Money Laundering Liaison Officer in Edinburgh

Business Unit: Payment Sanctions Team, Financial Crime Ops

Salary Range: £32,800 – £49,200 per annum DOE + benefits

Location: Hybrid (Leeds, Gosforth or Glasgow). Remote available for candidates outside a hub location.

Our team is on a mission to be a truly disruptive force in banking—but to do that safely and responsibly, we need the right people in the right roles. Screening in accordance with the Sanctions Regime is a vital part of our end-to-end payments process. We focus on the details that matter while delivering outstanding service. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and enjoy tackling challenges, we have an exciting opportunity for you to join our team.

The role of Money Laundering Liaison Officer within the Sanctions Control Board involves investigating potentially sanctioned payments and transactional activity to assess financial crime risks. You’ll also act as a subject matter expert, supporting colleagues across other Payments Sanctions workstreams. This role contributes to the delivery of key departmental objectives and requires knowledge of end-to-end payments processes, sanctions regulations and providing specialist guidance to Operations, the Store Network, and Relationship Managers.

What you’ll be doing:

• Investigating payments referred to the Sanctions Control Board by the Payment Sanctions Screening team, escalating to higher authorities where necessary, and liaising with other Financial Crime Operations teams.
• Providing advice and guidance to Operations teams and the wider bank on executing processes and procedures in line with compliance requirements.
• Acting as a subject matter expert in Financial Crime—particularly Sanctions—and staying informed on industry tools and developments that support our obligations.
• Ensuring all operational procedures and practices align with VM policy, regulatory requirements, and industry best practice.
• Driving continuous improvement, supporting and implementing change, and contributing to the uplift of team capability.

We need you to have:

• Extensive experience in the Financial Crime domain, ideally within Payments Filtering or a related Financial Crime role.
• Strong product knowledge and a solid understanding of financial crime regulations, especially those relating to Sanctions.
• The ability to manage and prioritise your own workload, and to review and interpret complex information effectively.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with experience managing relationships with stakeholders, including at senior levels.
• A collaborative team player who can remain composed in complex situations.
• A strong understanding of risk management within a banking context, particularly in relation to Sanctions, with a naturally analytical approach.
• Sound decision-making skills, with a proven ability to resolve complex customer queries efficiently and effectively.
• A good working knowledge of Payments and the full end-to-end journey.

It’s a bonus if you have but not essential:

• Experience of AML Prevention, Detection or Investigation system.
• Have or working towards a Financial Crime qualification e.g. ICA Certificate in Anti Money Laundering or equivalent.

Red Hot Rewards:

• Generous holidays - 38.5 days annual leave (including bank holidays and prorated if part-time) plus the option to buy more.
• Up to five extra paid well-being days per year.
• 20 weeks paid, gender-neutral family leave (52 weeks in total) for expectant parents and those looking to adopt.
• Market-leading pension.
• Free private medical cover, income protection and life assurance.
• Flexible benefits include Cycle to Work, wellness and health assessments, and critical illness.
• And there’s no waiting around, you’ll enjoy these benefits from day one.

If we’re lucky to receive a lot of interest, we may close the advert early. Please ensure to submit your applications as soon as possible.

Say hello to Virgin Money:

Virgin Money is so much more than just a bank. As part of the Nationwide group, together we’re the UK’s first full-service mutual bank serving millions of retail and business customers and all driven by our purpose; Banking but fairer, more rewarding and for the good of society. With us, you’ll be part of an organisation uniquely positioned to make a difference to the lives of customers, communities and broader society and embark on a collaborative, customer obsessed, and fun-filled career journey. Embrace the weekdays, enjoy fantastic perks, and make a meaningful positive difference. Time to discover what it means to be part of the first mutual full-service banking provider.

Be yourself at Virgin Money:

At Virgin Money, we celebrate everyone. We have fun, think big, and relentlessly include each other, all in pursuit of our purpose: Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society. We’re committed to creating an inclusive culture where colleagues feel safe and inspired to contribute, speak up and be heard. As a Disability Confident Leader, we’re committed to removing any obstacles to inclusion. If you need any reasonable adjustments or support making your application, contact our Talent Acquisition team.

Please note: If we receive a high volume of eligible applications, we may need to prioritise candidates whose skills and experience most closely align with the role, while still ensuring fair and equitable consideration for all applicants.

Now the legal bit: Although some of our roles allow you to be based anywhere in the UK, we’ll need you to confirm you have the right to work in the UK. If you’re successful in securing a role with us, there are some checks you need to complete before starting. These include credit and criminal record checks and three years’ worth of satisfactory references. If the role is part of the Senior Manager Regime and Certification Regime, it requires enhanced pre-employment checks – we’ll ask for six years of regulatory references, and once in the role, you’ll be subject to periodic employment checks.