Financial Crime and Investigations Lead

What we're looking for

We're seeking a senior financial crime leader to take accountability for the first line suspicious activity reporting and financial crime control framework across our European markets. This is a management-level role with real ownership: you will set the standard for the quality of our suspicious activity reports, decide how our controls are designed and evidenced, and be the face of Tide's first line to EU regulators, auditors and the second line.

You will act as the accountable first line (1LOD) owner for financial crime controls in the EU, partnering closely with the MLRO and Authorised Management. This is a governance and control ownership role rather than an investigations management role. We are looking for someone who has the credibility to represent the business in front of regulators as we scale across multiple jurisdictions.

You'll be:

• Owning the first line control framework: accountable for the design, operation and effectiveness of ongoing monitoring across EU markets, including transaction monitoring, fraud controls, sanctions screening and SAR/STR processes.
• Leading regulatory engagement: representing the first line in meetings and correspondence with EU and national regulators, and responding to challenge from auditors and Compliance (2LOD) with clear, evidenced positions.
• Setting the reporting standard: ensuring our suspicious activity reporting meets the obligations of each EU jurisdiction, is of consistently high quality, and is built to scale as we enter new markets.
• Governing procedures and policy alignment: approving process and procedure documentation, ensuring alignment with regulatory expectations and internal policy.
• Assuring control effectiveness: holding the first line to account through MI review, exception tracking and assurance outputs, and taking decisive action where controls are not performing.
• Advising senior stakeholders: giving the MLRO and Authorised Management timely, clear updates on control performance, incidents and remediation, and providing periodic reporting to senior leadership on control status, performance and emerging risks.
• Escalating with judgement: identifying and escalating material control weaknesses and emerging financial crime risks in line with governance protocols, with practical recommendations.
• Driving remediation: taking ownership of audit and compliance monitoring actions through to closure.
• Bridging first and second line: acting as the primary senior liaison between first line operations and the Compliance function, maintaining clear ownership boundaries and a constructive working relationship.
• Ensuring regulatory compliance: across EU and national requirements, including BaFin, ACPR, CSSF, Bank of Spain and Bank of Italy.

What makes you a great fit:

• Significant senior-level experience (typically 8+ years in financial crime, fraud or AML, including time in a management or governance role) within a regulated financial services organisation
• A track record of owning financial crime controls, not just operating them, with the ability to evidence their effectiveness through MI, QA and assurance testing
• Demonstrable experience of engaging directly with regulators, auditors or the second line, ideally preparing for and leading regulatory meetings or responding to supervisory queries
• Experience presenting to, and influencing, senior management and executive audiences, translating complex risk into clear decisions and recommendations
• Strong grasp of first versus second line of defence accountabilities and governance boundaries
• Deep technical knowledge of transaction monitoring, sanctions screening and suspicious activity reporting frameworks
• Working knowledge of EU and national AML/CFT and fraud prevention requirements, and the judgement to apply them across multiple jurisdictions
• Strong analytical and written communication skills, including preparing materials for regulators and senior management
• Experience as a control owner or governance lead in a multi-jurisdictional environment is highly desirable
• Working knowledge of goAML and regional FIU reporting systems is advantageous

WHAT YOU’LL GET IN RETURN:

• Salary: €40,400.00 - €45,450.00  
• 25 days paid annual leave 
• 3 paid days off for volunteering or L&D activities
• Extended maternity and paternity leave covered by the company
• Personal L&D budget
• Additional health & dental insurance
• Mental wellbeing platform 
• Fully covered Multisports card
• Food vouchers
• Snacks, light food, drinks in the office
• WFH equipment allowance
• Flexible working from home
• Sabbatical Leave
• Share options