Overview of role

London: 50% hybrid applies

This is an exciting opportunity for a senior compliance professional to join WPS. The role will act as Nominated Officer for the firm's operations in the UK and MLRO and Compliance officer for the firm's operations in Ireland. The role has a functional reporting line to the Director of Compliance, as well as a reporting line into Senior Management in the UK and Ireland.  

The role will be responsible for ensuring the AML/CTF/CPF and sanctions framework for the UK and Irelands is effective, risk based and compliant. This will include overseeing policies and procedures, conducting risk assessments, delivering periodic reporting and training and defining monitoring plans. In addition, the successful candidate will be responsible for receiving and assessing suspicious activity reports and externalising those reports as deemed appropriate.

Duties, Responsibilities & Person Specification

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Developing and maintaining the UK and Irish AML/CTF/CPF and sanctions policies and procedures in line with WPS policies, and relevant laws and regulations
• Ensuring senior management and the Board are aware of their AML/CTF/CPF and sanctions obligations and support them in meeting those obligations
• Working in conjunction with the Director of Compliance, maintaining the company's Business Risk Assessment (BRA); ensuring that the BRA methodology and the BRA remains current and up to date
• Performing risk-based monitoring, ensuring compliance to WPS policies and procedures, for example, the Customer Due Diligence (CDD) and Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) procedures, Suspicious Activity Reporting (SARs) procedures, and record keeping procedures
• Delivering AML/CTF/CPF and sanctions reporting to the Board and Group Compliance, and escalating issues where action may be required
• Preparing and presenting an AML/CTF/CPF and sanctions training and awareness programme to relevant staff, including relevant training for senior managers that are accountable for overseeing the firms AML/CTF/CPF obligations and its key persons
• Acting as the main point of contact with Regulatory Bodies regarding AML/CTF/CPF and sanctions matters, including the management of regulatory examinations, requests for information and the submission of regulatory filings
• Being the key point of contact in the London and Dublin offices for AML/CTF/CPF and sanctions queries
• Acting as the designated officer for receiving internal SARs from Partners and staff, reviewing and externalising them in accordance with internal policy and procedures
• Maintaining the SARs register, ensuring that all SARs received are logged and assessed appropriately and that all supporting records are filed and saved appropriately
• Acting as the main point of contact for the FIU, ensuring that all communications are handled efficiently and in a timely manner

The role does not include any management responsibilities but will work closely with equivalent role holders in other offices.

Education, Skills & Experience

With financial sector experience, you will have experience in performing AML/CTF/CPF roles and possess:

• An AML or other professional qualification or be studying towards such a qualification; such as, ICA, ACAMS
• A sound knowledge of the AML/CTF/CPF regulatory requirements and supporting guidance notes
• Full awareness of your own obligations
• Leadership ability with excellent communication skills. You are self-motivated and capable of prioritising workloads as required
• Excellent attention to detail
• Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to communicate with partners, fee earners with confidence
• Have the flexibility and adaptability to undertake a variety of tasks at short notice if required
• Good working knowledge of Windows – Microsoft Word – Microsoft Excel – Outlook – Teams – iManage
• Able to prioritise competing demands

• Excellent time management and organisational skills