Head of FinCrime & MLRO in FinCrime (2nd Line, SMF17)

What We’re All About at Kroo

Kroo has a big vision. To be the first bank that is both trusted and loved by its customers. We’re helping people take control of their financial future and achieve their goals, whilst making a positive impact on the planet. Here at Kroo, doing what is right is in our DNA. We act with integrity, transparency and honesty. We think big, dream big, and relentlessly pursue our goals. We like to be bold, break new ground, and we never stop learning. But most importantly, we are on this journey together.

How you will contribute:

As the Head of FinCrime & MLRO, you are expected to lead our Financial Crime function in the 2nd Line of Defence with expertise and enthusiasm. The role is an SMF17 and will require regulatory approval. Your role is pivotal in ensuring Kroo Bank remains compliant with UK regulations and effectively manages financial crime risks. We expect you to bring a deep understanding of financial crime compliance, robust leadership skills, and the ability to foster a culture of compliance and ethical behaviour across the organisation. Other responsibilities include:

● Strategic Oversight and Leadership

○ Develop and Implement FinCrime Expertise: Support the business and help execute on strategies to reduce risk related to money laundering, fraud, terrorist financing, bribery, and corruption, ensuring they align with the bank's overall objectives.

○ Policy and Framework Development: Design, implement, and maintain robust financial crime policies and frameworks to ensure compliance with UK regulatory requirements (e.g., FCA and PRA guidelines).

○ Risk Assessment and Management: Conduct regular assessments of financial crime risks, develop plans to mitigate these risks, and oversee the implementation of risk management processes and controls.

○ Leadership and Team Management: Lead and manage the FinCrime (2LOD) team, including recruiting, training, and professional development, and promote a culture of compliance and ethical behaviour across the organisation.

○ Regulatory Compliance and Reporting.

○ MLRO Responsibilities: Serve as the Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) for the bank, ensuring all

regulatory obligations are met and reporting suspicious activities to the National Crime Agency (NCA) and other

relevant authorities.

○ Regulatory Engagement: Act as the main point of contact with regulatory bodies on financial crime matters, ensuring

timely and accurate submission of regulatory reports and responses to inquiries.

○ Compliance Monitoring and Testing: Develop and execute compliance monitoring and testing programs, conducting

regular reviews and audits to ensure adherence to internal policies and regulatory requirements.

● Operational Excellence

○ Transaction Monitoring and Analysis: Oversee systems that monitor transactions to detect and prevent financial crime, analysing transaction patterns to identify potential risks.

○ Incident Management and Investigation: Support the business with investigations into suspected financial crime incidents, coordinating with internal and external stakeholders to resolve incidents and implement corrective actions.

○ Data and Technology Utilisation: Use advanced data analytics and technology to enhance financial crime detection and prevention, ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of detection systems.

● Stakeholder Collaboration and Communication

○ Internal Collaboration: Work closely with other departments (e.g FinCrime Operations, COO, Risk, Compliance, Legal, Operations) to ensure a cohesive approach to financial crime risk management, and provide expert advice and guidance to senior management and the board.

○ Training and Awareness: Develop and deliver training programs on financial crime for employees, promoting awareness and understanding of financial crime risks and controls throughout the organisation.

● Continuous Improvement and Industry Engagement

○ Continuous Improvement: Stay updated on emerging financial crime trends, regulatory changes, and best practices, and continuously improve the bank's financial crime framework to address new threats and regulatory requirements.

○ Industry Engagement: Represent the bank in industry forums, working groups, and regulatory consultations, and build and maintain relationships with industry peers, regulators, and law enforcement agencies.

● Reporting and Metrics

○ Governance Reporting to Senior Management and the Board: Provide regular updates and reports on financial crime risk management activities, including key metrics and risk indicators, and present findings from investigations and risk assessments to senior management and the board.

The Kroo is growing and we’d love to hear from you if you’re interested in joining us on our journey!

Requirements

About You

While not essential, the following experience and qualifications are highly desirable in our ideal candidate for this position:

• Proven experience in a senior financial crime compliance role within a financial institution, preferably in a bank or fintech environment, and with experience as an SMF17.
• Extensive experience in retail banking, specifically overseeing financial crime compliance.
• Comprehensive knowledge of UK and International regulatory requirements related to financial crime, including FCA, PRA, and PSR guidelines.
• Strong leadership skills with a track record of managing and developing high-performing teams.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities, with experience in using data analytics and technology for financial crime detection.
• Strong understanding of FinCrime industry best practices and the ability to support the business with implementation.
• Effective communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and engage at all levels of the organisation.
• Professional qualifications such as ICA Diploma in Anti Money Laundering or equivalent are highly desirable.

About Our Process:

We can be flexible with the structure of our interview process if someone's circumstances or timescales require it but our general structure is:

• 30-minute meet and greet with our talent acquisition specialist via google hangouts.
• 1-hour technical interview. R&C /CRO interview via google hangouts.
• 30-minute ManCo/1st Line interview via google hangouts.
• 30-minute Tech interview via google hangouts.
• 45-minute Final interview via google hangouts.
  

Please let us know if you have any specific requirements or need assistance so we can be as accommodating as possible for you.

Benefits

What we offer:

At our cutting-edge fintech company, we know that attracting and retaining the best talent means offering top-notch benefits that help our employees thrive both in and outside of work. Check out what we currently offer:

• Generous holiday time: 25 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays, 1 Kroo bank holiday (June 24th), and 1 day off during the week of your birthday.
• Personal days: We know that life can be unpredictable, so we offer 3 personal days to use as needed.
• Employer-sponsored volunteer program: We're passionate about giving back to our community, and we support our employees in doing the same with up to 4 hours per month of employer-sponsored volunteer time.
• Mental health support: We care about the mental health of our team members and offer access to Spill, our mental health support partner.
• Workplace pension: We want you to feel secure about your future, so we offer a workplace pension with a 5% employee contribution and a 3% employer top-up.
• Learning and development: After 1 year of service, you'll have access to £500 from the Kroo Learning Fund to invest in your career development.
• Top-notch equipment: We provide top-of-the-line equipment necessary for smooth hybrid work, including a MacBook laptop. Additionally, we also offer support in establishing your home office by contributing towards your setup if required.
• Modern office: When you're in the office, you'll enjoy access to our modern, bustling workspace in Holborn, Central London, which includes a full gym.
• Cycle to Work scheme: We encourage sustainable transportation with our Cycle to Work scheme.
• Electric Car scheme: We're committed to reducing our carbon footprint, and our Electric Car scheme makes it easy for our employees to do the same.
• Enhanced parental leave: We know that family comes first, and we offer an enhanced parental leave policy to support our employees in starting and growing their families.
• Room for growth: As a fast-paced, high-growth start-up, we're dedicated to providing our employees with room to grow and excel.
• You get full healthcare for you and your nuclear family via Vitality.

Hybrid Working:

At Kroo Bank, we have a hybrid policy that gives both individuals and teams a lot of freedom when it comes to using the office space to boost productivity. Our London office is a great resource when used effectively. So, employees who can occasionally come to the office are a good fit for how we work right now. Keep in mind that this job involves working from Monday to Friday, with a mix of remote and office work, so you won't need to be on-site all the time.

Diversity and Inclusion:

We wholeheartedly uphold our commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Every employee is highly regarded, respected, and supported without any form of judgement or prejudice. We consider Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion as fundamental pillars guiding our path in all aspects of our bank. We also ensure that reasonable adjustments are made available to all candidates throughout the recruitment process.

To all Recruitment Agencies:

At Kroo Bank, agency resumes are strictly prohibited. Do not submit agency resumes or forward them to our job advertisements or Kroo Bank employees. Be aware that Kroo Bank will not assume any responsibility for fees incurred due to unsolicited resumes.

To ensure a fair and efficient application process, all candidates are kindly requested to submit their applications directly through the advertised platform. We kindly ask that you refrain from reaching out to the company or its employees via email, LinkedIn, or any other communication channels for inquiries or updates. Please note that any attempts to contact us through these channels will not receive a response. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.