Senior Manager, Compliance and Financial Crime Roles at UK Regulated Firms
SMF Capital recruits Senior Managers and compliance, financial crime and risk professionals for FCA and PRA-regulated firms across the UK. On this page you’ll find our current head of compliance, compliance officer, MLRO, AML, risk and board roles, in permanent, interim and fractional arrangements.
Many of the roles we fill are never advertised. If nothing below fits right now, register confidentially and we’ll contact you when a suitable role comes up. Every registration is read personally by Adrian Lawrence FCA.
Current Vacancies
Our live roles are listed below. Each advert sets out the designation, the type of firm, the location and whether the role is permanent, interim or fractional. Client names are kept confidential until the right stage of the process.
SMF24 Chief Operations Officer: London Regulated Firms
SMF18 Other Overall Responsibility: Senior Business Heads, London
SMF17 Money Laundering Reporting Officer: London Firms
SMF19 - Head of Third Country Branch
To apply, click through to the role or email your CV to recruitment@smfcapital.co.uk, with the role title in the subject line.
The Roles We Recruit
Head of Compliance and Chief Compliance Officer Jobs
Head of compliance and chief compliance officer roles at FCA-regulated firms usually carry the SMF16 Compliance Oversight function, which means regulatory approval and personal accountability for the firm’s compliance framework. We recruit heads of compliance for wealth managers, investment firms, banks and building societies, insurers and brokers, consumer credit lenders and payments firms, including first-time SMF16 holders stepping up from compliance manager or deputy roles. See our compliance officer (SMF16) recruitment page for what firms look for.
Compliance Officer and Compliance Manager Jobs
We also recruit compliance officers and compliance managers below Senior Manager level, particularly where the role supports an SMF16 holder or is a stepping stone towards one. Typical areas include compliance monitoring, financial promotions, Consumer Duty, CASS, regulatory change and SMCR administration.
MLRO, Deputy MLRO and AML Jobs
MLRO roles at firms within the Senior Managers regime carry the SMF17 function. We also recruit MLROs at payment, e-money and crypto-asset firms outside the regime, where the role still carries significant personal and regulatory responsibility, as well as deputy MLROs, financial crime managers and heads of financial crime. See MLRO recruitment.
Chief Risk Officer and Risk Jobs
We recruit chief risk officers holding SMF4 at Enhanced and dual-regulated firms, and heads of risk at Core firms, particularly investment firms managing the ICARA and lenders balancing credit and conduct risk. See chief risk officer recruitment.
Chair, Committee Chair and Non-Executive Roles
Board appointments at regulated firms, including the Chair (SMF9), risk, audit, remuneration and nomination committee chairs, and Senior Independent Directors, are almost always run confidentially. We want to hear from sitting and former chairs and committee chairs at FCA or PRA-regulated firms. See chair and committee chair recruitment.
Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer Roles
We recruit regulated chief executives (SMF1) and chief operating officers (SMF24), where regulatory approval and personal accountability are central to the appointment.
RDR-Qualified Advisers and Senior Managers Who Advise
For wealth and advice firms, we recruit RDR Level 4 qualified advisers and Senior Managers who also advise clients, with qualifications and Statement of Professional Standing checked before introduction.
Interim, Fractional and Contract Compliance Jobs
A large share of our compliance and MLRO work is interim or fractional. Firms need experienced cover when a Senior Manager leaves unexpectedly, during remediation after a skilled person review, through an authorisation application, or simply because a smaller firm doesn’t need a full-time compliance officer. We’re particularly keen to hear from approved compliance officers and MLROs open to interim assignments or to fractional work across more than one firm. See fractional and interim SMF cover for how these arrangements work.
Compliance Jobs by Location
Most senior compliance and Senior Manager roles are based in London, but regulated firms across the UK recruit with us, and many roles are now hybrid.
- London: banks, asset managers, insurers, the Lloyd’s market, fintech and payments firms.
- Birmingham: banking, consumer credit, motor finance, payments and insurance across the West Midlands.
- Bristol: wealth management, investment platforms, insurance and fintech across the West of England.
We also recruit for firms in Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester and elsewhere, and for fully remote fractional roles.
Compliance Jobs by Sector
Compliance experience doesn’t transfer evenly between sectors, so we match candidates to firms where their knowledge counts. We recruit across wealth managers, investment managers, consumer credit firms, insurers and MGAs, banks and building societies, payments and fintech firms and crypto-asset firms.
Regulatory Compliance Jobs in Newly Authorised and Growing Firms
Some of the most rewarding compliance roles are at firms seeking FCA authorisation or growing quickly after it. These businesses need compliance and financial crime leaders who can build a framework from scratch, work closely with founders and make a credible case to the regulator. Candidates who have taken a firm through authorisation, a move from Core to Enhanced status or a significant regulatory review are in particular demand.
Why Most Senior Roles Aren’t Advertised
Senior Manager searches, especially board appointments, are usually run on a retained and confidential basis. Boards recruiting a new Chair rarely want an open advert naming the firm, and firms recruiting a compliance officer or MLRO during an authorisation process or a period of supervisory attention have good reasons to keep the search quiet. That’s why the best way to hear about these roles is to be in our network before they arise.
How Registering Works
Send your CV to recruitment@smfcapital.co.uk with a short note covering:
- the Senior Manager Functions you hold or have held, or the role you’re targeting
- your sector experience
- whether you’re open to permanent, interim or fractional work
- your location and notice period.
Adrian reads every registration personally. We never share your details with a firm without your agreement first. You can also register through our candidates page.
What to Expect in an SMF Process
Every search we run tests candidates against the same fit and proper standard the regulator will apply. Expect a thorough conversation about your regulatory history, specific examples of challenge and escalation, and the realistic timetable, including approval once an offer is made. We’ll give you an honest view of the firm’s governance and what you’d inherit. Our guides to the fit and proper test and regulatory references explain what the regulator looks at.
Pay and Day Rates
Pay for compliance, MLRO and Senior Manager roles varies widely by firm size, sector and location. Our SMF and compliance salary guide sets out current benchmarks for heads of compliance, compliance officers, MLROs, chief risk officers and board roles, together with interim and fractional day rates.
Preparing for Your First Senior Manager Role
If you’re a compliance manager, deputy MLRO or head of risk ready for your first approval, we’d like to hear from you. We’re realistic about what a first-time appointment needs, and we’ll tell you honestly whether a role is the right step. Our free online candidate clinics, listed on our events page, cover what the regulator looks for and how to prepare.
Guides for Candidates
Background reading before you apply for a Senior Manager or compliance role. Every SMF search is led personally by Adrian Lawrence FCA
Designations
What each Senior Manager Function involves.
→ SMF16 and SMF17 explained
→ SMF9 Chair explained
Getting Approved
What the regulator will assess.
→ The fit and proper test
→ Regulatory references
Pay
Salaries and day rates.
→ SMF and compliance salary guide
→ Interim and fractional roles
Accountability
The rules you’ll work under.
→ The Conduct Rules
→ FCA enforcement trends
Every SMF search is led personally by Adrian Lawrence FCA
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you only recruit Senior Managers?
No. We also recruit compliance officers, compliance managers, deputy MLROs, financial crime managers and risk professionals, particularly where the role supports or leads towards a Senior Manager Function.
Do you recruit interim and contract compliance roles?
Yes. A large share of our compliance and MLRO work is interim or fractional.
Will my current employer find out?
No. We never share your details with a firm without your agreement first.
Can you help if I’ve never held an SMF?
Yes. We work with many first-time Senior Managers and will give you an honest view of your readiness.
About the Author
Adrian Lawrence FCA is the founder of SMF Capital. He is a Chartered Accountant and Fellow of the ICAEW, holds a practising certificate in his own name, and is a former listed-company Finance Director with a BSc from Queen Mary College, University of London. He founded FD Capital in 2018 and has since built a network of five specialist recruitment practices. He reads every candidate registration personally and leads every SMF Capital search. View Adrian’s ICAEW profile.
Register With SMF Capital
Send your CV and a short note on the roles you’re targeting. We respond personally and never share your details without your agreement.