Financial Crime Strategy Manager

Overview

As Senior Financial Crime Strategy Manager, you will shape and evolve Zopa’s financial crime framework, acting as a trusted deputy to the Head of Financial Crime. You will lead strategic initiatives that span product, engineering, data and operations to embed smarter controls and safer customer journeys. You will influence senior stakeholders and own critical decisions in risk and control design. Your work will directly impact customer outcomes and sustainable growth at UK’s digital bank. This is a high-impact role for someone who thrives on building and transforming financial crime capabilities.

Pay / Benefits

• hybrid role
• flexible working
• option to work abroad up to 120 days
• work-life balance

Responsibilities

• Deputise for the Head of Financial Crime across leadership, product and governance forums
• Lead major financial crime initiatives from concept to delivery (transaction monitoring, screening, customer risk assessment, control optimisation)
• Act as a senior decision-maker for complex financial crime matters within delegated authority
• Design and enhance controls across KYC, screening, monitoring, SARs and customer risk assessment
• Partner with Product and Engineering to embed controls into new products and customer journeys
• Utilise data, insight and emerging technologies to improve effectiveness, efficiency and customer experience
• Represent the 1st Line with credibility and influence, collaborating with Risk, Compliance and senior stakeholders
• Mentor and develop colleagues to grow capability across the financial crime function

Key requirements

• Significant experience leading financial crime strategy, controls or operations in banking, fintech, payments or regulated financial services
• Strong expertise in transaction monitoring, KYC/CDD, screening, customer risk assessment and SARs
• Experience as a senior decision-maker influencing stakeholders at all levels
• Product-minded approach balancing risk, customer outcomes and commercial objectives
• Strong understanding of the UK financial crime regulatory landscape
• Excellent communication skills and ability to simplify complex topics for diverse audiences

• communication
• stakeholder influence
• mentoring / people development
• transaction monitoring
• KYC/CDD
• screening

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