The Department

Risk and Compliance work in collaboration with the business to ensure best practice across the Firm, effectively managing all aspects of the regulation surrounding the efficient running of the Firm. We are looking for someone with high attention to detail who prides themselves on providing an excellent service.

The role will involve working with key internal stakeholders in a fast-paced environment, so managing your time and the expectations of others is paramount. You will be joining a hardworking and fun team, who work together to provide a high level of service to the Firm and its clients.

This role will predominately support the AML & Conflicts team as well as the Management team and Financial Crime Risk & Compliance Director more generally.

Duties and Responsibilities

The role will involve acting as a trusted advisor to the Risk & Compliance department, and the Firm as a whole, on all forms of Conflicts and AML queries. This will require you to be expertly knowledgeable in all areas of conflicts and AML regulation and guidance, leading by example to implement the Firm's Conflicts and AML policies and processes. You will work closely with Management team to accomplish this. This role will also involve the supervision, training and mentorship of junior members of the team, both relating to their work and their overall growth and development, and the opportunity to take on / get involved in projects that have a wider impact on the firm.

• Act as a role model and clear point of escalation for all junior members of the AML and Conflicts analyst team, offering extensive training support and guidance.
• Support and take pride in developing a 'One Team' environment.
• Work with the Conflicts Managers, Financial Crime Risk Managers and the Financial Crime Risk & Compliance Director to set the standard and ensure that the Firm's conflicts and AML policies, processes and systems are being implemented to an increasingly high standard. This includes working alongside others to ensure the timely and effective management of conflict check clearances.
• Alongside the Conflicts Manager, assist in and become a point of escalation for more complex conflict escalations.
• Confidently engage in meaningful conversations with Partners, lawyers and other staff at all levels to provide expert AML services and conflicts clearances and services, including escalations to COLP as needed.
• Expertly clear complex conflicts and AML-related issues throughout the matter opening process and after matter opening where required. This will include being able to identify all pertinent risk issues relevant to the matter and situation at hand, as well as identifying tertiary issues that may become relevant depending on the facts. You will be expected to be able to handle, and know how to mitigate, most of these risk issues. For those you are not able to mitigate yourself, you will be expected to work through these with more senior members of the conflicts and AML team.
• Efficiently gather and assess customer due diligence information for new and existing clients taking into account the Firm's AML policies & processes, AML regulations and guidance and any relevant commercial considerations.
• Understand the regulatory landscape in the AML and wider financial crime sector. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of AML regulations, best practice and relevant guidance and can apply regulatory changes to the Firm's existing policies, processes and systems.
• Proactively lead on potential enhancements to the Firm's AML policies, regulations and systems - both when you identify them and when identified by those around you.
• Proactively lead on potential enhancements to the Firm's Conflict policies, regulations and systems - particularly in relation to the conflict check workflow.
• Ensure that overall the Conflict and AML analyst team's workload is managed effectively and appropriately, and that all queries are managed in a timely and efficient manner and are completed to a high standard of quality.
• Proactively identify training needs within the Conflicts and AML teams and help deliver on them.
• Work with colleagues across the Risk & Compliance Department, as well as colleagues in other departments as necessary, to identify efficiencies and improvements in providing our service to the Firm.
• Become involved in, as a Conflicts and AML Advisor, and lead where required, on projects as and when they come up.
• Provide daily/regulatory updates to the MLRO team and Financial Crime Risk & Compliance Director on sanctions, SRA, AML related developments.
• Contribute to broader initiatives within the Risk & Compliance department and wider firm which may extend beyond your specialism.
• Actively take ownership of developing your network both across the wider Mishcon de Reya Group and externally and utilise these networks to your advantage to understand larger sector issues which may impact on your role and us as a firm and to learn about best practices within the industry.

Skills/Experience

• Extensive experience as a Senior Conflicts and AML Analyst (or equivalent) where you consistently handled and delivered on complex conflicts, AML, confidential information issues and other financial crime related queries.
• Expert knowledge in researching, analysing and providing tailored solutions to conflicts, AML and other financial crime-related issues.
• An in-depth working knowledge of the conflicts and confidential information rules in the SRA Standards and Regulations and accompanying appropriate regulatory guidance.
• An in-depth working knowledge of the UK money laundering regulations and appropriate regulatory guidance, as well as strong working knowledge of wider financial crime industry practices.
• Experience in using Intapp, including expert level conflict clearing capability, is essential.
• Understanding of the issues arising in commercial conflicts and any relevant regulatory considerations.
• Experience working in an international team setting is highly desirable.
• Experience of devising and delivering training is desirable.
• Experience drafting and / or reviewing policies, and being engaged in these processes, is desirable.
• An understanding of how and when to escalate matters to senior team members and COLP as appropriate, including the relevance of specific information.
• A familiarity with ethical and reputational risk issues that may require escalation either to COLP or the MLRO team as appropriate at the conflicts stage.
• A genuine desire in developing a career in Risk and Compliance, including willingness and appetite to learn and develop knowledge in other areas of Risk and Compliance.
• Can manage own varied workload with multiple priorities running concurrently.
• Can manage others' workload effectively and efficiently.
• Strong interpersonal skills to be able to present yourself in a confident and commercial manner to a range of stakeholders.
• Work independently to solve complex issues with minimal guidance.
• Exceptional attention to detail and organisational skills.
• Take accountability for your workstreams, maintaining high standards and consistently delivering excellence.
• Strong communicator and able to confidently manage conversations with stakeholders of all seniority.
• Develop a high level of trust and confidence with senior management.
• Takes responsibility for, and attends to, self-development.
• Resilient and calm under pressure and is able to manage those around them in a similar manner.
• Adaptable and flexible in your approach to day-to-day tasks.
• Proficiency in MS Packages including Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook.

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

About The Mishcon de Reya Group

The Mishcon de Reya Group is an independent, international professional services business with law at its heart, employing over 1450 people with over 650 lawyers. It includes the law firm Mishcon de Reya LLP and a collection of leading consultancy businesses that complement the firm's legal services.

Mishcon de Reya LLP is based in London, Oxford, Cambridge, Singapore and Hong Kong (through its association with Karas So LLP ). The firm services an international community of clients and provides advice in situations where the constraints of geography often do not apply. Its work is cross-border, multi-jurisdictional and complex, spanning seven core practice areas: Corporate ; Dispute Resolution ; Employment ; Impact; Innovation ; Private ; and Real Estate .

The Mishcon de Reya Group includes consultancy businesses MDR Discover , MDRi (in Hong Kong), MDR Mayfair (in London, Singapore and Dubai), MDR ONE and MDRx . The Group also includes MDR Lab , which invests in the most promising early stage legaltech companies as well as the Mishcon Academy, its in-house place of learning and platform for thought leadership.

Earlier this year, the Group announced its first strategic acquisition in the alternative legal services market, flexible legal resourcing business Flex Legal. It also acquired a majority stake in Somos, a global group actions management business.

We strive to create a fully diverse and inclusive workplace where all our people are empowered to fulfil their potential. We are proud of our agile working culture and are always happy to talk flexible working.

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