Crown Agents Bank is a vastly growing and regulated UK bank that connects emerging and frontier markets to the rest of the world, using FX and payments technology. We are transforming the way payments and FX move through emerging markets, reducing friction so that more money gets to those who need it. Emerging markets payments are usually challenging, expensive, unreliable and opaque. Our solutions help fix these pain points. Ultimately, we connect traditionally hard-to-reach regions to global financial infrastructure, giving access to the best prices and the fastest, most reliable settlement.

FX and cross-border payments are often complex and expensive, especially when operating in emerging markets. Crown Agents Bank (CAB) wraps its deep and trusted relationships and strength of network around innovative digital capabilities, and cross-border transaction banking solutions to enable fintech, corporates, governments, development organisations and banks to move money to, from, and across often hard-to-reach markets.

Role Purpose

Our FCC team works across a broad range of financial crime compliance areas, including anti-money laundering, sanctions, counter-terrorist financing, anti-bribery and corruption, and fraud. We do not hire candidates to cover only one of these areas; instead, we cross-train the team across the broader financial crime risk framework. 

This role sits within the Financial Crime Compliance Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). The role supports second-line investigations into unusual activity reports received from Transaction Monitoring and across the business, assessing whether there are reasonable grounds for suspicion of money laundering or terrorist financing and escalating cases to the MLRO or Nominated Officer for determination. 

Role Responsibilities

• Lead complex unusual activity investigations arising from system-generated alerts or business escalations, documenting the analysis, evidence considered, conclusions and recommended next steps. 

• Escalate potentially suspicious activity to the MLRO or Nominated Officer for SAR determination and, where instructed, prepare and submit Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) through the NCA portal accurately and within required timescales. 

• Liaise with Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) when required 

• Build effective stakeholder relationships by attending and presenting at relevant committees and forums, including the Transaction Monitoring and Transaction Screening Working Groups and the High-Risk Customer Forum. 

• Conduct deep-dive reviews of transactional activity and thematic reviews, identify material findings and control gaps, and present clear conclusions and recommendations to relevant stakeholders, forums and committees. 

• Support the effective day-to-day operation of the FIU, including producing accurate management information, maintaining procedures and identifying opportunities to improve processes and controls. 

• Provide advice and guidance on Financial Crime matters  

• Prepare and facilitate Financial Crime training where appropriate. 

• Assess, coordinate and respond to requests for information (RFIs) received by the Bank, ensuring responses are accurate, appropriately authorised and completed within applicable deadlines. 

• Identify gaps in knowledge, policy or procedure and help to facilitate solutions. 

• Relevant professional qualification (e.g. ICA, ACAMS AML or equivalent) is desirable 

Experience

• A minimum of two years’ relevant experience in a financial crime role, with demonstrable responsibility for complex investigations, unusual activity escalations or financial crime advisory work. 

• Strong understanding of complex financial crime typologies, including trade-based money laundering, terrorist financing, bribery and corruption, tax evasion and sanctions evasion. 

• Experience managing unusual activity escalations, with clear analysis, decisions and rationale documented. 

• Practical working knowledge of the UK financial crime framework, including the Money Laundering Regulations, Proceeds of Crime Act, Terrorism Act, UK sanctions requirements and JMLSG Guidance, together with the ability to interpret regulatory developments and apply them in a business context. 

• Stakeholder management and communication, including the ability to explain complex financial crime issues clearly and influence appropriate outcomes. 

• Banking experience, including knowledge of payments and SWIFT; experience of higher-risk jurisdictions or emerging markets is desirable. 

• Knowledge of correspondent banking and experience reviewing large transaction sets to identify risks or red flags. 

Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills 

• Organised with strong attention to detail 

• Demonstrates self-motivation and a positive, proactive attitude. 

• Ability to manage own caseload  

• Must be able to work as part of a team and on own initiative 

• Maintain a high level of accuracy and attention to detail in a high volume/tight deadline driven environment 

• Contributes to maintaining and improving the quality of FIU services and outputs by identifying and supporting practical improvement initiatives. 

• 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