Vice President Lead - Customer Due Diligence in London

London Full-Time On-site

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Operations Services - Financial Crime Operations department is responsible for ensuring that all financial crime risks in Bank of China (UK) Limited and Bank of China Limited London Branch (jointly referred to as the Bank) are identified, managed or mitigated within the first line of defence (1LoD). A key component of the department’s coverage is responsibility for the Bank’s operational adherence to the UK regulatory requirements, namely with regards to Customer Due Diligence (CDD), Fraud Prevention and Management, Sanctions Screening, Transaction Monitoring and the provision of adequate training and support to the front line business. As a Vice President Lead - Customer Due Diligence, you will lead the day-to-day CDD operations, providing principal operational and technical support to the team. You will oversee delivery, quality and team performance, translate policy into operational decisions, support the team on complex issues, and work closely with Financial Crime Compliance (FCC) department. You will also lead CDD technology initiatives and the development of a sustainable future operating model, including the responsible use of AI and automation. This is a full time permanent position.

Key responsibilities

Own end-to-end CDD delivery across onboarding, periodic and event driven reviews, remediation and quality control, covering both system-based and approved manual workflows
Set daily and weekly delivery priorities, allocate and rebalance resources based on risk and demand, and maintain forward-looking oversight of workload, ageing and capacity
Identify and address outstanding cases and other delivery risks, agreeing recovery actions with relevant stakeholders and escalating unresolved constraints where required
Act as the senior first-line CDD subject matter expert and escalation point for complex corporate and financial institutions7 relationships, including correspondent banking, ownership and control structures, beneficial ownership, PEPs, adverse information and higher-risk jurisdictions
Provide clear, documented challenge on customer risk assessments, enhanced due diligence, source of wealth and funds where required, business purpose and expected activity. Ensure conclusions are supported by evidence and proportionate to risk
Translate FCC policy and guidance into workable procedures, case examples and decision aids. Resolve recurring interpretation issues with FCC and embed agreed standards consistently across production and QC
Oversee CDD quality controls, including four-eye review, evidence retention and documented sign-offs; analyse QC and assurance findings, identify root causes and ensure corrective actions are implemented and formally closed
Develop team capability through coaching, calibration and targeted development plans
Act as the principal day-to-day CDD contact for FCC, business stakeholders and relevant control teams. Coordinate responses to challenge and assurance requests, following issues through to resolution
Provide the Head of FCO with accurate Management Information (MI), forward-looking risks and decisions required. Represent CDD team at working groups and governance meetings, and deputise on CDD matters as delegated
Lead the design and implementation of the CDD target operating model, defining how people, processes, technology, data and controls work together and translating strategy into a phased roadmap with clear ownership, capacity requirements and measurable outcomes
Act as the CDD business owner for technology and change projects. Own business requirements, prioritisation, business cases, delivery dependencies, user acceptance testing, operational readiness and benefits tracking, working with technology teams and vendors
Lead the controlled adoption of AI and automation across appropriate CDD activities, assessing use cases through pilots and ensuring appropriate human oversight, data protection, traceability, auditability and required governance approvals

Requirements

Degree educated in Finance, Business, Economics or relevant subjects
Demonstrated CDD, KYC or Financial Crime experience in banking or consultancy, with exposure to wholesale banking, corporate customers and financial institutions
Proven experience in financial crime advisory, assurance, or senior first-line roles, with strong policy interpretation, control challenge and operational delivery accountability
Demonstrated people management and coaching experience, with evidence of developing technical standards, resolving control findings and influencing business and compliance stakeholders
Experience using MI and data to manage capacity, productivity, quality and operational dependencies
Proven experience delivering CDD technology or operational change from requirements through implementation, including target operating model design and benefits realization
Experience in client lifecycle management platforms and screening or research tools
Sound working knowledge of applicable UK AML and counter-terrorist financing requirements, JMLSG guidance, sanctions obligations and relevant regulatory expectations
Excellent communication skills
Demonstrates technical credibility, independent judgement and operational discipline, with the ability to challenge constructively, resolve ambiguity and take ownership of issues through to resolution
Ability to assess AI and automation use cases including their limitations and the operational controls required for safe, effective adoption, experience implementing these solutions is desirable
Excellent MS Office skills, particularly in the use of MS Excel

Working here

Having a presence in the UK for more than 90 years, Bank of China London Branch has been providing an excellent financial service to the market and maintain its competitive edge as an international bank operated in the UK. It has employees in over 33 countries, and it is one of the most internationalised overseas branch in the Bank of China Group. The Bank values the diversity of its employees and aims to create an inclusive environment where everyone can speak up and enjoy the equal opportunities to grow both personally and professionally.

Learning and Development

We strive to offer you a continuous learning environment and we will invest in your development. We provide personalised and varied learning tools to support your growth and career through:

access to the best in class qualifications from leading professional bodies such as the Professional Bankers Certificate and Green & Sustainable Finance Certificate from the Chartered Banker Institute
24/7 on-demand access to over 600 e-tutorials to build and refresh core and advanced banking knowledge
regular pan-bank stay connected sessions to keep in touch with what is going on across the bank and build your network
exploring your unique and collective strengths and development areas to become the best version of yourself using the globally renowned Insights personality profile
developing our People Managers to help coach and guide you towards success, through our 9-month People Manager Development Programme

encouraging a “growth” personal mindset and promoting continuous professional development (CPD) through annual events such as Learning at Work Week
embracing change in a fast-moving industry and encouraging a forward-looking perspective on career development to “future-proof” your career
promoting cross cultural intelligence and to seek out diverse and inclusive perspectives on challenges faced and their solutions

Benefits

We provide an attractive and comprehensive benefits package, offering flexibility that can enable you to select the benefits that suits your needs, including:

Complimentary
Lunch

Cycle to
work scheme

Retail
Discounts

Meet our People

Celine Luo
Assistant Vice President, Financial Crime and Compliance

Bank of China is a great platform for everyone who wants to gain different knowledge and self-development. I started as a Junior Associate and had the opportunities to gain invaluable working experience in two different departments. I am happily working here, as an Assistant Vice President in the Financial Crime and Compliance department. I believe I will continue to grow here, not only in my career development but also in my personal wellbeing.

Daniel Shulakov
Senior Associate,
Credit Management

I joined Bank of China as a university graduate and I believe I have found the best place for me. From the first day my priority was always to learn. This was quickly recognised by my department, which provided me with the platform to grow, and my colleagues have been very helpful in the guidance they have provided me with along my journey. There are ample opportunities to grow with the Bank and it all depends on how much one would like to develop themselves.

Rita Cobbold
Vice President – Head of Customer Due Diligence, CFU Middle Office

I have been working at Bank of China for almost 8 years. In March 2022 I was promoted to VP - Head of Customer Due Diligence and I lead the CDD Unit. There are so many great things about working for the company. My favourite is probably the Bank’s commitment to identifying talent and nurturing them to develop into great leaders. The Bank embraces employees of all experience levels, backgrounds, and beliefs. They understand the value of a diverse team and make efforts to hire a variety of people. Working here has really enhanced my knowledge, my understanding of different cultures, leadership skills and a sense of direction for the future.

Ashley Watson
AVP – Security Operations & Risk Manager, General Administration

Over the past four years at Bank of China UK, I have had the opportunity to grow both professionally and personally in my role as the Security Operations and Risk Manager. My role involves safeguarding the bank’s operations through robust risk management and proactive security strategies. Every day brings new challenges, and the dynamic nature of the role keeps me engaged and motivated. One of the most rewarding aspects of working here is being part of a truly diverse and multicultural environment. Collaborating with colleagues from different backgrounds has broadened my perspective and enriched both my professional and personal experiences.