Head of Compliance

Head of Compliance | London

Monex is a leading global financial solutions provider, offering a complete set of tools to support business growth and strategic financial operations.

We specialise in FX risk management and international payments, helping corporate and institutional clients design tailored FX solutions to navigate currency volatility with confidence. Our team of FX specialists implement well-considered currency strategies, offering dedicated support to help clients manage their payment needs – whether for goods, services, or direct investments.

In 2023, Monex facilitated $309 billion in FX turnover, managed $10.7 billion in assets, and processed 8.5 million transactions. With offices across North America (Canada, the US, and Mexico), Asia (Singapore), and Europe (the UK, Spain, and the Netherlands), we serve over 66,000 clients worldwide.

By combining global reach with deep local market expertise, Monex enhances businesses with a suite of financial solutions and FX market analysis to help optimise efficiency, mitigate currency risk, and protect margins in an increasingly complex financial landscape.  Our corporate client experience is further enhanced by our dedicated sector expertise across a range of industries.

Job Overview

The Head of Compliance takes a lead role in the provision of compliance advice, day-to-day leadership, compliance strategy and support of the designated companies’ business so as to ensure comprehensive compliance with applicable regulation.

The role involves supporting and providing compliance advice and guidance to the local UK Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and other senior management, working closely with the International CCO.

To lead by example, to put the clients’ long-term interests first with fair and equitable outcomes. To be a pace setter in developing the firms’ cultural and conduct aspirations.

The Head of Compliance is tasked with analysing and identifying all compliance related risks, including oversight of the CASS function and financial crime function, while keeping the senior management in all departments informed of developments regulations that can potentially affect the business.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities:

Overall Compliance

• Responsible for all Compliance related matters for both MEL and MEM in London.
• Principal contact for local regulators in the UK (the FCA).

Business & Compliance Strategy

• Managing day-to-day compliance operations for both MEL & MEM
• Coordinating compliance strategies and projects for MEM and MEL
• Advising and assisting the Monex Europe Executive Board to deliver on required management/governance structure, systems and internal controls and individual responsibilities of senior management.

Regulatory & Financial Crime Requirements

• Excellent and demonstrable understanding of relevant Compliance Regulation e.g. FCA Handbook, the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 (EMRs), the Payment Services Regulations 2017 (PSRs 2017), including CASS, MIFID, EMIR, PSD2 etc.;
• Overall responsibility for the firm’s adherence with its anti-financial crime and regulatory compliance obligations in line with local requirements and internal policies and procedures;
• The continuous review and improvement of Compliance Policies & Procedures, Advice and Training Documentation, to ensure they continue to be compliant with regulatory changes and best practice;
• Working closely with MLRO and Deputy MLRO to ensure risk-based procedures and frameworks are in place to fight financial crime; which fits into the compliance monitoring plan and Compliance Risk Frameworks;
• Working closely with the Head of CASS to ensure the firms adhere to their client money obligations and requirements;
• Ensuring MEL & MEM regulatory permissions match its business profile, working with projects and other relevant teams for licensing or variations of permission applications (where required);
• Ensuring appropriate review of customer complaints.

Compliance Culture

• Establish good working relationships with front office and all other departments so that Compliance is seen as an effective second line of defence providing a professional internal guidance and advisory service;
• To set the tone to achieve a high-profile promotion of compliance requirements across the business.

Compliance Training

• Ensuring that all employees are trained in accordance with Compliance policies & processes (e.g. AML, CTF/Financial Crime, Anti-Bribery, Conflicts of Interest etc.);
• To arrange for the provision of bespoke compliance related training to the Board and senior management team (as applicable);
• Ensuring that general record keeping requirements are met on an ongoing basis (e.g. Registers for; Gifts & Entertainment, Conflicts of Interest, Outside Business Interests, Breaches and PA Dealing etc.) and that accurate Compliance Training records are maintained.
• Working in conjunction with front office management for the development of thematic training programmes for front office.

Compliance Change

• To take the lead role in the implementation of changes driven by current and forthcoming regulatory requirements affected the UK and the licenses held. This includes and international projects led by the ICCO. 

Compliance Monitoring

• Responding to and/or coordinating responses to regulatory and FIU enquiries
• To ensure there are sufficient resources and resources of the necessary quality to handle the firm’s regulatory compliance and financial crime operations and obligations.
• Responsible for overseeing the firms’ compliance monitoring plans, ensuring all compliance risks are documented and appropriately monitored and mitigated where possible.

Risk Management

• Arranging and overseeing regular Compliance Audits and Risk Assessments;
• Ensuring any Audit or Risk findings are communicated to the Chief Executive Officer and other (relevant) senior managers in order to discuss and agree suggested changes and assist with the implementation of these (where applicable).
• Responsible for robust Compliance Monitoring Plan and Compliance Risk Assessment frameworks.
• Acting as Compliance representative to feed the Risk department on Compliance risks as part of the wider Operational- and Enterprise Risk Frameworks.

Technology & Data

• Responsible for sourcing and maintaining all Compliance/Monitoring systems;
• Ensuring accurate and up to date Compliance records are maintained (including version control) (e.g. Self-Certification, F&P Assessments, Compliance Training Logs etc.);
• To provide concise and meaningful management information to the firms executive and Board & Senior Managers, e.g. Monthly/quarterly compliance reports, Quarterly Board reporting etc.
• Ensuring the company are GDPR compliant (in relation to Client Data only).

People Management Responsibilities:

Responsible for;

• Oversight of all direct and indirect reports & department activity;
• Ensuring a culture of respect to all colleagues;
• Ensuring all direct/indirect reports comply with FCA principles for business and conduct rules;
• Are aware of, comply with and promote the Company’s Code of Conduct and report any failures to comply to Compliance/HR as appropriate;
• Ensure that all direct/indirect reports are set appropriate objectives at the start of each year, start of employment;
• Appraisals and continuous feedback;
• Ensuring all direct/indirect reports attend/complete all mandatory training by set deadlines;
• Ensure all direct/indirect reports complete the necessary annual recertification checks in accordance with the requested timescales;
• Identify Training Requirements for Direct Reports;
• Cooperate with Compliance, HR and Risk in an open and supportive way, disclosing as appropriate anything relating to the firm which would reasonably require notice or escalation;
• Ensure appropriate cover for all holidays, illness, business trips and other expected absences, so as never to cause client detriment or excuse any breach;
• Collate metrics and other information on relevant department in order to produce Management Information, featuring non-sales KPIs including conduct, culture and compliance focus.

Business Knowledge / Technical Skills:

• Previous experience of working within in a regulated investment firm;
• Strong knowledge of the regulatory environment in which an Investment firm specialising in FX and a Payment firm specialising in out of scope FX and payment services operate;
• Able to demonstrate a genuine interest in the purpose of risk management and compliance;
• Strong knowledge of FX, derivatives and CASS;
• Extensive knowledge of front/ back-office operations and practices and products and business, including industry practices, market regulations and conventions, policies and procedures;
• Demonstrable knowledge of regulatory parameters.

Leadership / Management Skills:

• Leads by example, embodying the culture and values of the Company;

• Cultivate an environment of psychological safety, innovation, creativity and increased productivity;
• Able to anticipate issues and risks and mitigate accordingly;
• Credibility in dealing with clients and colleagues across a complex organisations with different cultures and geographies;
• Ensuring and maintaining the standard of all documentation for their department’s systems, controls, policies and processes;
• Maintenance of decision making records;
• Ability to smoothly manage change, both people and processes.

Personal Attributes:

• Integrity; demonstrating honesty and trustworthiness in your everyday actions and interactions by ‘doing the right thing’ and speaking up when you have a concern;
• Collaborative; work together with colleagues, understanding their perspectives and objectives to achieve the best long-term results for the Company;
• Client focused; a strong contributor to the overall success of the business who ensures that all aspects of their work help the company achieve excellent long term client satisfaction;

• Strong interpersonal, client relationship, influencing and communication skills;
• Assertiveness with the ability to influence others in a constructive way;
• Strong judgement and problem solving skills;
• Good organisational skills, able to multi-task;
• Self-Motivated & Results focused;
• Commercially focused, operationally strong and strategically responsive;
• Demonstrates professional acumen, integrity, discretion, credibility, resilience & trustworthiness;
• Excellent all-round communication skills;
• Must display exceptional attention to detail;
• Able to work on own initiative;
• Able to build positive and respectful relationships across the organization.