Financial Crime Assurance Lead at Investec

Description of the role

• The Financial Crime Assurance Lead is responsible for providing independent oversight of the Group's Financial Crime Compliance (FCC) framework. This role delivers objective, risk-based assurance on the design and operational effectiveness of FCC controls across business units, central teams, and jurisdictions.
• The role ensures alignment with the Group's Financial Crime Risk Management and Compliance Programme (RMCP) and supports Group Compliance in delivering assurance to executive committees, the Board, and regulators.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Functional Oversight

• Develop and deliver a risk-based FCC assurance plan, informed by Group FCC risk priorities, the enterprise-wide risk assessment (EWRA), audit findings, regulatory trends, and change.
• Provide assurance coverage across business units, Group FCC, jurisdictions, centralised operations, and technology teams.
• Coordinate with business unit and jurisdictional compliance monitoring teams (including offshore branches and subsidiaries) to ensure consistent scope, methodology, and reporting—while avoiding duplication.

Independent Review Activities

• Lead and execute thematic reviews and control testing across key FCC domains: client due diligence, transaction monitoring, sanctions, governance, training, reporting, and investigations.
• Conduct special reviews in response to internal or external risk events, emerging threats, or regulatory concerns.
• Track and test the effectiveness of remediation linked to internal findings, regulatory inspections, or internal audit outcomes.

Technology & Analytics

• Champion the integration of analytics into control testing and thematic review processes.
• Partner with analytics and technology teams to enable continuous and automated monitoring.
• Use dashboards, trend analysis, and data-driven triggers to inform review scope and prioritisation.

Governance & Reporting

• Support Group Compliance in providing assurance to the Board, Audit & Risk Committees, and regulators.
• Maintain dashboards and tracking mechanisms for open findings and remediation progress.
• Present findings, thematic risks, and trend analysis to relevant forums, including Financial Crime Forums, the Group Compliance Monitoring Forum, and FCC SteerCo.

Qualifications, Experience and Skills

• Bachelor's degree in compliance, risk management, finance, or a related field.
• Professional certifications such as ACAMS, ICA, or equivalent are advantageous.
• Minimum of 8 years' experience in financial crime compliance, internal audit, or assurance roles within financial services.
• Demonstrated experience in leading thematic reviews and working with local and international financial crime regulations.
• Strong understanding of financial crime risk types, control frameworks, and regulatory expectations.
• Expertise in risk-based compliance monitoring and assurance methodologies.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and identify trends.
• Proficient in monitoring software and data analysis tools.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• High attention to detail, critical thinking, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment. 
• Independence of thought and high ethical standards.