Financial Crime Team Leader

Job Description We’re hiring a Financial Crime Team Leader to play a key role within our Financial Crime function, bringing together strong people leadership, sound oversight, and a commitment to delivering consistent, high-quality outcomes in a regulated environment. This is a fantastic opportunity to step into a visible leadership role at AJ Bell.

Purpose of the role

The Financial Crime Team Leader is responsible for leading and overseeing a team of Financial Crime Analysts to ensure the effective delivery of business-as-usual (BAU) financial crime activity. The role combines hands-on oversight of financial crime controls with people leadership responsibilities, including performance management, training and competence (T&C) activities, and ongoing development of team members. The Team Leader plays a key role in ensuring regulatory compliance, maintaining high-quality outcomes, and supporting the Senior Financial Crime Manager in protecting the firm and its clients from financial crime risk.

What does the job involve?

Lead, coordinate, and oversee the team’s BAU activities, including responding to queries from the wider business, alert handling in relation to sanctions and PEP risk and internal referrals relating to fraud and money laundering.

Conduct all activities within the training and competency framework to support with the development of junior analysts and maintain the competence of more experienced staff analysts.

Act as an escalation point for complex or higher-risk cases, providing guidance and challenge where required.

Ensure investigations, decisions, and outcomes are completed accurately, consistently, and within agreed service levels.

Monitor workloads, queue management, and productivity to ensure effective resource allocation.

Maintain oversight of case quality, ensuring records are clear, auditable, and aligned to internal policies and regulatory expectations

Support the Financial Crime Manager in collating and interpreting management information (MI) and produce reports to send on to higher management.

Work closely with Operations, Risk, Legal, and Technology teams to ensure a joined-up approach to financial crime prevention. Participate in cross-functional initiatives and workshops.

Contribute to the delivery of financial crime training and awareness initiatives across the business.

Provide guidance to internal teams on financial crime queries and support the implementation of controls.

Ensuring all duties are carried out in full compliance with regulatory requirements, including consumer duty.

Competence, Knowledge, and Skills

Experience leading teams to success.

Demonstrable financial crime knowledge and expertise, including AML/CTF and fraud risks, controls, and regulatory expectations.

Experience in developing junior staff and providing ongoing support to more experienced staff.

Strong working knowledge of regulatory frameworks (e.g., FCA Handbook, PoCA, Fraud Act)

Ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks under pressure

Strong written and verbal communication abilities

About AJ Bell

AJ Bell is one of the UK’s fastest-growing investment platform businesses, providing award-winning solutions for everyone, from professional financial advisers to first-time investors.

Today, over 723,000 customers trust us to manage more than £108.7 billion of assets. By continually striving to make investing simpler and more accessible, we’re helping more people take control of their financial futures.

We’re proud to be recognised as one of the UK’s Best 100 Companies to Work For for six consecutive years, and a Great Place to Work in 2025 and 2026 a reflection of our supportive and collaborative culture.

What we offer

Salary up to £40,000 (dependent on experience)

26 days holiday, increasing with service + buy/sell scheme + bank holidays

7% Pension with matched contributions

Discretionary bonus scheme

Share schemes (including free shares and BAYE)

Health Cash Plan and discounted private healthcare

Free onsite gym

Enhanced family leave (subject to qualifying criteria)

Travel and bike loan schemes

Employee Assistance Programme

Life at AJ Bell

Regular social events including summer and Christmas parties

Learning and development opportunities tailored to you

Casual dress code

Friendly, supportive team environment

Our ways of working

We offer hybrid working, with a minimum of 50% of your working time per month spent in the office.

For new starters, there’s an initial period of full-time office working to help you settle in and build relationships.

Inclusion & diversity

We’re committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected and able to be themselves at work.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and make hiring decisions based on skills, experience, and potential.