Financial Crime Recruitment

FD Capital is a specialist financial crime recruitment agency placing AML, KYC, sanctions and financial crime compliance professionals across the UK. We work with FCA-regulated banks, insurers, payments firms, wealth managers and fintechs to source financial crime talent at every level — from analysts to directors — on a permanent, interim or fractional basis.

Financial crime risk has never been higher on the board agenda. Whether you are building a financial crime function from scratch, replacing a Head of Financial Crime, or bringing in specialist AML or KYC expertise for a regulatory project, FD Capital has the network and the experience to make the right appointment.

Financial crime is an umbrella term covering money laundering, terrorist financing, fraud, bribery, corruption, market abuse, tax evasion and sanctions violations. For regulated firms, managing financial crime risk is a legal obligation under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 (MLR 2017), the Bribery Act 2010 and FCA rules. Firms that fail to demonstrate adequate financial crime controls face substantial fines, regulatory censure and reputational damage.

Financial crime compliance professionals design, implement and oversee the controls that protect firms against these risks. Their work spans customer due diligence (CDD), know your customer (KYC) processes, transaction monitoring, suspicious activity reporting (SAR), sanctions screening, fraud prevention and financial crime governance — the systems and oversight that regulators scrutinise most closely.

 

Financial Crime Jobs We Place

FD Capital recruits across the full financial crime function:

• Financial Crime Analyst — transaction monitoring, alerts review, CDD and KYC checks
• KYC / CDD Officer — customer onboarding, enhanced due diligence, periodic reviews
• AML Compliance Officer — AML policy, risk assessments, regulatory liaison
• Financial Crime Investigator — STR / SAR filing, fraud investigation, law enforcement liaison
• Sanctions Officer / Compliance Specialist — OFAC, UN, HMT and EU sanctions screening
• Financial Crime Manager — team management, policy ownership, second-line oversight
• Senior Financial Crime Manager — large-scale programme delivery, regulatory examination support
• Head of Financial Crime — ExCo-level accountability, framework ownership, SMF16 overlap
• Director of Financial Crime — group-level strategy, governance and three lines of defence

We also recruit for specialist adjacent roles including Financial Crime Technology leads, FinCrime Risk Model owners and Financial Crime Training & Awareness managers.

Financial crime recruitment sits at the intersection of compliance, regulation and operational risk. FD Capital places financial crime professionals across:

• Retail and commercial banks
• Investment banks and broker-dealers
• Asset managers and wealth managers
• Insurance and reinsurance firms
• Payment institutions and e-money firms
• Fintechs and digital asset businesses
• Challenger banks and neobanks
• Professional services firms subject to MLR 2017

Our financial crime network spans UK-authorised firms, overseas firms with a UK presence, and businesses preparing for FCA authorisation that need to build out a compliant financial crime framework ahead of supervision.

Salaries and day rates vary by firm size, sector and the complexity of the financial crime environment. The benchmarks below reflect current market rates for London and major UK financial centres.

 

Role	Permanent Salary (£)	Interim Day Rate (£)	Notes
Financial Crime Analyst	£35,000 – £55,000	£250 – £450	Entry to mid-level; AML / KYC focus
KYC / CDD Officer	£40,000 – £60,000	£300 – £500	High demand in banking and payments
AML Compliance Officer	£45,000 – £65,000	£350 – £550	SME-to-large FCA-regulated firms
Financial Crime Manager	£60,000 – £85,000	£450 – £700	Team lead; policy and investigations
Senior Financial Crime Manager	£80,000 – £110,000	£600 – £900	Large banks and insurers
Head of Financial Crime	£100,000 – £140,000	£750 – £1,100	Accountable to ExCo; SMF16 overlap
Director of Financial Crime	£130,000 – £175,000+	£900 – £1,400+	Group-level; strategy and governance

Fractional financial crime engagements — typically two to three days per week — are an increasingly popular option for firms that need senior expertise without the cost of a full-time appointment. FD Capital can structure fractional arrangements for Head of Financial Crime or senior AML advisory roles.

FD Capital was founded to serve the senior finance and risk talent needs of growing businesses. Our compliance and financial crime practice has developed alongside the expanding regulatory demands placed on FCA-supervised firms. We bring a number of specific advantages to financial crime mandates:

• Specialist network — we have longstanding relationships with experienced financial crime professionals across AML, KYC, sanctions and fraud disciplines
• Senior access — our consultants operate at Head of Function and Director level, meaning we engage with candidates who are rarely active on job boards
• Regulatory insight — we understand FCA expectations around SMF16 accountability, MLRO overlap and the resourcing requirements that follow regulatory review
• Flexible engagement models — permanent, interim and fractional appointments; retained and contingency search depending on the seniority and urgency of the role
• Speed — for urgent interim placements, we can typically present a shortlist within 48 to 72 hours

What qualifications do financial crime professionals typically hold?

Relevant qualifications include the ICA International Diploma in Anti-Money Laundering, the CAMS certification from ACAMS, and the ICA Certificate in Financial Crime Prevention. Many experienced financial crime professionals also hold legal or accountancy qualifications (LLB, ACA) given the overlap with legal and regulatory risk. For AML-specific roles, practical experience of operating within the MLR 2017 and FCA SYSC 6 framework is often weighted more heavily than formal certification alone.

 

How does financial crime recruitment differ from general compliance recruitment?

Financial crime is a distinct discipline within the broader compliance function. While a general compliance officer might handle conduct, product and operational risk, a financial crime professional focuses specifically on anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing, KYC, sanctions and fraud. Firms often recruit for these skill sets separately, particularly in larger organisations where financial crime sits in its own second-line team. FD Capital recruits for both general compliance and specialist financial crime roles — see our Compliance Recruitment page for the broader function.

 

What is the relationship between the MLRO and Head of Financial Crime?

In many firms, these are the same person. The MLRO is the FCA senior manager function SMF17 with statutory responsibility for the firm’s anti-money laundering reporting obligations under POCA 2002 and the Terrorism Act 2000. The Head of Financial Crime is typically a broader management role covering AML alongside sanctions, fraud and financial crime governance. In larger organisations, a Head of Financial Crime may sit above the MLRO, who focuses specifically on the SAR reporting obligation. FD Capital recruits for both roles — see our MLRO Recruitment page.

 

How quickly can FD Capital fill an interim financial crime role?

For interim appointments at manager level and below, we can typically provide a shortlist within 24 to 48 hours. For senior interim roles — Head of Financial Crime, Interim MLRO or AML Programme Director — our standard timeframe is 48 to 72 hours for an initial shortlist of qualified candidates. Availability varies by specialist and sector, but our active interim network significantly reduces the time-to-placement compared with the broader market.

 

Do you recruit for financial crime roles outside London?

Yes. While London remains the primary market for financial crime professionals given the concentration of FCA-regulated firms, we recruit UK-wide. We have placed financial crime candidates in Edinburgh, Manchester, Leeds and Bristol, as well as in remote and hybrid roles where the firm’s financial crime framework can be overseen without a full-time office presence. For senior roles with UK-wide or remote working, we draw on a national candidate pool.

 

What is the difference between AML jobs and financial crime jobs?

AML jobs (anti-money laundering) sit within the broader financial crime discipline. A financial crime job may encompass AML alongside sanctions compliance, fraud prevention, bribery and corruption risk, market abuse and financial crime governance. At analyst and officer level, roles are often titled AML or KYC, reflecting the operational focus of the work. At manager, head and director level, financial crime is the more common framing, reflecting the broader scope of oversight. FD Capital recruits across both framings.

 

Can FD Capital recruit a fractional Head of Financial Crime?

Yes. Fractional financial crime leadership — typically structured as two to three days per week on a retained basis — is particularly suited to mid-size regulated firms that require senior financial crime expertise but cannot justify or fund a full-time Head of Financial Crime appointment. FD Capital has experience structuring fractional compliance and financial crime arrangements and can advise on how to frame the role for FCA purposes, including any implications for SMF16 or SMF17 designation.

Have one of our specialists call you back to discuss your hiring needs.