Transaction Monitoring Specialist

Join Vanguard's Financial Crime team and play a leading role in protecting our clients, our business and the integrity of the financial system.

As a Transaction Monitoring Specialist, you'll be a subject matter expert in transaction monitoring and financial crime risk management, leading complex investigations and helping to shape the effectiveness of Vanguard's financial crime control environment. Working closely with stakeholders across Compliance, Risk, Operations, Technology and Data Analytics, you'll identify emerging risks, drive control enhancements and support the continued development of a best-in-class transaction monitoring framework.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced financial crime professional who thrives on solving complex problems, influencing key stakeholders and improving the way financial crime risks are identified, assessed and managed within a global investment management organisation.

Why Join This Team?

• Lead complex and high-impact financial crime investigations

• Influence transaction monitoring strategy, controls and detection capabilities

• Partner with senior stakeholders across Compliance, Risk, Operations and Technology

• Help shape the future direction of Vanguard's financial crime framework

• Coach and develop colleagues while building your own leadership skills

• Work within a purpose-driven organisation committed to doing the right thing for investors

In this role you will

• Lead complex and higher-risk transaction monitoring investigations, using internal and external data sources to assess customer activity, identify financial crime risks and support suspicious activity escalations

• Act as a subject matter expert in the design, implementation, testing, calibration and optimisation of transaction monitoring controls, scenarios, rules and thresholds

• Identify emerging typologies, control gaps, false positives and opportunities to improve both control effectiveness and operational efficiency

• Provide technical guidance and constructive challenge on investigation outcomes, helping ensure high-quality, risk-based and consistent decision-making

• Analyse management information, trends and performance metrics to identify emerging risks and inform enhancements to the transaction monitoring framework

• Support and coordinate quality assurance activities, control testing, audits, regulatory reviews, risk assessments and model validation exercises

• Partner with Compliance, Risk, Operations, Technology, Data Analytics and third-party providers to strengthen transaction monitoring capabilities and support regulatory compliance

• Share knowledge, provide coaching and support capability development across the team

• Lead or contribute significantly to strategic initiatives, including regulatory change, system enhancements, new product assessments and operating model improvements

• Monitor emerging financial crime threats, regulatory developments and industry best practices, recommending enhancements where appropriate

• Support governance forums, risk committees and senior stakeholders by providing insight into transaction monitoring performance, risks and control effectiveness

What it takes

• Significant experience within Transaction Monitoring, AML Investigations, Financial Crime Operations, Compliance or related financial crime disciplines within Financial Services

• Strong understanding of Financial Crime regulations and lifecycle, including AML, Sanctions, Bribery and Corruption and Tax Evasion. Proven experience investigating complex or higher-risk customer activity and making evidence-based, risk-focused decisions

• Experience supporting transaction monitoring rule development, threshold calibration, typology reviews, model testing or control optimisation activities

• Strong analytical, investigative and problem-solving abilities, including experience interpreting data and identifying emerging risks and trends

• Proven ability to influence stakeholders and provide expert advice on transaction monitoring controls and financial crime risk management

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences

• Experience using transaction monitoring systems, case management platforms, screening tools and data analysis solutions.

• Experience mentoring, coaching or providing technical guidance to colleagues.

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of training and experience.

Desirable Skills

• Experience within investment management, wealth management, banking, payments, fintech or asset servicing

• Strong knowledge of UK Money Laundering Regulations, JMLSG Guidance, FCA expectations, POCA and SAR reporting obligations

• Experience supporting transaction monitoring model validation, scenario design, effectiveness reviews or coverage assessments

• Experience analysing large datasets and translating insights into meaningful control enhancements

• Proficiency with Power BI, SQL, Tableau, Python or similar analytical and visualisation tools

• Professional qualification such as ACAMS, ICA, CFCS or equivalent

• Experience supporting regulatory engagements, audits, thematic reviews or remediation programmes

• Experience working with outsourced or third-party financial crime service providers

• Understanding of financial crime governance, risk assessment methodologies and control frameworks

Special Factors 

• Vanguard is not offering visa 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)

• Please note that we review applications on a rolling basis and may close this role early if there is a high level of interest. To avoid missing out, we recommend applying as soon as possible

Why Vanguard? 

Vanguard is a different kind of investment company. It was founded in the United States in 1975 on a simple but revolutionary idea: that an investment company should manage its funds solely in the interests of its clients. 

This is a philosophy that has helped millions of people around the world to achieve their goals with low-cost, uncomplicated investments. 

It's what we stand for: value to investors. 

Inclusion Statement  

Vanguard’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion is firmly rooted in our culture. Every decision we make to best serve our clients, crew (internally employees are referred to as crew), and communities is guided by one simple statement: “Do the right thing.”  

We believe that a critical aspect of doing the right thing requires building diverse, inclusive, and highly effective teams of individuals who are as unique as the clients they serve. We empower our crew to contribute their distinct strengths to achieving Vanguard’s core purpose through our values. 

When all crew members feel valued and included, our ability to collaborate and innovate is amplified, and we are united in delivering on Vanguard's core purpose: to take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.