Client Lifecycle Specialist - AML/KYC

Ninety One; Wes-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Ninety One, South Africa’s largest investment manager, is seeking a Client Lifecycle Management (CLM) specialist to deliver AML/KYC due diligence and onboarding across our global fund ranges. You will engage with clients and internal stakeholders to ensure regulatory compliant, efficient client onboarding and ongoing due diligence.

The role emphasizes monitoring, risk controls, and collaboration with Legal, Compliance and Onboarding teams to embed updated standards and ensure a professional,

Qualifications

• Degree in law, commerce, or related field.
• 5+ years KYC/AML experience at asset manager or financial institution.
• Experience in client-facing roles with professional handling of sensitive conversations.
• Familiarity with CLM platforms and AI/low-code automation tools.
• Experience in FATF high risk jurisdictions and FATCA/CRS concepts.

Responsibilities

• Onboard clients by completing initial KYC due diligence for individuals and institutions.
• Conduct KYC refreshes, ODD, and PEP approvals.
• Coordinate onboarding progress with third parties and internal teams.
• Serve as primary contact for complex KYC queries.
• Manage client, third-party and internal query resolutions.
• Collaborate with Legal, Compliance, Onboarding, Fund Operations and transfer agents.

Skills

KYC/AML

Client onboarding

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

CLM platforms

Risk monitoring

Education

Law or commerce degree

Tools

CLM platforms

AI tools

Job description

Ninety One is South Africa’s largest investment manager and the only one with a global presence. The firm has 22 offices across 15 countries on five continents and manages R3.9 trillion of assets on behalf of clients (as at 31 March 2026).

Established in Cape Town in 1991 as part of the Investec Group, Ninety One demerged and rebranded in 2020, becoming an independent firm dual-listed in London and Johannesburg. Always an active manager, Ninety One today offers strategies across equities, fixed income, multi-asset and private markets to institutions, advisors and individual investors around the world.

About the team:

The Client Lifecycle Management (CLM) Team is a newly formed, centralised function designed to support the investment activity of both individual and institutional clients across the Ninety One global fund ranges. The team plays a pivotal role in facilitating fund investment inflows and outflows by managing key client lifecycle events, with a primary focus on executing Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Client (KYC) due diligence throughout the full client relationship. As a dedicated centre of expertise, the CLM team ensures AML servicing is delivered with consistency, efficiency and rigour. Acting as a professional interface with clients, the team is responsible for requesting, collecting and sensibly assessing AML/KYC information to ensure full regulatory compliance.

Operating in close partnership with Compliance, Legal, Fund Operations, Client Operations and Onboarding, the CLM Team helps to ensure clients are appropriately managed and monitored across all lifecycle stages. A critical enabler of the team’s effectiveness is a specialised client lifecycle management system, which supports automation, reduces delays and strengthens oversight. This technology allows the team to deliver a seamless, professional and compliant experience for clients while ensuring regulatory compliance.

In this role you will:

• Ensure clients are appropriately onboarded by completing initial KYC due diligence on individual and institutional clients, supporting less experienced team members on escalations and engaging with clients to understand corporate structures and obtain required documentation
• Conduct KYC refreshes, ongoing due diligence (ODD) and politically exposed person (PEP) approval processes
• Monitor and coordinate progress of onboarding and due diligence processes involving third parties and internal stakeholders
• Serve as a primary point of contact for complex KYC-related queries and communication
• Manage query resolution from clients, third parties and internal teams like Client Group and Client Operations
• Collaborate with key internal and external stakeholders, including Legal, Compliance, Onboarding, Fund Operations and transfer agents, to ensure timely, policy compliant completion of KYC requirements
• Monitor risks, trends and issues to ensure effective controls are in place, proactively escalating high-risk cases or anomalies and adapting processes to support continuous improvement
• Maintain accurate records to support audit and reporting requirements
• Source, aggregate and present reportable information in formats required by fund committees, boards, investors and management
• Stay informed on evolving KYC, AML and regulatory requirements and assist the team in embedding updated standards and practices
• Operate effectively within specialised CLM platforms and work with technology teams to streamline workflows, reduce manual interventions and enhance automation, monitoring and regulatory readiness
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships across all relevant internal functions and external service providers
• Share insights and experience with less experienced team members to help build capability, consistency and sound judgement across the team

You should consider applying if you have:

• A degree in law, commerce, or a related field
• 5+ years relevant KYC/AML work experience at an asset manager (preferred), financial institution, bank or development finance institution
• Experience in client-facing roles, with the ability to manage challenging or sensitive conversations professionally
• Familiarity with client lifecycle management (CLM) platforms, as well as AI tools or low-code/no-code automation tools
• Experience in conducting reviews on clients in FATF high risk jurisdictions.
• Familiarity with the application of FATCA/CRS classification and reporting requirements

Some of the attributes we look for in a person are:

• A client focused and collaborative mindset
• Intellectual curiosity and a willingness to ask thoughtful questions
• The ability to ‘approach and own’ and continuously identify opportunities to develop processes and controls
• Results-oriented and motivated by achieving meaningful outcomes
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Detail orientated, well organised and comfortable working in a challenging, dynamic environment