Senior Compliance Generalist

Job Description

This is a hands on, group wide compliance role for someone who has already built solid foundations in a regulated financial services firm and is ready to broaden their remit beyond a single jurisdiction. As a Compliance Generalist you will act as a flexible second line resource across the group: providing cover for jurisdictional Compliance Officers during periods of leave or absence, owning the end to end complaints process, tracking and interpreting regulatory change, and supporting delivery of the Compliance Monitoring Programme (CMP) for each entity.

The role sits above Compliance Analyst level. We are looking for someone who can pick up an unfamiliar regulatory framework, work out what matters, and operate with limited supervision, while knowing when to escalate.

Our commitments to each other

We have each other’s backs

There when we need each other the most.

We challenge each other

Be more creative, more curious, more bold

We thrive together

Taking our work to the next level

We form strong bonds

Through team building and social events

We don’t judge

Instead, we teach and are open to learning

We step up

Taking ownership and supporting each other to do the same

Key Responsibilities

Cover for jurisdictional Compliance Officers

• Provide planned and ad hoc cover for entity Compliance Officers across the group during annual leave, sickness and other absences, keeping business as usual compliance activity running without gaps.
• Maintain a working knowledge of the regulatory obligations applicable to each entity so that cover can be provided at short notice, supported by up to date handover notes and desk procedures.
• Act as the day to day compliance point of contact for the business during cover periods, answering queries on marketing, onboarding, client communications, product and conduct matters.
• Review and sign off routine items within delegated authority, including [marketing and promotional material, client facing documentation, escalated onboarding cases], and escalate anything outside that authority to the Central Compliance Manager.
• Support regulatory submissions and returns falling due during cover periods, and maintain the regulatory reporting calendar so nothing is missed.
• Produce a clear handover on completion of each cover period, setting out decisions taken, items outstanding and any issues identified.

Complaints handling

• Own the group complaints process end to end: acknowledgement, investigation, root cause analysis, final response and closure, within the timescales set by each regulator.
• Ensure complaints are handled consistently with the applicable rules in each jurisdiction, for example DISP under the FCA Handbook and the equivalent requirements in Portugal, Australia, South Africa, the Bahamas and Seychelles.
• Maintain the complaints register and supporting records, and ensure they are complete, accurate and audit ready.
• Manage referrals to and correspondence with external dispute resolution bodies, including the Financial Ombudsman Service and equivalent schemes, and prepare the firm's case files.
• Carry out root cause analysis, identify trends and recurring themes, and translate these into practical recommendations for the business.
• Prepare complaints management information for the Compliance Committee and entity boards.

Regulatory change and horizon scanning

• Monitor regulatory developments, consultations, policy statements, guidance and enforcement themes across all jurisdictions in which the group operates.
• Maintain the regulatory change log, assess the impact of each development on the relevant entity, and assign owners, actions and deadlines.
• Summarise changes in plain English for senior management and for non-compliance colleagues, and present updates at the relevant governance forums.
• Support implementation of regulatory change projects, including updates to policies, procedures, risk assessments, client documentation and training material.
• Keep the group policy suite current, coordinating the annual review cycle and version control.

Compliance Monitoring Programmes (CMPs)

• Assist in the design, maintenance and annual refresh of the risk based CMP for each entity, ensuring coverage is proportionate to the risks and obligations of that jurisdiction.
• Carry out monitoring reviews and thematic testing to the agreed schedule, gathering evidence, testing samples and documenting results to a standard that will withstand regulatory and audit scrutiny.
• Write up findings, agree remedial actions with the business, and track those actions through to closure.
• Report on CMP progress, overdue actions and emerging risks to the Compliance Team and relevant committees.
• Support audits, regulatory visits, information requests and third party due diligence questionnaires.

Wider compliance support

• Provide second line advice and challenge to first line teams on conduct, treating customers fairly and consumer duty style obligations, and on financial promotions.
• Support financial crime activity where required, including AML and CTF, sanctions, PEP screening, Market Abuse Surveillance, Transaction Monitoring and escalation to the MLRO.
• Assist with breach and incident logging, investigation and regulatory notification.
• Deliver or support compliance training and awareness across the group.
• Contribute to compliance input on new products, markets, jurisdictions and licence applications.

Requirements

• Typically [3 to 5] years in a compliance role within a regulated financial services firm, ideally an online broker, CFD or investment firm or payments business.
• Demonstrable experience beyond an analyst remit: owning processes, making judgement calls and dealing directly with the business rather than only executing checklists.
• Practical working knowledge of at least one major regulatory framework, with the FCA Handbook preferred, and clear evidence of the ability to learn others quickly.
• Hands on complaints handling experience, including investigation, drafting final responses and root cause analysis.
• Experience of compliance monitoring or testing, and of writing findings that lead to action.
• Strong written English, with the ability to explain regulatory requirements to a non-specialist audience.
• Well organised and comfortable juggling competing deadlines across multiple entities and time zones.
• Discreet, resilient and confident in holding a position with senior stakeholders when needed.

Desirable

• Exposure to more than one jurisdiction, particularly Portugal/Europe (CMVM/ESMA), Australia (ASIC), South Africa (FSCA), the Bahamas (SCB) or Seychelles (FSA).
• A relevant qualification, for example the ICA Diploma in Governance, Risk and Compliance, CISI Investment Operations Certificate, or equivalent.
• Understanding of leveraged products, client money and client asset rules, and retail client protections such as leverage limits and negative balance protection.
• Financial crime, AML or sanctions experience.