Senior Financial Crime Analyst

Company Description

We are Together - A specialist lender offering a range of mortgage and secured loan products to individuals and businesses, who are typically underserved by mainstream lenders.  We play our part to turn challenges into opportunities which make our customers' financial ambitions accessible.

Based in Cheadle, South Manchester, we’ve been established since in 1974 and have built a team of over 750 colleagues who are passionate about supporting individuals and businesses achieve their property ambitions by making finance work for them.

Job Description

As a Senior Financial Crime Analyst you will be responsible for protecting the Group against the threat of financial crime by supporting the MLRO and Financial Crime function  to establish and maintain a robust Financial Crime Prevention Framework and to ensure appropriate controls are in place and operate effectively to mitigate the Group’s Risk exposure.

Key accountabilities:

• Independently investigate complex Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) including in relation to allegations of fraud and money laundering. Determine whether external reporting is required and recommend a course of action to the Deputy MLRO/MLRO and, where appropriate, business areas.
• Conduct external disclosures to the National Crime Agency including cases where a Defence Against Money Laundering is required.
• Perform external filings to Cifas where appropriate following conclusion of fraud investigations.
• Support the Deputy MLRO and Financial Crime Officers in complex fraud cases, including IFL cases that relate to the Group’s introducers and brokers.
• Perform prompt and robust reviews of high risk customers and identify where further action is needed, for instance an adjustment in risk level, further due diligence or more stringent account controls.
• Support Financial Crime Analysts by providing advice and guidance where required
• Complete pre-accreditation checks on new business intermediaries.
• Perform accurate and timely due diligence checks on suppliers.
• Investigate PEP, sanction and adverse media alerts on behalf of the business.  Make recommendations on actions to be undertaken including enhanced due diligence checks or the declining of business.
• Provide ad-hoc tailored Financial Crime advice to the business and complete reviews of business queries in line with departmental SLAs. This includes queries relating to shareholder checks, foreign nationals, offshore companies and other CCD queries.
• Conduct thorough on-boarding and ongoing customer due diligence measures in accordance with internal policies.
• Identify cases where enhanced due diligence is necessary in order to mitigate risks/sufficiently understand customers prior to funding, for instance with regards new high risk applicants.
• Liaise with law enforcement agencies and other authorities in respect of requests for information under relevant legislation.
• Conduct reviews of Transaction Monitoring Reports to identify suspicious activity.
• Help maintain comprehensive Financial Crime Department procedures and records which meet business and regulatory requirements.
• Contribute to the overall continuous improvement and development of the Financial Crime Team including assisting with projects involving Financial Crime system development and maintenance.
• Assist with the development and production of monthly management information reports.
• Assist the Deputy MLRO in reporting annually to internal stakeholders and external bodies on the AML systems and controls operated across the Group.
• Assist the Financial Crime Officers in the design and delivery of financial crime related training and awareness across the Group.

Essential skills and experience:

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a similar role, specifically in relation to complex SAR investigations and NCA disclosures
• In depth knowledge of financial crime and financial services regulations, in particular Money Laundering Regulations and FCA
• Strong investigative skills with the ability to accurately and clearly document findings
• Strong communication skills
• Planning and interpersonal skills
• Good verbal and numerical reasoning skills
• Organisational, record keeping, time and resource management skills
• Problem solving skills
• Attention to detail, particularly within investigations and external reporting
• PC skills including MS Excel and Word

Nice to have skills and experience:

• Obtained or working towards a related qualification through an industry recognised body such as the ICA or ACAMS Good data analysis and reporting skills including previous experience of using Excel to creat