Risk & Compliance Leadership - UK Wide
9 days ago
London
We work with a range of UK employers actively hiring across these roles. Job Description: UK-Based (On-Site, Hybrid or Remote) About the Roles We're looking for senior Risk and Compliance Leaders—from Compliance Manager and Risk Manager through to Head of Compliance, Head of Risk, Chief Risk Officer and Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO)—for upcoming leadership roles across regulated financial services and fast-scaling fintech. These are senior positions where you'll own the framework that keeps an organisation safe, compliant and trusted by its regulator. You'll own risk and compliance end-to-end—framework, monitoring, regulatory relationships and culture—while keeping the approach proportionate and commercially aware. The role suits a leader who pairs deep regulatory knowledge with the judgement and backbone to hold a line, and the pragmatism to keep the business moving. Key Responsibilities • Own and develop the risk and / or compliance framework aligned to the regulatory landscape, • Act as (or support) the relevant SMF function or MLRO under the SM&CR regime where applicable, • Horizon-scan regulatory change (FCA, PRA and others) and translate it into action for the business, • Lead the financial crime framework—AML, CTF, KYC / CDD, sanctions and fraud, • Own the risk management framework—identification, assessment, appetite and reporting, • Run compliance monitoring, testing and assurance programmes, • Manage regulator relationships and regulatory reporting and submissions, • Deliver board, risk and compliance committee reporting, • Build, develop and lead risk and compliance teams, • Embed a strong, proportionate risk and compliance culture across the organisation What You'll Bring Leadership Expertise: • Demonstrable track record leading risk and / or compliance functions, • Experience as an SMF holder, MLRO, deputy, or operating at that level within regulated firms, • Experience building and leading risk and compliance teams, • Credibility and communication at board and committee level Technical Expertise: • Deep knowledge of the UK regulatory landscape (FCA / PRA handbooks, SM&CR), • Financial crime expertise—AML, CTF, KYC / CDD, sanctions and fraud, • Strong grounding in risk frameworks—operational, conduct, financial and enterprise risk, • Compliance monitoring and assurance experience, • Relevant qualifications—ICA, CISI, FRM, actuarial or legal background Judgement & Soft Skills: • Sound judgement and the backbone to hold a line under pressure, • Board-level communication and influence, • Pragmatism—proportionate, risk-based and commercially aware, • Integrity and an independence mindset, • Calm and structured during audits, investigations and high-stakes decisions Domain Flexibility: • Roles span banking, insurance, asset and wealth management, fintech and payments, lending, crypto and professional services, • Background in any of these is welcomed; appetite to step into an adjacent regulated sector valued just as much Experience Level: • Typically 5+ years for Manager level, 8+ for Head of / MLRO / CRO; specific scope varies by level and firm, • Background in compliance, financial crime, risk or regulatory leadership, • Examples of frameworks, regulatory engagements or remediation programmes you've owned end-to-end What We Offer • The opportunity to own risk and compliance where it genuinely protects the organisation and its customers, • Roles where the risk and compliance voice is heard at the executive table, • Levels of seniority that match your trajectory—Manager through to Head of, MLRO and CRO, • Cultures that treat strong, proportionate compliance as a commercial advantage, • Clear scope to shape the framework, the team and the regulatory relationships, • Flexible working arrangements (on-site, hybrid or remote) and supportive executive peers Job Type: Full-time Benefits: • Flexitime, • Work from home