FINANCIAL CRIME ASSURANCE PROJECT MANAGER

Fixed-Term Contract | 6–9 Months | Hybrid / Remote Working | Kettering

Lead a strategic review. Strengthen financial crime controls. Make a real impact.

Are you an experienced Financial Crime, AML or Compliance professional with a strong background in assurance, risk assessment and control improvement?

We are working on behalf of an established UK financial services organisation to recruit a Financial Crime Assurance Project Manager to lead a comprehensive review of its Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Fraud and wider Financial Crime control framework across its UK consumer lending businesses.

Reporting to the Head of UK Regulatory Compliance and supported by an established Compliance Team, you will take ownership of a strategic assurance programme, assessing the effectiveness of existing controls, identifying weaknesses and driving meaningful improvements through to completion.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced financial crime specialist who enjoys working autonomously, influencing senior stakeholders and delivering complex regulatory and assurance projects.

THE ROLE

You will lead an end-to-end financial crime assurance review, providing independent challenge, clear recommendations and practical solutions to strengthen the organisation's control environment.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Risk Assessment: Lead enterprise-wide AML and Fraud Risk Assessments, evaluating financial crime exposure and the effectiveness of existing risk mitigation measures.
• Governance & Controls: Review financial crime governance arrangements, policies, procedures and operational controls, identifying areas requiring enhancement.
• Assurance & Testing: Design and deliver structured control effectiveness testing, assessing whether existing arrangements are operating as intended.
• Regulatory Compliance: Evaluate compliance against relevant UK financial crime legislation, FCA requirements and regulatory expectations.
• Gap Analysis & Remediation: Identify control weaknesses, develop practical recommendations and manage remediation activities through to successful completion.
• Senior Stakeholder Reporting: Produce clear, evidence-based assurance reports and present findings, risks and recommendations to senior management and Board-level stakeholders.
• Ongoing Monitoring: Establish sustainable assurance, monitoring and reporting frameworks to support continued compliance and effective financial crime risk management.

ABOUT YOU

We are looking for an experienced Financial Crime or Compliance professional who can combine strong technical knowledge with project management capability and the confidence to challenge existing processes constructively.

You will ideally have:

• Significant experience within AML, Financial Crime, Fraud, Compliance, Risk or Internal Audit in a financial services environment.
• Strong knowledge of UK financial crime legislation, regulatory requirements and FCA expectations.
• Proven experience conducting financial crime risk assessments, control reviews and assurance programmes.
• A track record of identifying control weaknesses and leading remediation and improvement initiatives.
• Experience reviewing policies, procedures, governance frameworks and operational controls.
• The ability to interpret regulatory requirements and translate them into practical business improvements.
• Excellent analytical, report-writing and presentation skills.
• Strong stakeholder management capabilities, with the confidence to engage and influence senior management.
• A structured and organised approach, with the ability to manage complex projects and deliver against agreed deadlines.
• The confidence and self-motivation to work independently while collaborating effectively with an established Compliance Team.

DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE

• Experience within consumer credit, retail finance, consumer lending or asset finance.
• Experience working within an FCA-regulated organisation.
• Involvement in regulatory remediation programmes or wider financial crime transformation projects.
• A recognised professional qualification such as ICA, ACAMS or equivalent.

THE CONTRACT & WORKING ARRANGEMENTS

• Contract: Fixed-term contract for approximately 6–9 months.
• Location: Kettering, with flexible hybrid working arrangements.
• Initial six weeks: Site-based at the Kettering office to support onboarding, stakeholder engagement and project familiarisation.
• Thereafter: Predominantly remote working, with attendance at the Kettering office required one day per week.

Candidates must be comfortable with the initial site-based requirement and ongoing weekly travel to Kettering.

INTERESTED?

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a strategically important financial crime assurance programme, work closely with senior regulatory compliance leadership and deliver improvements that will have a lasting impact on the organisation's control environment.

If you have the relevant AML, Fraud, Financial Crime or Compliance assurance experience and are looking for your next fixed-term opportunity, we'd welcome a confidential conversation.

To apply, please submit your CV outlining your relevant Financial Crime, AML, Fraud Risk and Assurance experience.

All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.