The role:

We are looking for a Senior Conflicts Analyst to join our Business Intake team in London or Bristol.

The successful candidate will provide and manage the business acceptance of all new clients and matters which involves providing a conflict checking service to the whole firm, screening new business for sanctions, compliance with anti-money laundering requirements in relation to new matters, and communicating with the partnership. You will also train members of the Firm on an ongoing basis and to respond to their day to day queries, and support the Risk and Compliance legal team in ensuring compliance with the firm's legal and professional requirements by providing information and insight as necessary.

What will you do:

Risk management: conflict checking

• Developed understanding of rules around conflicts and experience of applying them.
• Shared responsibility for providing the conflict checking service to the firm world-wide.
• Handle conflict checks requests to an agreed standard using Microsoft Dynamics AX, and other databases as required.
• Assist in maintenance of conflicts database.
• Maintain related documentation and store evidence in FileSite in line with regulatory requirements.
• Ensuring that partners properly complete their risk profile requirements in the firm's onboarding system.
• Maintain Global Address Book party index on the conflicts database.
• Use IT skills to search external commercial databases (e.g. searching commercial products to identify ownership and corporate structures).
• Consider CDD implications of related parties to a matter and the substance of the matter / matter risk assessment from all offices and liaising with AML team where applicable.
• Carrying out due diligence on third-party payers in line with the firm's policy.
• Attributing a risk rating to the matter and escalating the client to the AML Team where a decision needs to be made upon analysis of documentation and risk.
• Recording all AML documentation, communications and risk rating in the firm's client onboarding system, together with a summary of conclusions reached and steps taken.
• Dealing with day to day queries from the Conflicts team and legal and business services staff in relation to ongoing conflicts requests and escalating to the Risk & Compliance legal team where necessary.

Management responsibilities:

• Being a point of contact for the team.
• Managing Junior Conflicts and administrators on their tasks and overseeing their workload.
• Training new members within the team on the Conflicts rules and how to complete conflicts checks using the firm's system.
• Quality control reviews of output of Conflicts team to ensure standards are maintained.
• Take decisions on work prioritisation and ensuring deadlines are met.
• Supporting the Conflicts Team Manager.
• Train members of the Firm on the firm's conflict procedures and how to complete conflicts checks using the firm's system.

What we are looking for:

Education / Qualifications:

• Educated to degree level or have relevant specialist qualifications.
• Minimum of two A levels or NVQ equivalent in Business Studies.
• GCSE in English Language and Mathematics and a science.

Knowledge and Technical Skills:

• Ability to develop knowledge, in legal processes and terminology, business resources.
• Attain familiarity with client base.
• Business research skills.
• A strong understanding of the conflict rules.
• An understanding of money laundering and KYC (Know your client) regulation in the context of taking on new matters.
• Broad IT skills.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics AX and InterAction and workflow desirable.

General Skills/experience:

• Articulate with excellent oral and written communications in English; reading knowledge of another language is desirable.
• Ability to organise workloads, work under pressure, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to identify potential risks.
• Strong sense of team work.

Here at Simmons & Simmons:

We believe our people define us. Our working environment is genuinely collegiate with a supportive atmosphere and team ethos - we have a reputation for being a friendly culture which we are very proud of. An inclusive and diverse culture, our innovative approach and being truly international are just a few more things that make us, us.

• Competitive Offer Package including bonus's dependant on role/level, private medical insurance & pension contribution to name a few.
• Dress 'for your day' Code.
• Hybrid working approach of 2 days a week required in the office with flexibility dependant on role/team/client demands.
• A wide range of international offices including: Hong Kong; Dubai; Tokyo; Dublin; Milan; Bristol; Madrid; Singapore.
• All offices have their own artwork collections - with a Damien Hurst and a Tracey Emin in the London office. We have a long standing history in supporting the art community especially up and coming artists.
• The creation of Simmons & Simmons Solutions - bringing together the best legal advice from our established legal teams with non-traditional capabilities that enhance, expand and differentiate the Simmons offering.
• We were ranked as a Times Top 50 Employer for Women and Top 30 Employer for Working Families in 2020.
• We have Social and Sport Committees contributing to Xmas & Summer parties, end of month social and various sporting events.
• We also have a range of Diversity Network Groups including LGBT+, Emerge (Race & Ethnicity) and The Number One Club (Women's network) who have organised various talks and events firmwide.

If you are interested in finding out more about this position then please contact the Recruitment Team with any questions. To apply for the role please click on the link at the bottom of the page/visit the career pages on our website, where there is also a detailed job description.