Head of AML & Money Laundering Reporting Officer

Location: Manchester City Centre (hybrid working)

Salary: Competitive, plus benefits

Reports to: Compliance Director & General Counsel

About the Company

gunnercooke is a Top 75 law firm recognised by over 80 industry awards. Launched in 2010, the firm has rapidly grown to over 500 lawyers across 14 global offices in the UK, US, Germany and Austria. Our breadth of expertise covers some of the most interesting and important emerging disciplines, from ESG and charity law, to blockchain and competition. Collaboration is at the forefront of our award-winning culture and is what sets our firm apart from the rest. gunnercooke operates as a fee share model meaning our professionals join as self-employed advisors, free to design and develop the practice they’ve always wanted. Our firm brings together the most ambitious and commercially-minded people, who build and work in dynamic teams of their choosing, to best suit their clients’ needs. Our purpose is simple; to deliver a positive impact for our clients, provide a better life for our people and to leave a better world than we found. Our charitable arm, the gunnercooke foundation, enables us to directly engage with communities on social issues and to help charitable organisations grow.

The Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a senior role within the Compliance team. The Head of AML will work closely with the Compliance Director in the planning, design and implementation of the firm’s risk management strategy, and ensuring compliance with all applicable financial crime legislation. You will help to shape the firm’s processes and policies as well as identifying, managing and mitigating the firm’s risks, and you will lead on the delivery of the firm’s drive for quality and excellence. The firm’s approach to risk, compliance and quality is critical to our continued success and growth. You will help to ensure that the firm continues to meet all its regulatory and legislative requirements and that first-class firmwide risk management processes and compliance is embedded into the firm’s culture.

Main Responsibilities

• Performing the role and duties of the Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) on behalf of the firm, including liaising with the SRA and relevant law enforcement agencies as and when required;
• Ensuring the firm’s compliance with the SRA Codes of Conduct, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) (as amended), the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, the Terrorism Act 2000, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 and all related legislation;
• Ensuring that the Compliance team provides an effective and supportive risk management and compliance service to the GC Group’s partners, support lawyers and staff at all times;
• Helping to embed and maintain a proactive culture of risk management across the GC Group, helping its lawyers to deliver excellence;
• Working with the Compliance Director to continually improve the GC Group’s internal risk mitigation controls, and ensure effective and appropriate alignment as between the various international firms within the GC Group;
• Drafting and keeping up to date the firm’s policies, procedures, handbooks, risk assessments and supporting documentation, and ensuring that the firm’s policies are implemented across the firm consistently;
• Ensuring that appropriate and timely training is delivered to the firm’s partners, support lawyers and staff in relation to all applicable AML and financial crime matters;
• Drafting and keeping up to date a range of training materials in relation to financial crime matters, including but not limited to guidance notes, user guides and FAQ’s;
• Providing support and assistance to the firm’s lawyers on a full range of compliance questions or queries;
• Collating all relevant information and documentation as may be required to prepare the firm’s applications for insurance cover, panel memberships, annual regulatory submissions, and the like;
• Preparing key risk MI data as required. Handling complaints, claims and SAR’s as required from time to time;
• Supervising, mentoring and supporting such members of the Compliance team as may be required by the Compliance Director from time to time;
• Adhering to and always promoting the firm’s values.

The Person

Skills and Abilities

The successful candidate will have:

• Proven experience of working at a senior level within a risk and regulatory environment in a legal firm, and have detailed knowledge and understanding of the SRA Code of Conduct, Money Laundering Regulations, POCA, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, the Legal Sector Affinity Group guidance and related legislation.
• Excellent people skills, written and spoken communication skills, as well as the ability to influence people and deliver excellent results in conjunction with the senior management of the firm.
• A proactive, problem-solving approach and a keen attention to detail.
• Outstanding organisational and interpersonal skills, the ability to meet exacting deadlines and delivering exceptional service to internal clients.
• A calm, professional, welcoming approach, with the ability to work under pressure.
• Ability to plan and control activities to meet objectives.
• Be able to maintain a positive and cheerful approach to building strong working relationships with a wide variety of colleagues and partners.
• Have good general IT competency—able to use basic MS Office to intermediate/advanced level.