Risk and Compliance Officer

Position: Risk and Compliance Officer (Permanent)
Job Title:

Risk and Compliance Officer Sector:
Legal / Law Firm

Role Overview The Risk and Compliance Officer will be responsible for managing the firm’s client on-boarding process and supporting ongoing regulatory compliance. The role focuses heavily on anti-money laundering (AML), sanctions, conflicts of interest, and client due diligence (CDD), ensuring compliance with all relevant UK regulations and internal policies. The successful candidate will work closely with fee earners, clients, and the Head of Risk & Compliance.

Key Responsibilities
Managing the end-to-end client on-boarding process for a range of entity types

Undertaking AML compliance checks, sanctions screening, adverse media searches, PEP checks, and conflicts of interest checks

Advising fee earners on required client documentation and regulatory requirements

Running company searches and analysing complex corporate structures

Assessing the risk profile of new and existing clients

Accurately undertaking conflicts checks and escalating issues to the Head of Risk & Compliance where necessary

Reviewing ongoing monitoring alerts and clearing false positives

Managing and escalating false positives from sanctions, adverse media, and PEP screening

Liaising with internal stakeholders and external clients on client due diligence matters

Preparing and providing clear conflicts and CDD reports to fee earners

Maintaining accurate client records and managing client data held on the firm’s systems

Documenting the client lifecycle and ensuring ongoing regulatory compliance

Undertaking quality assurance reviews of reports prepared by analysts

Assisting the Risk & Compliance team with research projects and day-to-day AML regulatory matters as they arise

Knowledge & Experience
Proven experience of end-to-end client on-boarding across a variety of entity types

Strong knowledge and understanding of the UK Money Laundering Regulations

Knowledge of conflicts of interest within a legal environment

Knowledge of the Solicitors’ Accounts Rules (desirable)

Previous experience using AML systems (desirable)

Experience unravelling and analysing complex corporate structures

Strong analytical and research skills with the ability to make informed decisions

A process-driven approach with confidence to escalate issues appropriately

Skills & Attributes
Excellent attention to detail and high levels of accuracy

Strong time management skills with the ability to prioritise workloads and manage multiple tasks simultaneously

Excellent verbal, written, and face-to-face communication skills

Strong organisational skills and ability to work under pressure

Enthusiastic, positive, and committed team player

Sound working knowledge of Microsoft Office