Head of Compliance Monitoring

We’re looking for a strategic and experienced compliance leader to head up AJ Bell’s Compliance Monitoring function, a key part of our second line of defence. As Head of Compliance Monitoring, you’ll play a vital role in ensuring the firm effectively manages regulatory risks and consistently delivers good outcomes for customers in line with FCA expectations, including Consumer Duty. This is a senior leadership role with high visibility across the business.

What does the job involve?

• Develop and deliver AJ Bell’s annual Compliance Monitoring Plan, ensuring it’s risk-based, aligned with business strategy, and responsive to internal and external developments.
• Lead the delivery of thematic and routine reviews, ensuring they are thorough and meet FCA expectations (e.g., Consumer Duty, SYSC, COBS, CASS, COLL, MAR, financial crime).
• Produce clear, insightful reports for senior stakeholders, including the Chief Risk Officer, Executive Risk Committee, and Risk & Compliance Committee, highlighting findings, trends, and recommendations.
• Oversee root cause analysis, action tracking, and closure validation to ensure consistent and effective outcomes.
• Collaborate with senior leaders and first-line teams to ensure findings are understood and acted upon.
• Provide guidance and constructive challenge to improve controls and compliance.
• Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing Compliance Monitoring team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
• Keep abreast of regulatory and business developments to ensure the monitoring programme evolves in step with change.
• Champion robust documentation, methodology, and procedures across all compliance monitoring activities.
• Support the Whistleblowing Champion in promoting a healthy whistleblowing culture and act as the lead investigator for reportable concerns.
• Support the business and the CRO with due diligence projects, assurance activities, and other key compliance tasks as needed.

What we’re looking for:

• Significant experience in a senior compliance monitoring or assurance role within an FCA-regulated firm, ideally in investment platforms, wealth management, or stockbroking.
• Strong working knowledge of the UK regulatory framework, including the FCA Handbook and Consumer Duty.
• Proven ability to design, deliver, and lead risk-based compliance monitoring programmes.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, confident in challenging and influencing at senior levels.
• A track record of leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Strong analytical and report-writing skills, with the ability to translate technical findings into actionable business recommendations.
• Experience using data and analytics to enhance compliance monitoring is advantageous.

About us:

AJ Bell is one of the fastest-growing investment platform businesses in the UK offering an award-winning range of solutions that caters for everyone, from professional financial advisers to DIY investors with little to no experience. We have over 593,000 customers using our award-winning platform propositions to manage assets totalling more than £90.4 billion. Our customers trust us with their investments, and by continuously striving to make investing easier, we aim to help even more people take control of their financial futures. Having listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange in December 2018, AJ Bell is now a FTSE 250 company. Headquartered in Manchester with offices in central London and Bristol, we now have over 1,500 employees and have been named one of the UK's 'Best 100 Companies to Work For’ for six consecutive years and in 2024 named a Great Place to Work.

Our perks and benefits:

• Starting holiday entitlement of 28 days, increasing up to 31 days with length of service and a holiday buy and sell scheme.
• A choice of pension schemes with matched contributions up to 8% (Increasing with length of service).
• Discretionary bonus scheme.
• Annual free share awards scheme.
• Buy As You Earn (BAYE) Scheme.
• Health Cash Plan – provided by SimplyHealth.
• Private healthcare scheme and dental plan.
• Free gym membership, with an on-site gym providing a wide range of free classes.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Sick pay+ pledge.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and shared parental leave.
• Discounted nursery fees at Kids Planet on Exchange Quay.
• Loans for travel season tickets.
• Charitable giving opportunities through salary sacrifice.
• Calendar of social events, including monthly payday drinks, annual Christmas party, summer party and much more.
• Parking at Exchange Quay (subject to availability).
• Ongoing technical training.
• Peer recognition scheme, with rewards including restaurant and shopping vouchers or time off.
• Monthly leadership breakfasts and lunches.

At AJ Bell, our people are the heart of our culture. We believe in building strong connections by working together. That’s why we offer a hybrid working model, where you’ll spend a minimum of 50% of your working time per month in the office. For new team members, an initial period will be full-time in the office to help you immerse yourself in our business and build valuable relationships with your colleagues. AJ Bell is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and all employees are empowered to bring their whole self to work.