Manager, Digital Assets, Wealth and Asset Management

Digital assets in the UK are entering a more practical phase, moving beyond pilots towards real products, operating models and market infrastructure. That shift is creating important strategic choices for financial institutions across banking, markets, payments, wealth and asset management. Within EY's Financial Services Risk Consulting team, we're looking to expand our team to help clients navigate this transition and turn momentum into tangible outcomes.

You will contribute to the delivery of high profile and complex risk engagements across a wide range of financial services clients.

We are seeking a high-performing Manager to join our Non-Financial Risk Consulting team, with a focus on digital assets within Wealth and Asset Management. This role will support clients in navigating the evolving digital asset landscape, helping them design and implement robust risk and control frameworks across emerging products and services. You will work at the intersection of innovation and risk, advising clients on governance, regulatory compliance, and operational resilience across digital asset ecosystems.

Your key responsibilities:

• Advise clients on non-financial risk frameworks for digital assets, including governance, risk taxonomies, and control environments.
• Support the design and implementation of risk and control frameworks across digital asset lifecycle processes (issuance, trading, custody, settlement, and reporting) with a specific focus on distribution, product governance and fund operations.
• Assess and enhance digital asset process flows, identifying key risks and defining indicative controls.
• Evaluate and map client journeys across digital asset use cases, such as tokenisation of assets and funds, investing in digital assets and cryptocurrencies, and stablecoin payments and settlements.
• Advise on operating models and target control environments for digital asset use cases for wealth and asset managers.
• Conduct risk assessments across different participants (e.g., asset manager vs transfer agent vs. custodian), highlighting how risks and controls vary.
• Act as a credible authority in discussions with clients' business stakeholders and support them in interpreting and implementing global regulatory requirements related to digital assets.
• Support client workshops and deep dives, clearly explaining design decisions, trade-offs, and constraints.
• Lead risk workstreams within multi-disciplinary delivery teams, and own delivery outcomes.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (technology, regulatory, compliance) to deliver holistic client solutions.
• Conduct hands-on reviews and actively mentor junior team members.

Skills and attributes for success:

• A passion for delivering an exceptional client service experience.
• A collaborative mind-set.
• Outcome focused, but also intellectually curious with a creative approach to problem solving.
• Excellent written, listening and verbal communication skills and a track record of building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills and confidence in tackling new topics.

To qualify for the role you must have:

• Strong wealth/asset management knowledge (inc. buy/sell-side processes).
• Strong understanding of the digital assets ecosystem, including cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and tokenised assets, blockchain fundamentals and distributed ledger technologies.
• Experience designing or assessing risk taxonomies and control frameworks for digital assets.
• Knowledge of end-to-end digital asset process flows, including trading and execution, custody and wallet management, settlement and reconciliation, lifecycle management.
• Understanding of key risks (operational, technology, fraud, regulatory, market, liquidity) and associated controls.
• Experience mapping and analysing client journeys and operating models in financial services.
• Familiarity with global digital asset regulations and frameworks, including UK FSMA 2023 and FCA guidance, GENIUS Act (or equivalent emerging US regulatory frameworks), HKMA guidance on virtual assets, MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation), and other relevant regional and global regulatory developments.
• Ability to translate regulatory expectations into practical control and governance solutions.

Ideally, you'll also have:

• Experience in Wealth & Asset Management, Capital Markets, or Banking.
• Prior consulting experience in risk, compliance, or digital transformation.
• Exposure to digital asset platforms, exchanges, custodians, or fintechs.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• A constructive and action-oriented approach.
• A self-starting attitude with the ability to think and act quickly.
• Experience of operating in a project-based environment.
• An ability to guide and coach team members to help them develop their EY careers.

What we look for:

We are seeking risk professionals, with good knowledge of DLT and digital assets processes and products, to join our growing team to build our business and support our clients build more resilient, efficient and profitable businesses. We are looking for a proactive problem solver with strong analytical capabilities, an ability to operate in ambiguous and rapidly evolving environments, commercial awareness and the ability to link risk insights to business value, and a passion for innovation in financial services and digital assets.

What we offer:

We offer an attractive remuneration package where you'll be rewarded for your performance. Our comprehensive Total Rewards package includes support for flexible working and career development, and with FlexEY you can select benefits that suit your needs, covering holidays, health and well-being, insurance, savings and a wide range of discounts, offers and promotions.

Plus, we offer continuous learning, success as defined by you, transformative leadership, and a diverse and inclusive culture.