Onboarding Business Lead (KYC/CDD) in London

At Grant Thornton we do things differently - looking to the future, driving ambitious growth and pioneering positive change in our industry. Providing audit, tax and advisory services, we empower clients through strategic insight, curiosity, and genuine partnership. And we empower our people with real opportunity, an inclusive culture and work life balance.

Grant Thornton UK LLP is part of a global network of independent audit, tax and advisory firms, made up of some 58,000 people in over 135 countries. We're a team of independent thinkers who put quality, inclusion and integrity first. Every day our teams help people in businesses and communities to do what is right and achieve their goals.

You will be part of our Onboarding Client Experience team, a specialist function which supports our onboarding activities, with a particular focus on complex, high-risk and commercially important engagements. The team plays a vital role in ensuring that Grant Thornton’s professional, ethical and regulatory obligations are met without compromising commercial momentum.

As an Onboarding Business Lead (KYC/CDD) within our Quality & Risk / Centralised Onboarding team, you will act as a trusted risk partner and strategic enabler for the firm. This role requires a sophisticated understanding of regulatory requirements (especially KYC/CDD), contractual and commercial considerations, and the ability to apply independent judgement to complex situations. Strong verbal communication is essential.

Your accountabilities span three areas:

• Client Outreach: Lead the Client outreach process to gather required CDD information and documentation, including direct conversations with client contacts. Apply independent, high-level judgement to determine the sufficiency and credibility of information provided by the Client against the firm’s CDD Standard. Manage complex ownership structures and support enhanced due diligence where required.
• Priority Client Support: Act as a concierge-style Onboarding advisor, providing bespoke operational Onboarding advice for larger, more complex or priority cases, delivering a frictionless client experience while maintaining the required risk controls for the firm.
• Risk & Compliance: Act as a subject matter expert for client-facing Partners and Directors, advising on the practicalities of Onboarding complex and commercially important engagements. Provide clear, practical advice on evidence strategy, risk-based options and when/what to escalate.

Joining us as an Onboarding Business Lead (KYC/CDD), the minimum criteria you’ll need are:

• Substantial hands-on experience delivering client onboarding (including KYC/CDD) within professional services, banking or financial services.
• Proven ability to write and defend risk rationales and make risk-based decisions with confidence.
• Demonstrable experience of engaging with clients/customers and stakeholders through strong written and verbal communication skills.

We welcome additional experience in Ethical Standards Awareness, Stakeholder Influence, and core competencies such as Integrity, Commercial Acumen, Professional communication, Analytical Rigour, Cross-Functional Thinking, Systems & Controls Literacy, and Decisiveness.

Embracing uniqueness, the culture at Grant Thornton thrives on the contributions of all our people. Building an inclusive culture, where we value difference and respect our colleagues helps our people to perform at the best of their ability and realise their potential.

Life is more than work. We’re happy to look at flexible working options for all our roles, and we’ll always do our best to keep your work and life in balance. The impact you can make here will go far beyond your day job.

We’re looking for people who want to contribute, spark fresh ideas and go beyond expectations. People who want to be able to proudly do what’s right, for the firm, our clients, our people and themselves.