Financial Crime Compliance Monitoring Manager (2LOD)

LHV Bank Limited is a UK-licensed bank operating across three core business segments: Retail Banking, SME Lending, and Banking Services (BaaS). The bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of LHV Group, a listed financial services provider headquartered in Estonia. LHV Bank operates under a full UK banking licence granted in May 2023.

The Bank supports over 200 fintech clients with embedded financial infrastructure, provides retail savings products via digital channels, and offers SME credit solutions across the UK. In line with its regulatory responsibilities and growth ambitions, LHV Bank is committed to maintaining a robust and proportionate financial crime control environment.

Expanding our services, LHV Bank now provides personal banking solutions. Our offerings include current accounts with competitive interest rates, fixed-rate bonds for long-term savings, with debit cards designed for both domestic and international use coming soon. Customers can conveniently access these services through the LHV App, enabling secure account opening and management.

Role Overview

This is a specialist 2LOD role focused exclusively on compliance monitoring and assurance of the Bank’s financial crime systems and controls. As Financial Crime Compliance Monitoring Manager, you will be responsible for the design and execution of independent reviews to assess the effectiveness of controls across the AML/CTF, sanctions, fraud, and anti-bribery frameworks.

You will work under the direction of the Head of Financial Crime or Compliance Monitoring Lead, delivering monitoring activity aligned to the annual Financial Crime Compliance Monitoring Plan. This role is critical to ensuring the Bank meets its obligations under the Money Laundering Regulations, FCA rules (e.g. SYSC), and internal risk appetite.

Key Responsibilities:

Monitoring and Assurance Execution

• Deliver 2LOD compliance monitoring reviews in accordance with the approved Financial Crime Monitoring Plan, including:
  • Transaction monitoring and alert handling
  • Sanctions screening
  • Customer due diligence (CDD/KYC/EDD)
  • Suspicious activity reporting (SAR)
  • Fraud controls and customer communication
• Conduct walkthroughs, file reviews, control testing, and evidence sampling to assess control design and effectiveness.
• Produce detailed monitoring reports, including risk-rated findings, root cause analysis, and clearly articulated remediation recommendations.

Planning and Scoping

• Contribute to the annual and dynamic compliance monitoring risk assessment, supporting the prioritisation of review themes based on risk, regulatory change, and emerging trends.
• Prepare monitoring scopes and test scripts tailored to specific review objectives, aligned with internal policy and external regulatory expectations.

Issue Management and Follow-Up

• Track and follow up on monitoring findings, agreed actions, and deadlines.
• Engage with first-line stakeholders to verify closure evidence and assess whether remediation has been effective.
• Escalate overdue or high-risk issues to the Head of Financial Crime or relevant governance forums.

Reporting and MI

• Support the production of thematic analysis, trend summaries, and compliance monitoring MI for inclusion in:
  • Risk & Compliance Committee packs
  • ExCo and Board reporting
• Maintain up-to-date records of monitoring reviews, actions, and outcomes in accordance with internal governance processes.

Methodology and Continuous Improvement

• Help evolve the compliance monitoring methodology, ensuring it remains aligned with FCA expectations and industry best practice.
• Contribute to the refinement of testing tools, templates, and quality standards.
• Identify opportunities to improve the efficiency, clarity, and impact of assurance activity.

Key Capabilities, Skills & Knowledge Requirements:

Core Knowledge

• Good working knowledge of UK financial crime legislation (e.g. POCA, MLRs 2017, OFSI guidance) and relevant FCA requirements (e.g. SYSC, FCG).
• Strong understanding of financial crime risk and control frameworks, including AML, sanctions, fraud, and ABC requirements.
• Understanding of compliance monitoring and testing methodologies, including sampling, walkthroughs, and control effectiveness evaluation.

Execution and Review Skills

• Experience conducting compliance or audit reviews in a financial services context, ideally with exposure to financial crime.
• Ability to critically assess and document control processes, identify gaps, and communicate findings clearly and proportionately.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to manage multiple workstreams and deadlines.

Collaboration and Communication

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to engage constructively with first-line stakeholders.
• Skilled in preparing clear written reports and presentations for internal governance use.
• Comfortable working with sensitive or complex findings and escalating appropriately.

Desirable Experience and Qualifications:

• Experience working in a financial crime compliance, compliance monitoring, or internal audit function.
• Exposure to fintech, BaaS, or digital banking environments.
• Familiarity with tools such as ComplyAdvantage, Dow Jones, LexisNexis, and case management platforms.
• Relevant qualifications such as ICA Certificate/Diploma in AML, ACAMS, or CISI Financial Crime.

Some of our benefits

• Competitive salary & progression
• Open and inclusive culture
• Hybrid working
• Fantastic offices and great working environment
• Vitality Health Plan (includes private health insurance, travel insurance, gym discounts)
• Medicash health plan (Level 3)
• 5% employer pension contribution
• Life assurance
• Income protection insurance
• 28 days holiday plus 3 additional days, bank holidays & further days for various key life events
• Team socials