Head of IB Financial Crime KYC Advisory

As the Head of Investment Banking Financial Crime KYC Advisory is responsible for the strategic leadership, oversight and enhancement of Investment Bank’s KYC program. This role ensures serves as a focal point for first, second and third line of defence stakeholders for oversight of KYC programme for Banking, Markets and the International Corporate Bank.

You will act as a delegate for the Head of IB Financial Crime Advisory for KYC matters, including representing the function in governance forums and leading strategic initiatives. This role is responsible for advising KYC Operation colleagues on the implementation of Barclays Client Lifecycle Standards. The individual will lead a high-performing team, fostering a culture of risk ownership and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as a Subject Matter Expert for Banking, Markets and Payment Clearing clients, including Correspondent Banks, Payment Service Providers, and E-money institutions, focusing on associated risks and mitigation strategies.
• Oversee the management of financial crime risks within the client segment, utilising Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD), transactional analysis, and data analytics to identify and mitigate potential threats.
• Provide senior management with insights on emerging trends and risks, advising on the financial crime implications for portfolios including Fintech, Foreign Correspondent Banks, and NBFIs.
• Leverage organisational data on clients, Requests for Information (RFIs), and Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) to make informed decisions and collaborate on risk mitigation strategies.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with first and second lines of defence, ensuring a balanced and objective approach to risk management while influencing stakeholders using data insights.
• Identify, coordinate, and escalate financial crime issues through established governance structures, ensuring that controls are allocated appropriately.
• Develop, enhance, and maintain financial crime-related management information systems and dashboards, providing clear and actionable insights to senior stakeholders.
• Ensure all activities and duties comply with regulatory requirements, Barclays' Enterprise-Wide Risk Management Framework, and internal policies.

To be successful in this role you will have:

• Strong SME knowledge in financial crime regulations, risk mitigation strategies, and business segment-specific risks.
• Highly analytical with the ability to process large volumes of data and make sophisticated, informed risk assessments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex issues succinctly to senior stakeholders.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively across diverse teams and manage projects end-to-end.
• Creative and forward-thinking, with a passion for finding solutions through effective innovation.
• Highly organised with a structured approach to managing multiple priorities and stakeholders.

You may be assessed on the key critical skills relevant for success in role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen strategic thinking and digital and technology, as well as job-specific technical skills.

This role is located in London or Birmingham.

Purpose of the role

To provide data-led expert oversight and check and challenge on business and compliance matters to evidence that the organisation is operating in a compliance with Barclays legal, regulatory and ethical responsibilities. 

Accountabilities

• Identification and assessment of compliance risks through thorough reviews of business activities, changes, processes, testing and systems to.
• Identification and investigation of potential market abuse, including but not limited to, Insider Dealing, Unlawful Disclosure, Market Manipulation or Anti-Competitive Conduct.
• Conduct investigation of compliance risk events or breaches. Oversight and check and challenge of corrective actions and preventative measures to avoid future occurrences.
• Implementation of compliance policies and procedures in line with regulatory requirements and ensuring that the bank’s internal policies are aligned with international standards, including jurisdictional requirements.
• Collaboration with 1LOD, other relevant Compliance teams and legal, and relevant risk management functions to facilitate a comprehensive approach to compliance and risk management.
• Identification, investigation and oversight of potential money laundering, terrorist financing or other financial crime.

Vice President Expectations

• To contribute or set strategy, drive requirements and make recommendations for change. Plan resources, budgets, and policies; manage and maintain policies/ processes; deliver continuous improvements and escalate breaches of policies/procedures..
• If managing a team, they define jobs and responsibilities, planning for the department’s future needs and operations, counselling employees on performance and contributing to employee pay decisions/changes. They may also lead a number of specialists to influence the operations of a department, in alignment with strategic as well as tactical priorities, while balancing short and long term goals and ensuring that budgets and schedules meet corporate requirements..
• If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others..
• OR for an individual contributor, they will be a subject matter expert within own discipline and will guide technical direction. They will lead collaborative, multi-year assignments and guide team members through structured assignments, identify the need for the inclusion of other areas of specialisation to complete assignments. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..
• Advise key stakeholders, including functional leadership teams and senior management on functional and cross functional areas of impact and alignment.
• Manage and mitigate risks through assessment, in support of the control and governance agenda.
• Demonstrate leadership and accountability for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work your team does.
• Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the organisation functions to contribute to achieving the goals of the business.
• Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategies.
• Create solutions based on sophisticated analytical thought comparing and selecting complex alternatives. In-depth analysis with interpretative thinking will be required to define problems and develop innovative solutions.
• Adopt and include the outcomes of extensive research in problem solving processes.
• Seek out, build and maintain trusting relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders in order to accomplish key business objectives, using influencing and negotiating skills to achieve outcomes.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.