Financial Crime Investigation Specialist

Overview of the role The Financial Crime Investigations Specialist is a key role within our organisation, dedicated to investigating and mitigating activities related to financial crime and fraud. This position requires a detailed-oriented individual with strong investigative skills and a deep understanding of AML (Anti-Money Laundering) practices. The ideal candidate will work closely with various Compliance departments, including the Transaction Monitoring (TM) Team and the Client Risk Oversight Team (CRO), to ensure a robust defence against financial crime and fraud, and the wider business, providing insight and analytics to support fraud prevention and operational efficiency. Key Responsibilities Financial Crime Investigations Conduct complex financial crime investigations arising from transaction monitoring alerts, internal referrals, external intelligence, banking partner queries and law enforcement requests. Analyse transactional activity, customer information, payment flows, corporate structures and open-source intelligence to identify potential money laundering, fraud, terrorist financing, sanctions evasion, bribery and corruption risks. Identify patterns, typologies and connections across customers, counterparties, accounts and payment flows to support financial crime intelligence development. Reporting & Case Management Produce clear, evidence-based investigation reports outlining findings, key risk indicators and recommendations. Ensure all investigations are fully documented and maintained to an audit-ready, regulator-defensible standard. Assess whether investigations meet the threshold for suspicion in line with POCA, the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, FCA expectations and internal policies. Draft Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), Defence Against Money Laundering (DAML) requests and supporting case files for review and submission by the DMLRO and MLRO. Stakeholder Management & Escalation Present investigation findings and recommendations to the DMLRO, MLRO and senior stakeholders where escalation is required. Act as a key escalation point for complex financial crime matters, providing guidance and effective challenge to Transaction Monitoring, Client Risk Oversight and wider business teams. Support regulatory enquiries, Requests for Information (RFIs), banking partner requests and law enforcement investigations. Continuous Improvement Contribute to the ongoing enhancement of financial crime investigation methodologies, intelligence capabilities and control effectiveness to strengthen the firm's financial crime framework. Success Measures Delivering high-quality financial crime investigations within agreed service levels, with accurate, audit-ready case documentation and minimal remediation required. Identifying, assessing and escalating financial crime risks appropriately, supported by clear evidence, high-quality investigation reports and robust SAR submissions. Maintaining strong compliance with regulatory requirements, internal policies and quality assurance standards, resulting in positive audit and QA outcomes. Producing actionable financial crime intelligence that identifies emerging risks, typologies and opportunities to strengthen the firm's control environment. Building trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders through timely responses, effective guidance and valuable support for regulatory, audit and banking partner requests. Skills, Knowledge and Expertise Experience in financial crime intelligence, AML, fraud or investigations within a regulated financial services environment. Strong analytical and pattern-recognition skills. Ability to distil complex intelligence into clear, defensible narratives. Good understanding of SAR obligations and regulatory expectations. Comfortable working with ambiguity and complex risk scenarios. Ability to work collaboratively with various departments to achieve common goals. A true team player with a winning mentality and strong work ethic committed to continuous improvement and high performance. Benefits We believe great people do their best work when they feel supported, rewarded, and empowered to grow. That’s why we offer a benefits package designed to support your career, wellbeing, finances, and life outside of work. 🌴 Time to Recharge 25 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays An extra day off for your birthday Holiday loyalty scheme rewarding long-term service Work abroad scheme for added flexibility 💰 Financial Wellbeing Competitive pension scheme via salary exchange Annual discretionary bonus scheme (eligible after probation) Financial education, planning & coaching platform Interest-free Season Ticket Loan for London travel Salary exchange nursery fee scheme 🩺 Health & Wellbeing Life Insurance Healthcare platform including: Cashback on dental, optical & physio Virtual GP access Mental health and stress support helplines Additional wellbeing resources 👶 Family & Lifestyle Support Enhanced parental leave Cycle to work scheme Flexible benefits that support everyday life 🚀 Growth & Career Development Career development and progression tools Opportunities to grow within a fast-scaling international business 🎉 A Great Team Culture From sporting events and pub nights to seasonal celebrations and socials, we make time to connect and celebrate together. Diversity & Inclusion We believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to our success. We are committed to fostering a culture where everyone feels valued and respected, regardless of their background, identity or experiences. By embracing diverse perspectives and promoting equity, we aim to create an environment where all employees can perform and reach their full potential. What’s next? We will review your application and come back to you as soon as possible. You must be eligible to work in the UK to be considered for this position. Full background checks will be carried out on all successful candidates.