Anti-Financial Crime Lead, Monitoring, Testing & Oversight

at  abrdn

Job Description
The Monitoring, Testing & Oversight (MTO) Lead is a pivotal role within the Anti-Financial Crime (AFC) team. You will work closely with the Global Head of AFC to implement a robust risk management and prevention program that safeguards the organisation’s reputation and ensures compliance with AFC policies and standards. In this role, you will develop and maintain a comprehensive monitoring framework for processes and controls aimed at preventing financial crime across abrdn. You will produce data-driven reports to facilitate oversight by management and the board over our anti-financial crime environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive AFC monitoring and testing program to ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards.
• Conduct regular reviews of AFC controls and processes, identifying potential areas for improvement.
• Oversee AFC activities across the business, ensuring effective governance and risk management frameworks.
• Identify and escalate compliance issues, working with senior management to ensure timely remediation.
• Prepare detailed reports on monitoring and testing outcomes for senior management and relevant committees.
• Align the AFC monitoring and testing program with abrdn’s Global AFC Policies and Standards, acting as the key contact for AFC monitoring and testing.
• Provide training and guidance on AFC monitoring and testing procedures to business units, maintaining awareness of changes in AFC regulations and industry practices.
• Manage at least one direct report within the MTO function.

Required knowledge, skills & experience:

• Extensive experience in financial crime prevention within the financial services sector, with a strong understanding of asset management, platforms, and advisory businesses.
• ICA Diploma or equivalent preferred.
• In-depth knowledge of current and emerging market trends, methods, and tools related to financial crime risk and compliance.
• Proven experience in testing, sampling, and assuring processes to mitigate risk.
• Demonstrated team management and oversight capabilities.
• Proven experience in stakeholder management and delivering high-quality outputs under tight deadlines within a regulated environment.
• Strong knowledge of the UK regulatory environment and global financial crime requirements.

Our benefits:
There’s more to working life than coming home with a good salary. We have an environment where you can learn, get involved and be supported.
When you join us, your benefits will include 40 days’ annual leave, a 16% employer pension contribution, a discretionary performance based bonus (where applicable), private healthcare and a range of flexible benefits – including gym discounts, season ticket loans and access to an employee discount portal. You can read more about our benefits
here.
Our Inclusive Culture
We are committed to exploring the possibilities of working smarter. This means we’d like to hear from you, whatever way you like to work.
We have a long-term commitment to building inclusive workplaces; we value diversity in our workforce and welcome enquiries from everyone. If you need assistance or a reasonable adjustment due to a disability please let us know as part of your application and we will assist.
We’re committed to providing an inclusive workplace where all forms of difference are valued and which is free from any form of unfair or unlawful treatment. We define diversity in its broadest sense – this includes but is not limited to our diversity of educational and professional backgrounds, experience, cognitive and neurodiversity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief and ethnicity and geographical provenance. We support a culture that values meritocracy, fairness and transparency and welcomes enquiries from everyone.
If you need assistance or an adjustment due to a disability please let us know as part of your application and we will assist

• Develop and implement a comprehensive AFC monitoring and testing program to ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards.
• Conduct regular reviews of AFC controls and processes, identifying potential areas for improvement.
• Oversee AFC activities across the business, ensuring effective governance and risk management frameworks.
• Identify and escalate compliance issues, working with senior management to ensure timely remediation.
• Prepare detailed reports on monitoring and testing outcomes for senior management and relevant committees.
• Align the AFC monitoring and testing program with abrdn’s Global AFC Policies and Standards, acting as the key contact for AFC monitoring and testing.
• Provide training and guidance on AFC monitoring and testing procedures to business units, maintaining awareness of changes in AFC regulations and industry practices.
• Manage at least one direct report within the MTO function