Director of Financial Crime and MLRO

Company Description

Benefits of working at Together
26 days holiday, and a day off for your birthday (increasing with service to 30 days), plus bank holidays
Free access to company holiday homes
Buy & sell holidays
Discretionary annual bonus plus an additional Shared Reward Bonus
Matched pension contribution
Health cash plan plus Private medical insurance
Life assurance and Critical illness cover
Travel season ticket loans and Ride to work scheme
Free local gym access
Local bar / restaurant discounts
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Company Description
We're Together. For over 50 years, we've helped thousands of people, businesses and professionals unlock their property ambitions with our common-sense approach to mortgages and secured loans.
We take the time to understand our customers and our door is always open, so we can often help when other lenders can't or won't. Based in Cheadle, Cheshire, our 750 colleagues help our customers throughout the UK, backed by the power of a £7 billion loan book.

Job Description
As the  Director of Financial Crime and MLRO  you will provide leadership and accountability for the organisation's financial crime framework, strategy and risk management activities across Anti-Money Laundering, Counter Terrorist Financing, sanctions, fraud and anti-bribery and corruption. You will act as the designated MLRO, ensuring robust governance, regulatory compliance and effective controls that protect the organisation from financial crime, regulatory exposure and reputational harm.

You will also lead the development of a forward-looking financial crime strategy aligned to business objectives, regulatory expectations and risk appetite, while providing independent oversight, challenge and assurance to the Executive and Board.
As a  Director of Financial Crime and MLRO  we are looking for someone to:
Define and lead the enterprise-wide Financial Crime Strategy and risk appetite framework
Act as the SMF 17 MLRO with accountability for the firms AML and financial crime control framework
Provide expert advice and independent challenge to the Chief Risk Officer, the Board, Executive Committee and senior leadership on financial crime risks and regulatory developments
Own the Financial Crime Risk Assessment framework, ensuring emerging and existing risks are identified, assessed, managed and reported
Oversee AML, sanctions, fraud, anti-bribery and corruption, customer due diligence, enhanced due diligence and transaction monitoring programmes
Lead regulatory engagement with the FCA, NCA, law enforcement agencies, auditors and other external stakeholders
Sponsor and oversee financial crime transformation initiatives, ensuring systems, controls, data and technology remain effective and scalable
Deliver Board and Committee reporting, management information and key risk indicators relating to financial crime exposure and control effectiveness
Ensure robust advice, monitoring, assurance and testing programmes are in place and that remediation activities are delivered effectively
Promote a strong financial crime culture through leadership, communication, training and accountability across the organisation
Lead and develop a high-performing Financial Crime function, ensuring succession planning, capability development and talent management
Represent the organisation externally and act as the senior thought leader on financial crime risks, trends and industry best practice
Meet the expectations of the SMCR regime and in particular the SMF
17 prescribed responsibilities
Implement appropriate compliance and risk management, controls, processes, and procedures to deliver effectively and efficiently in the 2

LOD Financial Crime function/processes.
Ensure colleagues have the appropriate skills and knowledge to enable good performance…