Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) Lead - Senior Manager in Newcastle upon Tyne

Role Overview

As an Enhanced Due Diligence Lead (Senior Manager) within our Financial Crime & Compliance practice, you will lead the firm’s EDD production capability end to end – owning quality, process, systems and the skills framework that underpins our output. You will act as the operational owner of our AI‑assisted EDD drafting and research capability, and be accountable for the standard of every EDD risk assessment that reaches the second‑line Financial Crime Risk Advisory function for decision.

Responsibilities

• Own the EDD process end to end, from intake and allocation through to compilation standards and the release of decision‑ready risk assessments to the Financial Crime Risk Advisory function.
• Maintain quality oversight of all EDD output, including review and sampling of finalised assessments produced by your Managers, with calibration sessions and trend reporting; working closely with the QC, Training & MI Lead on independent first‑line sampling.
• Take operational ownership of the firm’s AI‑assisted EDD drafting capability, including accuracy monitoring, human‑review and override logging, versioning control, and building the evidence base for progressive reliance on the system.
• Own and manage the firm’s specialist research and screening intelligence relationships, and contribute to use‑case design for High and Restricted risk clients, third parties and insolvency payments.
• Design and maintain the competence framework for EDD risk assessment compilation, including training standards, assessment criteria and the sampling regime for all populations performing input work, onshore and offshore.
• Operate the risk‑based review framework, applying the MLRO‑approved tiering ruleset that determines the level of human review required for each assessment, and manage the competence gate governing analyst conclude authority.
• Lead and develop two direct report Managers, allocating and rotating responsibilities including ownership of the AI drafting accuracy log and override reporting.
• Lead the transition of EDD production from the current operating model into the target model, managing the change with minimal disruption to quality or throughput.
• Provide guidance and act as escalation point on complex compilation questions, including source corroboration, adverse media relevance, identity resolution and narrative fairness.
• Produce management information for the Head of CDD and the MLRO covering volumes, quality outcomes, system accuracy and capacity.

Qualifications

• Significant hands‑on EDD production and review experience, ideally gained in professional services, banking, corporate intelligence or a specialist EDD provider, with a strong track record on complex, high‑risk cases.
• Demonstrable experience building or running a quality framework, including sampling, calibration, feedback loops and competence assessment.
• Genuine fluency with research and screening systems; direct experience of AI‑assisted compliance tools is a strong advantage, and an evidenced appetite for working with them is essential.
• Strong writing and analytical standards, with the ability to distinguish between a data pack and a coherent, well‑reasoned risk assessment – and to coach others to do the same.
• Experience managing teams across jurisdictions and time zones, including offshore delivery models.
• Solid working knowledge of MLR 2017 and JMLSG guidance; familiarity with the accountancy‑sector AMLGAS is an advantage.
• Experience contributing to the build‑out or rollout of a new EDD platform, case management system or operating model would be a distinct advantage.

Benefits

We’re happy to talk flexible working and consider reduced hours and job shares, and we’ll support you to balance your work and life. We’re also committed to supporting you through different life stages, with a range of family‑friendly and wider leave policies. Full details of our reward, benefits and leave policies are available on our website.