Group Financial Crime Risk and Controls Manager

At M&G, our purpose is to give everyone real confidence to put their money to work. With a heritage dating back more than 175 years, we have a long history of innovation in savings and investments, combining asset management and insurance expertise to offer a wide range of solutions.
Our two distinct operating segments, Asset Management and Life, work together to provide access to balanced, long-term investment and savings solutions.
Through telling it like it is, owning it now and moving it forward together with care and integrity; we are creating an exceptional place to work for exceptional talent.
We will consider flexible working arrangements for any of our roles and offer workplace adjustments to ensure you have the support you need to succeed in your role.

The Role:

This is a highly visible and influential opportunity for an experienced financial crime professional to lead the Group's Enterprise-Wide Risk Assessment framework and help shape the future direction of M&G's Financial Crime Risk and Controls Framework.

Sitting within the Global Financial Crime Compliance PRAGMA team (Policy, Reporting, Analytics, Governance, Methodologies and Awareness), the role is responsible for leading the Group's Enterprise-Wide Risk Assessment (EWRA) framework and providing second-line oversight of the broader Financial Crime Risk and Controls Framework

The successful candidate will provide thought leadership, challenge and oversight across financial crime risk management, ensuring methodologies, governance, data, reporting and controls oversight activities remain effective, proportionate and aligned to the Group's evolving risk profile, business strategy and regulatory expectations.

The role maintains a holistic view of the Group's financial crime exposure, driving the identification, assessment, monitoring and mitigation of financial crime risks across business units, legal entities and jurisdictions. It also plays a key role in strengthening the maturity and effectiveness of the  Group's financial crime controls framework through oversight, challenge, assurance and continuous improvement activities.

The position offers broad exposure across Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Counter Terrorist Financing (CTF), Counter Proliferation Financing (CPF), sanctions, anti-bribery and corruption (ABC), tax evasion facilitation and fraud, together with regular interaction with senior management and governance forums.

Key Responsibilities for this Role:

Financial Crime Risk Assessment Framework

• Own and continuously enhance the Group Enterprise-Wide Risk Assessment (EWRA) framework, methodology, governance arrangements and supporting reporting capabilities.

• Lead the end-to-end annual EWRA programme, coordinating stakeholders, governance, delivery milestones, executive reporting and continuous improvement activities.
• Review and challenge Business Unit risk assessments and develop a consolidated Group-wide view of financial crime risk.
• Maintain and enhance financial crime risk methodologies, taxonomies, indicators, scoring approaches and assessment criteria to support consistent and risk-based decision making.
• Monitor emerging risks, regulatory developments and industry trends, ensuring they are appropriately reflected in risk assessment activities.
• Own and enhance the management information, data, analytics, systems, and reporting capabilities that support effective financial crime risk assessment and decision-making.

Controls Oversight & Framework Enhancement

• Lead second-line oversight of the Group's financial crime control environment, assessing control effectiveness, thematic trends and risk mitigation activities.
• Oversee key financial crime risk and control inventories, ensuring material issues, control weaknesses and remediation activities are appropriately identified, governed and escalated.
• Provide independent challenge and oversight of key financial crime control frameworks and methodologies, including name screening, securities screening, watchlisting, client exits and associated governance arrangements.
• Maintain oversight of Group financial crime risk intelligence and supporting risk tools, including jurisdiction heatmaps, approved regulator and exchange lists, restricted business activity lists and other risk indicators used to support risk-based decision making.
• Lead or oversee thematic reviews, assurance activities and deep-dive assessments across areas of heightened financial crime risk.
• Drive the continuous enhancement of the Group Financial Crime Risk and Controls Framework, ensuring alignment with business strategy, regulatory expectations and industry best practice.

Stakeholder Engagement & Leadership

• Provide expert guidance and constructive challenge on financial crime risk management and control effectiveness.

• Build strong relationships across Risk, Compliance, Legal, Internal Audit and business stakeholders to support a strong risk and compliance culture.
• Lead the development and delivery of high-quality reporting, executive papers and risk assessments for senior management and governance forums.
• Represent Global Financial Crime Compliance in cross-functional initiatives, governance committees, regulatory engagements, audits and assurance reviews.
• Support the implementation and communication of financial crime risk frameworks, methodologies and standards across the Group.
• Identify and support financial crime training and awareness initiatives arising from changes in risk, regulation or methodology.

Essential Knowledge, Skills & Experience:

• Significant experience in financial crime risk management within asset management, insurance or broader financial services environments.
• Deep expertise in financial crime Enterprise-Wide Risk Assessments (EWRAs), risk methodologies, governance frameworks and second-line oversight.
• Strong understanding of financial crime risk and control frameworks, assurance activities and risk governance practices.
• Subject matter expertise across AML, CTF, sanctions, fraud, anti-bribery and corruption (ABC), tax evasion facilitation and related financial crime risks.
• Experience assessing jurisdictional, customer, product and third-party risks and translating complex risk information into practical business outcomes.
• Demonstrable experience assessing control effectiveness, identifying weaknesses and driving remediation and continuous improvement activities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to interpret complex datasets, identify trends and develop evidence-based recommendations.
• Experience developing risk methodologies, management information, reporting frameworks and analytical outputs to support risk-based decision making.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management and influencing skills, including the ability to engage effectively with senior leadership and provide constructive challenge.
• Strong report-writing and presentation capabilities, with experience producing materials for Executive Committees, Boards and governance forums.
• Proven ability to lead significant initiatives, manage competing priorities and deliver outcomes within complex organisational environments.

Job Level: Manager / Expert

Recruiter: Helen Simons

What we offer:

We’re dedicated to supporting your wellbeing and helping you thrive, both at work and beyond. Our benefits are designed to help you balance your professional and personal life, and financially plan for the future. Our UK benefits include:

• A valuable pension scheme of up to 18% (13% made up of employer contributions and 5% employee contributions).
• Access to our Share Save and Share Incentive Plan, alongside financial wellbeing and support services to help give you real confidence to put your money to work.
• Enjoy 38 days annual leave (including bank holidays), with the opportunity to purchase up to five extra days. Our Time Off When You Need It policy gives you the flexibility - to balance work and personal commitments.
• Our market-leading Inspiring Families policy includes comprehensive support and paid parental leave covering maternity, adoption, surrogacy, and paternity leave - because supporting families is an important part of our inclusive culture.
• Health & Protection cover includes Private Healthcare, Critical Illness cover and Life Assurance for you, with additional family options - for peace of mind.

To explore more about life at M&G and our full benefits offering, visit Life at M&G

At M&G we strive to have a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture, underpinned by our policies and employee-led networks that offer networking, support and development opportunities for the diverse communities our colleagues represent. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds – across gender, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation and more – including neurodivergent individuals, career returners and those with military service experience.

M&G is proud to be Level 3: Disability Confident Leader under the UK Government Disability Confident employer scheme, and we welcome applications from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions. If you would like to participate in the initiative, you will have the opportunity to indicate this on your application.

We are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process. All candidates have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments when applying. If you need any additional support at any stage, please contact us at: [email protected]