Head of Financial Crime - Payments

About the company

A high-growth, London-based payments organisation is seeking an experienced Head of Financial Crime to lead and evolve its financial crime framework across a dynamic and fast-scaling environment. Operating at the forefront of the payments sector, the business provides innovative payment solutions to a diverse client base across the UK and international markets.

About the role

Reporting directly to the executive leadership team, the Head of Financial Crime - Payments will be responsible for setting and delivering the firm's financial crime strategy in line with regulatory expectations and commercial objectives. You will oversee end-to-end financial crime controls, including customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, fraud risk management, investigations, and suspicious activity reporting, ensuring frameworks remain proportionate to the firm's growth and product evolution. The role requires close engagement with UK regulators, external partners, and banking counterparts, as well as ownership of governance reporting to senior management and the Board.

Key Responsibilities

• Leading the company's 1 LoD Financial Crime and Fraud teams
• Overseeing outsourced CDD/KYC, screening, and transaction monitoring operations
• Managing sanctions, fraud controls, and regulatory reporting across retail and business clients
• Conducting intelligence-led investigations and risk exposure assessments
• Embedding effective financial crime controls into product design
• Translating regulatory requirements into practical, scalable solutions
• Identifying control gaps and driving process and systems improvements
• Keeping abreast of regulatory developments and emerging financial crime risks
• Ensuring clear, insight-driven engagement with regulators, law enforcement, and banking partners across BAU and growth activity
• Partnering cross-functionally with Product, Compliance, Audit, and legal teams

Experience Required

• 8+ years of experience in financial crime and fraud operations for both retail and business customers
• 5+ years of experience working in major financial institutions
• A proven track record in leading and managing teams
• A background in managing third-party outsourcing relationships
• Strong knowledge of financial crime and fraud laws and regulatory requirements for the UK and associated territories
• A track record of conducting risk assessments and designing and testing mitigating controls
• An excellent understanding of traditional and emerging financial products and their associated risks
• ICA or ACAMS qualification preferred and working knowledge of UK AML regulations and JMLSG guidance

Package

£120,000 - £150,000 Base

Discretionary Bonus

Private Medical

Hybrid Working Model (3 days pw in office)