Head of Compliance and MLRO – Private Banking

Head of Compliance and MLRO – Private Banking

We have been instructed by an international Private, corporate & specialist finance bank who has their European hub in London. They provide a range of corporate banking, private banking and real estate services.

Responsibilities

• Act as SMF16 (Compliance Oversight) and SMF17 (MLRO) under the FCA Senior Managers Regime.
• Lead engagement with UK regulators and law enforcement.
• Maintain governance structures, SMCR obligations including Statement of Responsibilities, and Management Responsibilities Map.
• Ensure readiness for audits, reviews, and regulatory inspections.
• Develop and maintain a UK Shariah‑compliant compliance framework, policies, and monitoring plans.
• Conduct assurance reviews and risk assessments, report regularly to Board and Senior Management.
• Oversee Certification Regime and fitness & propriety assessments.
• Maintain AML and financial crime frameworks, including policies and controls.
• Review suspicious activity reports (SARs) and submit to NCA where appropriate.
• Provide guidance and advice on AML, CTF, sanctions, fraud, and anti‑bribery.
• Ensure compliance with UK legislation (POCA, MLR, sanctions, anti‑bribery).
• Act as UK liaison for Group compliance and financial crime management.
• Ensure consistency of compliance and financial crime frameworks across both the UK and Group entities.
• Align frameworks and contribute to Group policy development and reporting.
• Prepare compliance and financial crime reports for Board and internal committees.
• Maintain registers, policies, and MI dashboards for oversight.
• Oversee the preparation, accuracy, and timely submission of all regulatory returns and reports to relevant authorities, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and internal governance standards.
• Implement compliance and conduct training; promote strong compliance culture, aligning to the conduct rules and embedding the code of conduct.
• Ensure understanding of and adherence to FCA Conduct Rules across the bank.
• Review and update policies in line with regulatory and business changes.
• Support audits and regulatory reviews, ensuring timely closure of findings.

Experience Required

• Significant experience in UK Banking/financial services compliance (10+ years). Ideally Private banking/wealth management or foreign banking background.
• Experience in a small to medium‑size foreign bank would be advantageous.
• Experience dealing directly with the FCA and PRA.
• Experience in a dual‑function SMF role or a senior role under SM&CR.
• Experience working in a Group environment is desirable, with shared oversight across multiple jurisdictions (preferably including the Middle East).

For further information, please contact Hannah Tabatabai

Seniority level

Director

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Finance

Industries

Financial Services, Banking, and Investment Banking