VP, Financial Crime Assurance & Special Projects

About Crown Agents Bank

Crown Agents Bank is a rapidly growing, regulated UK bank connecting emerging and frontier markets to the world through innovative FX and payments technology. Our mission is simple: reduce friction so more money reaches those who need it.

For over 200 years we’ve built trusted networks across hard‑to‑reach markets. Today, we pair that heritage with digital innovation to support fintechs, corporates, governments, development organisations and banks with cross‑border payments and FX solutions.

Role Purpose:

To provide independent second line assurance over the effectiveness of first line financial crime compliance controls and operations, leading a small team to plan an execute targeted reviews that mitigate key FCC risks and support regulatory compliance.

Role Responsibilities:

• Acts as point of reference for more complex technical issues relating to Assurance and demonstrate a good all-round technical knowledge on FCC programmes ensuring CABs programmes are aligned with changes and highest standards observed in the marketplace.
• Use understanding/knowledge to provide new ideas and solutions to current challenges relating to Assurance and proactively identify new tasks/methods that will add value.
• Engage confidently with others in the FCC Team and the Business and adjust personal style to further the Assurance agenda at CAB.
• Develop and maintain knowledge of the firms' products, activities and regulatory reporting obligations by staying abreast of regulatory changes and industry trends by attending relevant industry forums to proactively consider and assess the impact on our regulatory framework
• Support the development of Financial Crime Compliance (FCC) annual risk-based assurance monitoring plan ensuring continues feedback through governance of the output of monitoring and assurance activity.
• Conducting assurance of 1st line Operations, IT, Sales and Trading teams by undertaking assurance to ensure that financial crime policies and procedures are understood and applied as expected in line with regulatory expectations.
• Drafting and communicating issues and actions to Senior Management on the outcome of assurance activity.
• Identifying relevant action owners and engaging with them to ensure issues and actions are well understood agreed and documented to facilitate easy resolution.
• Use the assurance programme as an opportunity to identify and recommend continuous development of improved financial crime risk and control solutions, procedures and cultures within CAB.
• Collaborating with colleagues in Governance, Financial Intelligence, Systems, Risk and Client Selection to identify gaps in CAB’s FCC Compliance programme that require attention.
• Enhance the quality of the CAB FCC governance processes by providing insights from Assurance activity that can adequately influence discussions and presentations made to attendees of governance committees.
• Use Assurance as an opportunity to challenge stakeholders on the design and effectiveness of financial crime controls.
• Maintaining strong stakeholder relationships across Front Office, Risk and Operations.

• Desirable qualifications: recognized professional qualification in financial crime compliance (e.g. ICA diploma in financial crime prevention / Anti money laundering, ACAMS, CAMS, or equivalent.

Experience:

• Significant relevant experience (typically 10+ years) in Financial Services.
• Substantial background in Financial Crime Compliance.
• Risk management, or assurance/audit roles (including second line oversight or independent testing of controls).
• Ideally background gained in a payments bank or payments focused environment.
• Experience in interpreting and implementing relevant regulations.

• Hybrid working
• Contributory personal pension plan: - Minimum: Employee 2% and Employer 7%. Employer matches contributions in 1% increments to a maximum of: Employee 5% and Employer 10%
• Life Assurance – 4 times annual salary
• Group Income Protection
• Private Medical Insurance – this may include cover for partner and or children at company cost. Cover includes Optical, Dental and Audiology
• Discretionary Bonus
• Competitive Annual Leave
• 2 Volunteering Days
• Benefit Hub