Global Head of Financial Crime

About Withers

A law firm focused on people, performance, and collaboration.

For the past 130 years, we have supported some of the world’s most remarkable people and organizations at defining moments in their lives.

We are united in our commitment to integrity, quality and collaboration. We have a culture of high performance and deliver excellent service consistently across the firm. We provide tailored solutions built on trust and partner with our clients to achieve their goals.

Many of our clients are shaping the future and creating solutions to tackle many of the world’s problems. It makes for a fascinating and challenging practice.

Our role is to get to know each individual client, find out where they want to be, and help them to get there – whether they are building a business, buying a home or protecting and defending their interests.

To meet their unique needs we are exceptionally collaborative, working together across teams and time zones. And we are agile – focusing on strategy rather than rigid ideas and traditional hierarchy.

Join us to be part of a team that is always looking to the future. Where initiative, big ideas and bold moves are always encouraged. Where you can truly be yourself.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for an exceptional Global Head of Financial Crime to lead our global financial crime framework and financial crime compliance team across a complex, multi‑jurisdictional platform that includes a wholly owned UK trust corporation and law firms in the UK, Italy, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, the USA and the BVI.

This senior role is responsible for designing, implementing, and continually improving the firm’s strategy, policies, and controls relating to Anti‑Money Laundering (AML), Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Countering Proliferation Financing, sanctions compliance, Anti‑Bribery & Corruption (ABC), Criminal Finances Act obligations, ECCTA (Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act) requirements, and equivalent laws and regulatory expectations across all relevant jurisdictions.

The successful candidate will be a recognised expert in financial crime compliance, strategic, pragmatic, resilient, and able to influence partners, senior leadership, fee‑earners, business services teams, and trustees. Responsibilities include advising senior leadership, engaging regulators, overseeing key controls and technologies, and building a high performing financial crime compliance team.

Areas of focus and responsibilities

Global Financial Crime Framework

• Develop, oversee, and continuously enhance a global financial crime compliance programme aligned to the firm’s regulatory obligations in each jurisdiction.
• Ensure consistency of standards while allowing for local regulatory nuance in the UK, EU (including Italy and Switzerland), Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, the USA and the BVI.

AML / CTF Oversight

• Serve as the firm’s senior AML specialist, overseeing all systems and controls to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing.
• Oversee client/matter risk assessments, CDD/EDD, source‑of‑wealth and source of funds enquiries, ongoing monitoring and periodic reviews.
• Provide strategic direction to MLRO and act as Deputy MLRO.

Sanctions Compliance

• Lead the firm’s global sanctions strategy covering UK, EU, US (OFAC), UN and other relevant regimes.
• Guide complex sanctions assessments, escalate high‑risk matters and ensure rapid implementation of updated sanctions rules.
• Advise partners on sanctions exposure for clients, counterparties, and trust structures.

Anti‑Bribery & Corruption (ABAC)

• Maintain a global ABAC framework covering prevention of bribery, facilitation payments, improper inducements and third‑party risks.
• Oversee gifts/hospitality registers, onboarding of intermediaries and high‑risk relationships.

Criminal Finances Act & Tax Evasion Facilitation Offences 

• Ensure the firm has appropriate procedures to prevent the facilitation of UK or foreign tax evasion in line with the Criminal Finances Act 2017.
• Conduct risk assessments and advise on transactional red flags and controls.

ECCTA Compliance 

• Lead the implementation and monitoring of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act obligations, including:
  • enhanced corporate criminal liability risk management;
  • failure to prevent fraud offence controls;
  • beneficial ownership / transparency expectations.
• Support the trust corporation in meeting its reporting and transparency requirements.

Cross‑Jurisdictional Compliance 

• Ensure equivalent standards are met in each jurisdiction—including US AML expectations, MAS requirements in Singapore, SFC/HKMA frameworks in Hong Kong, FINMA in Switzerland, and BVI regulatory guidance.
• Maintain a global horizon‑scanning function.

Investigations, Advisory & Incident Response

• Lead internal investigations relating to financial crime risk (e.g., suspicious activity, bribery concerns, sanctions hits).
• Respond to regulatory enquiries and manage interactions with law enforcement and regulators.
• Provide authoritative, commercially practical advice to partners and fee‑earners.

Policies, Training, Culture & Awareness

• Promote a culture of accountability and ethical conduct Ownership of all financial crime policies, manuals, procedures and guidance materials.
• Deliver high‑quality training to lawyers, trustees and business services teams across jurisdictions.
• Drive a culture of risk awareness, ethical conduct and proactive compliance.

Leadership & Management

• Lead a global financial crime team, mentoring specialists and creating a high‑performing function.
• Provide regular reports to the Executive Committee, Management Committee and Partnership Board.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive.  It is intended to describe the general content of, and requirements for the performance of this job, and as such, the role may also include undertaking additional tasks as required.

Technical Skills and experience

• Extensive experience (5+ years) in a senior financial crime compliance role within a law firm, professional services, financial services, or regulatory body.
• Deep expertise in AML, sanctions, ABC, tax evasion facilitation offences, and corporate crime compliance.
• A qualified lawyer would be desirable.
• Experience working with or within a trust or fiduciary services business would be beneficial.
• Experience in regulatory engagement, remediation, or enforcement contexts would be desirable.
• Strong understanding of multi‑jurisdictional legal and regulatory frameworks, ideally including UK, EU, APAC and US regimes.
• Knowledge of law‑firm specific risk considerations, including conflicts, confidentiality and professional practice rules would be desirable.
• Leadership experience in managing complex global programmes and advising senior stakeholders.
• Outstanding analytical, investigative and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to translate complex regulation into practical, risk‑based solutions.
• Excellent communication skills and the gravitas to influence senior partners.

The essentials

• 9.30am to 5.30pm but flexibility is a must
• Hybrid working policy with a minimum of 2 days per week in the office
• 12 week probation period
• 12 week notice period
• Flexible benefit package including pension, private medical insurance, denplan, season ticket loan, discounted gym memberships, lifestyle discount scheme, the ability to buy and sell holidays, flu jabs, doctors consultation service, cycle to work scheme, on site café and more

Information for Recruitment Agencies

Withers endeavours to recruit and fill vacancies directly. However, when we do need to engage with agencies, Withers operates a preferred supplier list and will not be accepting unsolicited applications from non-PSL agencies for this role.

Equal Opportunities Employment Statement

It is the policy of Withers to provide equal opportunities for all employees in relation to recruitment, training and promotion.  Decisions in these areas will be made only by reference to the requirements of the job and shall not be influenced by any consideration of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic and national origin), religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.