Anti-Financial Crime & Onboarding Manager - 6 Month FTC in London

LHV Bank Limited is a UK-licensed bank operating across three core business segments: Retail Banking, SME Lending, and Banking Services (BaaS). The bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of LHV Group, a listed financial services provider headquartered in Estonia. LHV Bank operates under a full UK banking licence granted in May 2023. The Bank supports over 200 fintech clients with embedded financial infrastructure, provides retail savings products via digital channels, and offers SME credit solutions across the UK. In line with its regulatory responsibilities and growth ambitions, LHV Bank is committed to maintaining a robust and proportionate financial crime control environment.

We are currently seeking an experienced Anti-Financial Crime & Onboarding Manager, to support both our Anti-Financial Crime (AFC) efforts and client onboarding. This is primarily an office-based role, requiring a minimum of two days per week in the London office. Additional travel to Manchester may occasionally be required.

About the job

In this role, you will play a pivotal part in the frontline defence against financial crime, serving as a subject matter expert and point of reference for team members. You’ll be responsible for overseeing the quality and accuracy of due diligence performed by the frontline team, ensuring high standards are consistently met. You’ll work in close partnership with internal stakeholders and external partners to strengthen and evolve our AML and KYC processes, and provide regular updates via preparation of MI on financial crime risk.

If you’re an experienced KYC professional seeking an opportunity to shape policies and procedures, support team development, and share your expertise across the wider function we’d be excited to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee and support customer due diligence (CDD), enhanced due diligence (EDD), and transaction monitoring activities to ensure the Bank's compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations.
• Play a critical role in identifying and mitigating financial crime risk at the frontline of customer interaction.
• Oversee and support AML/KYC reviews on new and existing customers in line with internal policies and regulatory requirements.
• Review and advise on suitability of customer documentation and verification (e.g., ID, proof of address, source of funds/wealth).
• Assess and monitor screening and background checks using internal systems and third-party tools.
• Manage and monitor investigations of alerts from monitoring systems conducted by the frontline, escalating suspicious activity as appropriate.
• Liaise with internal teams to obtain missing information or resolve KYC issues.
• Contribute to the overall continuous improvement and development of the AML/KYC operations by supporting the implementation of internal controls, process improvements and documentation updates.
• Assist in the preparation of internal reports and MI relating to Financial Crime and AML.
• Stay current on AML/CTF legislation, typologies, and regulatory expectations.

Required Skills

• Experience in a KYC, AML, or compliance role within a financial institution (preferably with experience in Commercial/SME Lending).
• Working knowledge of the UK regulatory environment, including the Money Laundering Regulations, JMLSG Guidance, and FCA Handbook.
• Familiarity with screening and case management tools e.g. LexisNexis, ComplyAdvantage, RiskNarrative, Dow Jones.
• Team player with a proactive attitude and ethical mindset.
• Strong attention to detail and investigative mindset.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage workload in line with SLAs.
• Strong communication skills including the ability to forge new connections with existing stakeholders and escalate risks diligently in line with agreed processes.
• Keen eye for detail and problem solving with an investigative mind and the desire to find solutions to problems independently and quickly using a risk-based rationale in line with relevant legislation.

Some of our benefits (only applicable to UK based roles not Internship programmes)

• Competitive salary & lots of opportunities to learn, grow and progress professionally.
• Open and inclusive culture.
• Hybrid working.
• Fantastic offices and great working environment.
• Vitality Health Plan (includes private health insurance, travel insurance, gym discounts).
• Health cash Plan (Medicash health plan Level 3).
• 6% employer pension contribution.
• Life assurance – 4 x salary.
• Income protection insurance – 75%.
• 28 days holiday plus 3 additional days, & further days for various key life events as well as the opportunity to sell up to 5 days per calendar year.
• Swap public/bank holidays each year for alternative days that align with your personal, cultural, or religious observances.
• Enhanced family friendly and family forming policies.
• Access to a wide range of retail discounts.
• Team Socials.