Senior Associate, Client Operations in Exeter

We’re Gravita: the accountants fuelling ambitious businesses. We’re a full service, tech-enabled firm, working with entrepreneurs and businesses to help them achieve their goals, and make an impact in the world. We’re growing fast and are bringing like-minded advisors together to form a full-service tech-enabled accounting partner for thousands of SMEs. Our team use their incredible expertise alongside intuitive technology to help businesses and entrepreneurs plan better and grow faster. Our mission is to become the UK’s leading tech-enabled accounting firm for SMEs. We have ambitious goals and our high-calibre team work hard to achieve them. We are one team with one agenda, working collaboratively in a respectful environment to deliver a great service to our clients. So if you join us, you’ll not only be working on exciting client challenges, you’ll also be helping us shape the future of accounting.

The Role

As a Senior Associate in Client Operations, you’ll play a key role in ensuring client onboarding and continuation processes meet legal, regulatory, and internal compliance requirements while delivering an excellent client experience. Working closely with the Director of Financial Crime & Acceptance and the Quality, Risk Management & Compliance team, you’ll support AML and financial crime controls, maintain accurate client records across core systems, and help ensure adherence to industry regulations and best practices. You will also contribute to enhancing processes and supporting a seamless client journey from onboarding through to ongoing engagement.

Key Responsibilities:

• New Clients – Onboarding & Compliance Management
• Client Take-On: facilitate and manage the onboarding process for new clients, including conducting AML checks using software such as SmartSearch and ensuring compliance with KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements.
• Client Engagement: Manage clients effectively and professionally when onboarding or engaging with them, improving the client experience.
• Letters of Engagement (LoE): Prepare, issue, and file Letters of Engagement (LoEs) for new clients, ensuring that all documentation complies with internal and external regulatory standards.
• System Setup: Accurately set up new clients in core systems, ensuring that all client data is compliant and properly documented.
• Compliance Liaison: Work closely with the Quality, Risk Management and Compliance team to ensure that any new services or clients are onboarded in line with AML regulations and internal policies.
• Data Maintenance: Maintain and verify the accuracy of new client data entered into core systems, ensuring compliance requirements are consistently met.
• Existing Clients – Client Continuation Compliance & Data Management
• Adding New Services: Update client records in core systems to reflect new services, ensuring that all compliance protocols are followed.
• Refreshing Letters of Engagement (LoEs): Proactively manage the periodic refresh of LoEs, typically every three years, ensuring that these documents reflect current compliance regulations and client agreements.
• SmartSearch Updates: Regularly review and refresh AML checks through SmartSearch, including updating records for changes in directorship or other key personnel.
• Compliance Liaison: Work closely with the Quality, Risk Management and Compliance team to ensure that any new services or clients are onboarded in line with AML regulations and internal policies.
• Data Maintenance: Continuously update and maintain accurate records of client and internal data, ensuring that any changes in client information or services are reflected and compliant with regulatory standards.
• Other:
• Regulatory Compliance: Maintain a strong understanding of industry regulations, such as AML directives, GDPR, and data protection laws, ensuring that all client data management practices comply with these standards.
• Risk Management: Work with the Quality, Risk Management and Compliance team to identify and mitigate potential compliance risks during client onboarding and ongoing data maintenance. Input into drafting guidance documents and communications for Gravita.
• Process: Take ownership of the firm's engagement letter process, driving operational excellence by refining workflows, leveraging SharePoint-based solutions, and proactively evaluating AI and other technologies to improve client experience, compliance, and efficiency.
• Process data: Act as a central point of ownership for key data and reporting requirements, maintaining data integrity, identifying trends, and delivering regular updates to stakeholders and client teams.
• External Reviews: Assist in updating documentation and client data to ensure they are available and accurate for internal audits and external regulatory reviews.
• Ad hoc Support: Support in business projects e.g. migrations of data, bulk LoE renewals, developing IT functions to support in onboarding processes.

Qualifications, Knowledge & Experience:

• Previous experience in compliance support role, particularly involving client onboarding, AML checks, and data management in systems like CCH and DMS.
• Strong command of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) as well as SharePoint.
• Exceptional attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to collaborate with the client operations team, QRM, compliance team and support other service lines where necessary.
• Proactive and enthusiastic, with a positive attitude and a can-do approach.
• Excellent ability to problem solve and use own initiative; and
• Confident communication and presentation skills.

Your Career with Gravita

When you join Gravita, we’ll support you on your own growth journey. We want to be the place you learn, grow and unlock your true potential. We’ll work with you to build a progression plan to outline how you’ll grow at our company and everything we’ll do to help you get there. We’re also passionate about learning and development, to help you focus on your future.

The Nitty Gritty

Our standard working week is a 37.5-hour week on a hybrid basis. Core working hours are 10am - 4pm Monday to Friday. Flexible working and happy employees are at the top of our list here at Gravita and we have been working hard to support our teams through the fast-paced changes. Your development won’t be forgotten, our development support is extraordinary for a firm of our size. It's a busy, fast-paced environment here at Gravita.