Vanguard
Head of Financial Crime Operations Execution
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The Role
As a key member of the Financial Crime Operations leadership team, the Head of Financial Crimes Operations Execution leads the delivery of financial crime prevention and detection customer onboarding and in-life controls across Vanguard's UK Personal Investor business. The role is responsible for overseeing customer onboarding and ongoing monitoring activities, including CDD, sanctions, PEP and adverse media screening, and transaction monitoring.
Leading a team of leaders, specialists, and operational professionals, you will ensure effective risk management, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence, while driving continuous improvement through data, technology, and automation. Working closely with senior leaders and second-line partners, you will help shape a scalable, customer-focused financial crime framework that supports Vanguard's growth and maintains strong risk outcomes.
In this role, you will:
- Lead the execution of financial crime controls across the client lifecycle, including CDD, EDD, sanctions, PEP, and adverse media screening, and transaction monitoring.
- Support the development and delivery of Vanguard's Financial Crime strategy, ensuring alignment with business growth, customer experience, and risk appetite.
- Develop and evolve the target operating model for onboarding and ongoing customer due diligence, using data, MI, and KPIs to drive performance and decision-making.
- Lead and develop high-performing teams, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
- Drive risk reduction, remediation, and quality improvement initiatives, ensuring consistent application of controls and regulatory requirements.
- Partner with Risk, Compliance, and business stakeholders to identify, assess, and mitigate financial crime risks across the investment lifecycle.
- Lead transformation initiatives, including the implementation of new technologies, workflow solutions, automation, and AI-enabled capabilities.
- Oversee key third-party relationships, audits, regulatory reviews, and remediation activities to maintain a robust and effective control environment.
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What it takes
- Extensive Financial Crime experience across AML, CDD, EDD, transaction monitoring, sanctions, PEP, and adverse media screening.
- Strong understanding of UK financial crime regulations and their application within retail investing and financial services.
- Proven experience leading operational teams and delivering large-scale customer lifecycle and financial crime processes.
- Experience using data, MI, and analytics to improve operational performance and manage risk.
- Strong people leadership skills with a track record of developing high-performing teams.
- Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build credibility at all levels.
- Strategic thinker with a strong delivery focus and a practical, hands-on approach to problem-solving.
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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.
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.
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