AFC Lead - Risk Identification and Controls

Job Description

At Aberdeen, our ambition is to be the UK’s leading Wealth & Investments group.

Strengthening talent and culture is one of our strategic priorities. We strive to make Aberdeen a great place to work so that we can attract and retain the industry’s best talent.

Our people put our stakeholders at the heart of everything they do by helping us to make a positive difference to the lives of our clients, customers, colleagues, shareholders, and society.

We are focused on growing our direct and advised wealth platforms and repositioning our specialist asset management business to meet client demand. We are committed to providing excellent client service, supported by leading technology and talent.

Aberdeen comprises three businesses, interactive investor (ii), Investments, and Adviser, each of which focuses on meeting and adapting to our clients’ evolving needs:

• interactive investor, the UK’s second largest direct-to-consumer investment platform, enables individuals in the UK to plan, save, and invest in the way that works for them.

• Our Adviser business provides financial planning solutions and technology for UK financial advisers, enabling them to create value for their customers.

• Our Investments business is a specialist asset manager that focuses on areas where we have both strength and scale to capitalise on the key themes shaping the market, through either public markets or alternative asset classes.

About the Department

The Anti‑Financial Crime (AFC) function sits within Risk & Compliance and plays a critical role in protecting the organisation, its clients, and broader financial markets. The team partners closely with the business and corporate functions to identify, assess, and manage financial crime risk, ensuring robust governance, regulatory compliance, and effective controls across all jurisdictions in which Aberdeen operates.

About the Role

The Anti‑Financial Crime Lead – Risk Identification & Control is responsible for shaping and executing the organisation’s approach to risk identification, investigations, and control within the Global AFC function.

This role includes acting as the UK Nominated Officer, coordinating financial crime investigations, designing and overseeing the Financial Crime Enterprise‑Wide Risk Assessment (EWRA) methodology, and managing key systems owned by the second line of defence.

Reporting to the Deputy Global Head of Anti‑Financial Crime, the role requires strong technical expertise, strategic judgement, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders across the organisation and other corporate functions.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain the AFC Enterprise‑Wide Risk Assessment framework, ensuring it remains effective and aligned to regulatory expectations

• Lead the annual EWRA process, including planning, stakeholder engagement, analysis, reporting, and presentation to senior management and governance committees

• Oversee the operation and compliance of AFC‑owned systems within the second line of defence

• Manage system enhancements, user access controls, and data integrity to support effective risk identification and control

• Own and lead financial crime investigations, ensuring timely, thorough, and compliant outcomes

• Act as the UK Nominated Officer, providing oversight of suspicious activity reporting and managing the end‑to‑end reporting lifecycle

• Provide expert advisory support on financial crime risk identification and control, including maintenance of AFC risk methodologies and country risk assessments

• Design and deliver targeted training to promote best practice and address capability gaps

• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including regulators and auditors

• Manage and develop a team of two professionals, providing clear objectives, coaching, and performance management

About the Candidate

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

• Extensive experience in anti‑financial crime, risk management, and regulatory compliance

• Proven expertise in leading Financial Crime Enterprise‑Wide Risk Assessments

• Strong experience designing and embedding…