Head of Legal and Compliance

2 days ago

Harrow England, United Kingdom LJRecruitment Full time £80,000 - £120,000 per year

Job Title: Head of Legal and Compliance

Location:
London, UK

Function:
Legal and Compliance

Reporting to:
Chief Executive Officer

Employment Type:
Full-time, Permanent

Overview:

An established and regulated UK-based institution is seeking a seasoned
Head of Legal and Compliance
to lead its Compliance, Financial Crime, and Legal operations. This is a
Senior Management Function
role, responsible for Compliance Oversight and Money Laundering Reporting.

This role sits at executive management level, with visibility to the Board, Audit, and Risk Committees. The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing all compliance frameworks, regulatory engagement, legal risk management, and financial crime prevention strategies across the bank's UK operations.

Key Responsibilities:

Compliance & Financial Crime Oversight:

  • Develop and embed a strong compliance culture across the organisation
  • Review and maintain compliance policies in line with evolving regulatory requirements (FCA/PRA)
  • Conduct horizon scanning and implement necessary updates to meet regulatory change
  • Develop and lead training programmes on compliance and conduct
  • Oversee AML, KYC, Sanctions, Anti-Bribery & Corruption, and Fraud prevention frameworks
  • Prepare and submit MLRO Reports, including Enterprise-Wide Risk Assessments
  • Own the Compliance Monitoring Plan (CMP) and track implementation across departments
  • Ensure timely reporting of Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
  • Liaise with regulatory authorities and internal stakeholders as the Compliance lead
  • Maintain the management responsibilities map
  • Review product governance, marketing materials, and policy documents for regulatory adherence
  • Ensure appropriate accountability and performance tracking within the Legal & Compliance function
  • Identify skill gaps and arrange targeted training

Legal Responsibilities:

  • Review and manage legal agreements across the bank
  • Provide legal advice in conjunction with internal and external counsel
  • Maintain a panel of external solicitors and manage litigation as required

Skills & Competencies Required:

  • Proven leadership in a regulated financial services environment
  • Deep knowledge of UK regulatory frameworks (FCA, PRA, SMR)
  • Strong experience in compliance oversight, AML/financial crime risk management
  • Exceptional stakeholder engagement, including regulatory liaison
  • Strong analytical, risk assessment, and decision-making capabilities
  • Legal qualification or experience managing legal risk preferred
  • Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills
  • Ability to lead and motivate teams through complex regulatory change
  • Experience managing or interacting with Board-level governance structures

Qualifications:

  • A recognised Degree and/or professional qualification in Law, Compliance, or Financial Services
  • Minimum of 10 years' experience in compliance/legal within financial services, with at least 5 in a leadership or SMF role

  • Head of Compliance

    2 days ago

    Harrow, England, United Kingdom LJRecruitment Full time £100,000 - £150,000 per year

    Job Title: Head of ComplianceLocation:London, UKFunction:Legal and ComplianceReporting to:Chief Executive OfficerEmployment Type:Full-time, PermanentOverviewAn established and regulated UK-based institution is seeking a seasonedHead of Legal and Complianceto lead its Compliance, Financial Crime, and Legal operations. This is aSenior Management Functionrole,...

  • Legal Counsel

    23 hours ago

    South West England, United Kingdom Oculus Legal Group Full time

    Role Overview: Working closely with the Group Counsel to drive high-impact legal support across the business, this role offers dynamic exposure to commercial contracts, high-value transactions, corporate governance, and funding projects, with opportunities to take on varied and challenging legal work as it arises. Oversee legal aspects of group projects...

  • Head of Legal Services

    2 days ago

    Greater Manchester, England, United Kingdom Law Staff Legal Recruitment Full time £72,000 - £100,000 per year

    Our client is seeking a Head of Legal Servicesto lead their Legal Department from Head Office. This is an exceptional opportunity for an experiencedHead of Legal Servicesto shape strategy, manage a dedicated legal team, and provide high-level legal advice to the organisation. Offering a competitive salary and an excellent package including generous holidays,...

  • Head of Legal Services

    2 days ago

    Greater Manchester, England, United Kingdom Law Staff Legal Recruitment Full time £60,000 - £120,000 per year

    Our client is seeking a Head of Legal Servicesto lead their Legal Department from Head Office. This is an exceptional opportunity for an experiencedHead of Legal Servicesto shape strategy, manage a dedicated legal team, and provide high-level legal advice to the organisation. Offering a competitive salary and an excellent package including generous holidays,...

  • Head of Legal Compliance

    2 weeks ago

    North West, England, United Kingdom MERJE Full time £100,000 - £150,000 per year

    Head of Legal Compliance (COLP)Location: North West (Hybrid)Reports to: Chief Financial OfficerSalary: c.£130,000 + Bonus + BenefitsWe are seeking an experienced and strategicHead of Legal Compliance (COLP)to join a growing, ambitious law firm. This is a senior appointment, central to maintaining the highest ethical and regulatory standards while the firm...

  • Private Client Head of Department

    1 day ago

    Harrow, United Kingdom JMC Legal Recruitment Full time

    Private Client Head of Department BBBH55962_1737708073 Are you seeking an enriching career with unlimited progression, continuous training, and a highly competitive renumeration package?All of these benefits and more are available at this Top Tier Legal 500 Firm for a Private Client Head of Department with 7+ Years of relevant PQE.The Firm:Located in North...

  • Head of Legal

    2 days ago

    City Of London, England, United Kingdom Robert Walters Full time £80,000 - £120,000 per year

    Professional services business with a global presence requires a Head of Legal for a 12 month period to lead the legal function during a period of maternity leave. The offices are based in Central London and this would be on a hybrid model (2 days/week in the office). You must be available to start by w/c December 8th. Unfortunately, at this stage,...

  • Head of Compliance

    1 week ago

    North West, England, United Kingdom PDA Search & Selection Full time

    Position: Head of Compliance – Engineering, building servicesLocation:North WestSalary:Competitive packageBackground:Our clientis a leading provider ofbest-in-class mechanical and electrical building servicesacross the Northwest, serving a diverse portfolio of commercial and industrial clients. Their team is dedicated to deliveringinnovative,...

  • Head of Compliance

    4 days ago

    Leicester Forest East, England, United Kingdom Centrum Solutions Full time £40,000 - £70,000 per year

    Head of Compliance – Construction SectorSalary - £50,000 - £60,000 + Company VehicleNationwide Travel | Full-TimePerfect for Service Leavers with NEBOSH/IOSHA leading organisation in theconstruction sectoris looking for aHead of Compliance.Someone who can keep operations safe, legal, and consistentwithoutstrangling the day-to-day work.If you come from...

  • Senior Legal Counsel

    2 days ago

    Surrey, England, United Kingdom Motus Legal Recruitment Full time £60,000 - £100,000 per year

    Senior Legal Counsel 5+ Surrey - HybridLeading FMCG Company that owns a range of leading brands found in all of the leading supermarkets is looking for a Senior Legal Counsel. Reporting to the Head of Legal, you will be part of a global business that has operations in North America, South America, China and Australia; with each market having its own unique...