Waterhouse-Kern Associates is proud to be partnering with a leading consumer lending business to find a new Head of Fraud and Financial Crime Strategy.

What you’ll do

Our client is looking for an experienced Head of Fraud & Financial Crime Strategy to lead the first line fraud and financial crime capability. This role is responsible for defining and delivering our strategy, control framework and operational approach across fraud, AML and broader financial crime risks.

Working closely with the MLRO and DMLRO you will lead the Fraud and Financial Crime first line strategy teams to ensure controls are effective, scalable and increasingly leverage advanced and AI-driven approaches.

You will play a key role in ensuring the business is equipped to both use AI to strengthen detection capabilities and respond to the increasing use of AI by criminals, protecting both customers and the firm.

This role requires a hands-on leader with strong financial crime expertise, capable of operating at both strategic and detailed levels. The successful candidate will bring deep knowledge of financial crime regulation and practice, combined with the ability to implement change, improve controls and drive operational delivery in a fast-paced environment.

This role is a role which is subject to certification by us under the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR).

Key responsibilities

• Understanding and articulating to the wider business the fraud and wider financial crime risk that the business faces today and is likely to face in the future as bad actors adapt and begin to use new technology
• Own and deliver the firm’s Fraud & Financial Crime strategy across all relevant risk areas
• Establish and maintain a clear operating model, ensuring defined ownership and accountability across the wider fraud and financial crime operating model
• Working closely with the MLRO and Compliance to design, implement, evidence and continuously improve the fraud and financial crime control framework
• Take a hands-on role in investigating issues, reviewing controls and supporting the resolution of complex fraud and financial crime problems

Requirements

• Extensive experience of Fraud and Financial Crime in the UK across both new business onboarding and existing customers covering card and loan portfolios
• Advanced analytics capability; the successful candidate will deliver this both personally and through the team so must be capable of completing detailed analytics from initial data access through to final report/presentations with clear recommendations
• Pro AI; looking at how AI can both impact the risks to the business and how it can be used to better detect and manage Fraud and Financial Crime Risks
• Strong understanding of fraud and financial crime regulation and expectations with the ability to translate these into practical first line controls and processes
• Leverage external networks (e.g. industry forums, intelligence groups, law enforcement engagement) to stay informed of emerging threats and best practice
• Experience building or transforming fraud and/or financial crime capabilities including implementation of tooling and systems
• Pragmatic and commercially minded; able to balance strong controls with business outcomes
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity; making informed decisions in a rapidly evolving threat and regulatory landscape
• Strong, credible leader with experience managing teams and driving delivery
• Forward-looking with the ability to challenge existing approaches and proactively evolve controls in line with emerging threats
• Strong judgment and decision-making capability in complex situations
• Collaborative and able to build effective working relationships across teams
• Hands-on approach, with the ability to operate across both strategy and execution