Associate Director, CFCR Advisory, TB & CC, UK/Eur

The Associate Director, CFCR Advisory will operate as part of the independent second line risk function, providing expert Financial Crime Compliance (FCC) advisory and oversight across Transaction Banking (TB) and Client Coverage (CC) businesses in the UK and Europe. This role is critical in supporting the Bank’s commitment to maintaining best-in-class financial crime risk management frameworks, ensuring alignment with regulatory expectations and internal standards. The successful candidate will deliver subject matter expertise across key risk areas—including correspondent banking, fintech, crypto assets, trade finance, and payments—while providing robust challenge, guidance, and oversight to business stakeholders. The role requires a strong balance of advisory capability, risk management, and stakeholder engagement to ensure sustainable, compliant business growth aligned with the Bank’s strategic objectives and values.

Key Responsibilities

• Risk Management & Compliance
  • Identify, assess, and elevate financial crime risks, ensuring alignment with the Bank’s risk appetite and regulatory obligations.
  • Support the management of high-risk client relationships, country exposures, and complex transactions.
  • Provide subject matter expertise and strategic advisory on financial crime risks across key products, services, and client segments.
  • Contribute to monitoring, surveillance, and assurance programmes across TB and CC.
  • Assist with investigations and remediation activities related to financial crime issues.
  • Support horizon scanning and the development of mitigation strategies for emerging risks.
• Business Partnering & Oversight
  • Develop a deep understanding of TB and CC business models, products, and strategies to provide effective oversight and challenge.
  • Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across business and functional teams.
  • Deliver timely, high-quality advisory on financial crime risks related to new products, client activities, transactions, and strategic initiatives.
  • Provide constructive challenge where activities fall outside risk appetite, ensuring appropriate escalation and remediation actions.
• Policy, Process & Governance
  • Maintain a strong understanding of relevant policies, standards, and regulatory frameworks impacting Transaction Banking and Client Coverage.
  • Stay ahead of regulatory developments and emerging risks to inform proactive advisory and risk mitigation strategies.
  • Support the development, implementation, and enhancement of CFCR policies, procedures, and frameworks.
  • Provide second line challenge to first line processes and controls.
  • Ensure effective governance, including tracking of issues, audit findings, and regulatory actions.
  • Contribute to audit, assurance, and regulatory review processes, including remediation and lessons learned.
• Project & Change Management
  • Support the CFCR advisory input into new business initiatives, product development, and transformation programmes.
  • Contribute to the delivery of key change initiatives impacting TB and CC from a financial crime perspective.
  • Coordinate with global and regional teams to ensure consistent implementation of CFCR standards.

Skills and Experience

• Strong understanding of financial crime risk, including AML, CTF, sanctions, fraud, and proliferation financing.
• Proven experience providing advisory and preferably knowledge of products across a breadth of transaction banking areas such as correspondent banking, fintech, cryptoassets, trade finance, and cross-border payments.
• Solid knowledge of Financial Crime Regulations and developments, particularly within the UK and Europe.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to align risk advisory with commercial objectives.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with experience engaging senior stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess complex risk scenarios.
• Experience in governance, policy development, and risk frameworks within a banking environment.
• Effective communication and drafting skills, with the ability to articulate complex issues clearly.
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to work across functions and geographies in a matrix organisation.
• High levels of integrity, resilience, and professional judgement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline.
• Demonstrable experience in Financial Crime Compliance within banking or financial services.
• Strong knowledge of UK and global AML/CTF regulations and frameworks.
• Professional certification such as ACAMS or equivalent is desirable but not essential.
• Familiarity with wholesale banking products and services is advantageous.
• Experience working within a regulated, global financial institution is highly desirable.

What we offer

• Core bank funding for retirement savings, medical and life insurance, with flexible and voluntary benefits available in some locations.
• Time-off including annual leave, parental/maternity (20 weeks), sabbatical (12 months maximum) and volunteering leave (3 days), along with minimum global standards for annual and public holiday, which is combined to 30 days minimum.
• Flexible working options based around home and office locations, with flexible working patterns.
• Proactive wellbeing support through Unmind, a market-leading digital wellbeing platform, development courses for resilience and other human skills, global Employee Assistance Programme, sick leave, mental health first-aiders and all sorts of self-help toolkits.
• A continuous learning culture to support your growth, with opportunities to reskill and upskill and access to physical, virtual and digital learning.
• Being part of an inclusive and values-driven organisation, one that embraces and celebrates our unique diversity across our teams, business functions and geographies – everyone feels respected and can realise their full potential.