Senior Specialist - Financial Crime Compliance
We are seeking a highly capable and strategically minded Senior Specialist - Financial Crime Compliance to play a pivotal role in safeguarding our European businesses against financial crime risks. This role sits within the Anti Financial Crime function and carries significant responsibility for oversight, framework development, and cross functional influence. You will support the development, implementation, and continuous enhancement of the organisation's Financial Crime framework.
Responsibilities
- Help evolve and strengthen the AFC Framework, keeping it aligned with global standards and regulatory expectations.
- Shape and refine AFC policies, standards, procedures, and guidance materials.
- Maintain the governance engine - committee packs, escalation pathways, and decision making records.
- Provide analytical support for enterprise and product level financial crime risk assessments, including BWRA and thematic reviews.
- Support oversight of ABAC and Anti Tax Evasion initiatives as we roll out a refreshed operating model.
- Play a key role in AFC testing and assurance work: execute tests, spot control gaps, and drive follow up actions.
- Be a go to specialist for AML/CTF, Sanctions, ABAC, and Anti Tax Evasion across our European footprint.
- Translate regulatory changes into practical, business ready processes.
- Deliver clear, actionable guidance to stakeholders navigating Financial Crime requirements.
- Build strong partnerships with 1LoD and 2LoD teams, fostering transparency, risk awareness, and effective issue management.
- Support ongoing AFC testing and monitoring to identify gaps, emerging risks, and opportunities for uplift.
- Maintain accurate, well governed documentation across all AFC activities and reports.
- Track remediation actions and validate completion to ensure long term control improvement.
- Champion consistency, quality, and continuous improvement.
- Contribute to AFC change programmes, ensuring deliverables meet regulatory and business expectations.
- Join cross functional working groups to embed Financial Crime considerations into new products, systems, and processes.
- Prepare materials for AFC forums, board sessions, audits, and regulatory touchpoints.
- Coordinate project milestones, documentation, and reporting to keep initiatives on track.
- Be subject to UK FCA regulation and potential FCA approval.
Qualifications
- Strong understanding of AML/CTF, Sanctions, ABAC, Anti Tax Evasion and wider financial crime frameworks.
- Experience in governance, policy, risk assessments, testing, or monitoring within Financial Crime or Compliance.
- Ability to interpret regulation and translate it into practical business processes.
- Sharp analytical skills with the ability to turn complexity into clear insights.
- Confident communicator with proven stakeholder management experience across teams and geographies.
- Highly organised, detail focused, and comfortable juggling priorities in a fast moving environment.
Desirable
- Experience working across multiple European jurisdictions or global AFC structures.
- Exposure to cross border regulatory frameworks.
- Familiarity with assurance, audit, or thematic review approaches.
- Professional certifications (ICA, ACAMS, Int. Dip AML or similar).
- Experience supporting AFC related transformation, technology, or data initiatives.
Special Factors
- Vanguard is not offering sponsorship for this position.
- This is a hybrid position and would require you to work in the office 3 days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday).
Our Commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity
Vanguard is an equal opportunity employer. Vanguard is committed to providing all crew members a working environment that is free from discrimination, prejudice and bias. Through this Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy, Vanguard reaffirms its commitment to equal employment opportunity for all applicants and crew members without regard to race, color, national origin or ancestry, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, veteran or military status. In addition, Vanguard prohibits discrimination based on genetic information, as well as any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on Vanguard. Please inform if you need assistance completing this application or to otherwise participate in the application process.