Financial Crime Officer

Description

As the Financial Crime Officer you will support management in embedding the financial crime control framework across the business. This is a newly created role, offering the opportunity to shape and influence the financial crime agenda, and reports directly to the SMF17.
This is a business-facing, execution-focused role. You will be responsible for implementing and operating the local financial crime framework, providing practical advice and challenge to business lines, supporting the identification and management of financial crime risks, delivering training and awareness, maintaining local processes and records, and ensuring that issues are escalated clearly and promptly

What you'll do

• Support the Senior Manager, Financial Crime / SMF17 in delivering, implementing and maintaining an effective local financial crime framework, aligned to Group policy and regulatory expectations
• Implement, maintain and embed financial crime policies, procedures, controls and documentation, ensuring they remain practical, up to date and consistently applied
• Execute the financial crime control framework, applying a risk-based and proportionate approach while adapting to regulatory developments and business change
• Manage financial crime risk through case handling, screening, referrals and escalation, ensuring clear audit trails, documented rationale and high-quality record keeping
• Assess higher-risk clients, complex onboarding and suspicious activity, preparing clear recommendations and escalating material issues appropriately
• Act as the primary financial crime SME for the business, providing clear advice, challenge and guidance across AML, KYC, sanctions, fraud and related risks
• Lead engagement across the business to ensure policy compliance, effective control application and strong financial crime awareness
• Undertake monitoring, assurance reviews and risk assessments, ensuring findings are accurately recorded and remediated in a timely manner
• Review MI and system data to identify trends, emerging risks and control weaknesses, ensuring appropriate action is taken
• Produce and support regulatory and internal reporting, including MI, FCA notifications and governance outputs
• Develop and deliver financial crime training and communications, supporting staff competency and promoting a strong risk and compliance culture
• Liaise with senior management on financial crime and regulatory matters, providing advice, challenge and escalation where required
• Maintain oversight of documentation, training records, competency and evidence of compliance
• Support audits, regulatory engagement and oversight activity, ensuring readiness and robust supporting evidence
• Keep up to date with regulatory and industry developments, assessing impacts on controls and processes

The knowledge, experience and qualifications you need

• Experience in financial crime, AML/KYC, compliance or risk roles within regulated financial services, including:
  • Assessing financial crime cases, including customer due diligence, enhanced due diligence, higher-risk clients and unusual or suspicious activity
  • Assessing screening outputs (e.g. sanctions, PEPs, adverse media) and documenting outcomes with clear rationale
  • AML/KYC advisory, preferably gained in a subject-matter expert capacity
  • Implementing financial crime policies, procedures and controls within a business-facing environment
  • Producing or contributing to management information, monitoring reviews, assessments risk, assurance activity or regulatory reporting
  • Delivering training, awareness activity or guidance to business stakeholders
  • Working with advisers, supervisors or operational teams within wealth management, adviser networks or similar financial services environments
• Strong knowledge of UK financial crime and anti-money laundering requirements, including FCA expectations and JMLSG guidance, and their practical application
• A track record of providing effective challenge, identifying control gaps and delivering practical, proportionate and compliant solutions
• Highly developed analytical, observational and communication skills, with strong attention to detail
• Strong writing skills, with the ability to distil complex issues into clear, concise and practical guidance
• Ability to build relationships, influence stakeholders and support consistent application of financial crime controls across the business
• Professional qualifications in financial crime, compliance, risk management or regulated financial planning (e.g. ICA, ACAMS or equivalent)

The base

You’ll be based at our Harrogate, North Yorkshire office, a well-connected location that combines a professional working environment with the benefits of a well-regarded market town. The area offers easy access to local amenities, green space, and transport links.

The office provides a practical, modern setting designed to support day-to-day work and collaboration across the team.

We support a balanced approach to work and recognise the value of a working environment that enables both productivity and flexibility

About Benchmark Capital

Benchmark is one of the UK’s leading financial planning businesses, aiming to help our clients realise aspirations and achieve peace of mind. We do this through our unique business model which provides support to over 1000 financial planners across our employed, self-employed and independent models. Our solutions are award-winning, enabled by proprietary technology covering regulatory, platform and investment services, all of which are designed to support advisers at every stage of their journey – from starting their career, improving how they run productively and effectively, to accelerating growth and ultimately thinking about succession planning.
We are growing rapidly, with more than 50 acquisitions in recent years and have multiple offices across the UK.
Delivering good client outcomes is at the heart of everything we do. Our duty of care, including support for vulnerable customers, is embedded into our culture and decision‑making.
As part of the Schroders Group, the UK’s largest listed asset manager with over £750bn of assets, Benchmark benefits from a focussed business model with clear accountability with the scale of a global services organisation
We're looking for the best, whoever they are
We know that diverse perspectives and an inclusive culture where all can succeed lead to better decisions and stronger outcomes for the company its clients and its employees. That’s why inclusion and diversity are strategic priorities for us. We’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer. You’re welcome at Benchmark regardless of your age, disability, gender identity or expression, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or socio-economic background. We’re building a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and empowered to thrive.