsaw, Poland
job type: Permanent / Full-time
Sector and subsector: Banking & Financial Services | Compliance
Salary: Negotiable salary

We are seeking an experienced Head of KYC & Client Onboarding to lead and develop the KYC and due diligence function for a regulated financial institution in Poland.

This is a hands-on leadership role with a strong focus on building a fast, efficient and compliant onboarding operation. The successful candidate will be accountable for delivering against clearly defined KPIs and SLAs, including onboarding turnaround times, quality and accuracy of due diligence, regulatory compliance, remediation timelines and ongoing review performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop the KYC and Client Onboarding team.
• Own the end-to-end onboarding and Client Due Diligence (CDD) process, ensuring clients are onboarded quickly, efficiently and in full compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Establish and manage KPIs covering speed of onboarding, SLA performance, quality, accuracy, productivity and compliance.
• Oversee ongoing monitoring, periodic reviews, remediation and enhanced due diligence.
• Develop scalable KYC procedures and workflows, identifying opportunities to remove unnecessary friction and improve operational efficiency.
• Ensure appropriate screening, verification, financial crime and escalation controls are embedded throughout the customer lifecycle.
• Produce meaningful MI for senior management, governance, Compliance, AML and audit.
• Act as a senior escalation point for complex KYC and financial crime matters, working closely with Compliance, AML/MLRO and other stakeholders.
• Support the institution in responding to regulatory developments and continuously strengthening its financial crime control framework.

Experience & Requirements

• Significant KYC, CDD and client onboarding experience within a bank, EMI, payment institution or other regulated financial institution.
• Strong understanding of Polish and EU AML/KYC regulatory requirements and practical experience applying them within an operational environment.
• Proven experience managing teams and delivering onboarding operations against measurable KPIs and SLAs.
• Demonstrable ability to improve onboarding speed and operational efficiency without compromising the quality or integrity of due diligence.
• Experience with screening, transaction/financial crime controls and KYC case-management solutions.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication and escalation skills.
• Excellent English; Polish language capability is highly desirable.
• Experience working across other regulated jurisdictions is a strong advantage, particularly within international financial services, payments or banking.
• CAMS, ICA or an equivalent compliance/financial crime qualification would be advantageous.

This is a confidential recruitment process. Further information regarding the institution and opportunity will be provided to suitable candidates during the recruitment process.