Associate Director, Head of Integrity Screening & Research

Associate Director, Head of Integrity Screening & Research The Associate Director leads a team that undertakes key due diligence related activity across the EBRD's customers, directly interfacing with Banking and Portfolio teams (responsible for the origination and monitoring of Banking projects/engagement). Day-to-day, the team(s) are responsible for undertaking customer and transactional (payment) screening activity associated with parties involved in the EBRD's engagements - including Sanctions, PEPs and adverse media screening. The function also undertakes research related activity covering a range of topics to support the acquisition and maintenance of projects. Using industry recognised tools, the team is expected to deliver accurate and timely screening of parties across a pipeline/portfolio of names using a combination of structured and unstructured data sources. This core control activity is a key step in ensuring adherence to our Integrity Due Diligence Guidelines, supporting the Banks broader adherence to its established risk appetite.

As the head of the function, the individual is expected to provide both strategic and operational leadership, driving forward key improvement initiatives. Furthermore, the job requires the individual to liaise closely with senior colleagues across the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd lines of defence teams, positively influencing decisions across a range of subjects. They will also represent EBRD during external/industry-related interactions, leveraging key relationships and using their insight into contemporary process and technology developments to ensure the function sustainably maintains its adherence to key internal and external standards.

In addition, and working with the Director of the function, the role holder will be expected to help determine/deliver the functions strategic direction and operational goals, adopting a continuous improvement mindset and fostering a service management culture to deliver a 'best in class' outputs to the recipients of our service.

Accountabilities & Responsibilities

Operational Standards, Risk, Control & Governance:

• Take a partnership approach with colleagues in Operational Risk to establish an effective control environment, taking direct responsibility for building a control-orientated mindset/culture amongst the team.
• Promote and maintain a culture such that all team members are responsible for the quality of their output.
• Manage risks to a successful outcome through the established Risk management framework.
• Proactively take responsibility for improving the control environment, including the design of preventative controls and automation to eradicate the need for detective/manual controls. More specifically, driving (where possible) auto discounting capabilities.
• Liaises with internal and external auditors, responding to queries as necessary.
• Ensure that new processes and practices are conducted in line with quality standards, applicable standards/policies and relevant legislation and licenses.
• Manages business and institutional/external relationships to ensure the Bank's interests are fully protected and supported.
• Provide expertise in products, processes and/or procedures and lead interdepartmental special projects aimed at the facilitation of cooperation, exchange of information and harmonisation of internal policies and procedures. Where necessary, develop and evolve a training/educational strategy to facilitate consistency in internal decision making.

Operational Performance:

• Plan, lead and manage the operational delivery of the team on a day-to-day basis, ensuring a 'no surprises' approach to control adherence, service performance and delivery across key users.
• Ensure appropriate resources are planned across the department, with shortfalls identified and escalated through established governance routes (capacity management).
• Demonstrate personal commitment to delivering outstanding control and operational performance - demonstrated by adherence to established operational metrics - timeliness, quality and customer satisfaction.
• Communicate with relevant departments that may have significant implications for projects or related transactional activity) to ensure that the decision-makers are aware of the risks involved.
• Responsible for leading the delivery of a 'best in class' operational function, using contemporary techniques, principles and practices to achieve this.
• Develop/maintain links with international (external) organisations to represent EBRD and keep abreast of contemporary practices and themes in the market, sharing outcomes across OSM.
• Where required, seek to proactively understand the 'voice of the customer' and employ control/operational metrics to find opportunities to drive efficiencies/effectiveness across the team to provide enhanced control and customer service/satisfaction.
• Encourage prudent risk-taking, exploration of alternative approaches and understanding of broader market developments.
• Demonstrate personal commitment to change through actions and words. Mobilise others to support change initiatives.
• Support the implementation of enhancements to technology platforms owned by the screening/research function (where OSM is the Product owner), helping maximise the output of the development team.

Service Management & Third Party Management:

• Where required, lead and manage teams in a hybrid staff/outsourced organisational structure.
• Where relevant, manage key external stakeholder relationships to ensure adequate service delivery to the Bank.
• Responsible for supporting the transformation of the function towards becoming a metrics based operations team, working closely with the business to establish shared ownership.
• Defining the success criteria of the operation, maintaining a constant view of established operational metrics to ensure effective planning and execution of work in progress queues and adherence to agreed service levels.
• Manage supply and demand by working in a collaborative fashion with the business so that future demand can, where possible, be managed in line with expected service levels.
• Develop operational governance/service agreements to assist with defining and monitoring service performance. Measures customer satisfaction and effectiveness with the business, proactively developing and implementing recommendations for improvement.
• Work with the Director to plan, forecast and manage within a budget.
• Ensure that people resources are kept at an appropriate level to manage budget challenges and departmental implementation requirements.

Stakeholder Management:

• Managing communications with all stakeholders across our end-to-end processes through regular briefings and updates, up to Director and Managing Director level.
• Represents team to other departments within Bank to share opinions and influence decisions based on expertise/specialism.
• Actively participate in relevant committees, advising and influencing integrity screening strategy.

Leadership & People Management:

• Deputise for the relevant OSM Director as required to ensure smooth running of the department.
• Provide leadership, vision and direction to the team delivering an identifiable contribution to Bank goals.
• Accountable for the performance management and engagement of staff, taking responsibility for the recruitment, coaching and development of staff. Attain and maintain high levels of employee engagement (evidenced via engagement scores).
• Leading teams, developing their skills and capabilities to meet the needs of the organisation, as well as enhancing existing recruiting capabilities to address new needs and skills gaps.
• Champion and role model the Bank's behavioural competencies and corporate behaviours, ensuring adherence within the team(s) so that the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct are exhibited at all times.
• Assume additional responsibilities as assigned by the relevant OSM Director.

Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Qualifications

The individual appointed must have the necessary seniority to be able to take on responsibilities associated with the role, being able to handle the pressures of the role in a manner appropriate to the Bank. The candidate should have the following:

• University educated in a related discipline/field, or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum 5-10 years of professional experience in areas related to KYC/Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulated environment, ideally obtained at a comparable (or similar) financial institution.
• Excellent understanding of related KYC/AML regulations, standards and practices, including a strong appreciation of 'best in class' practices and an ability to translate such practices into the EBRD landscape.
• Comprehensive understanding/experience of screening (and related KYC) processes and technology with a strong appreciation of market trends and standards. Familiarity with automation practices and the use of AI to augment/support screening processes would be considered highly desirable.
• Detailed knowledge of integrity risk factors including PEPs, sanctions, criminal matters and beneficial ownership.
• Proven ability to navigate complex compliance regulations, guidelines and standards, translating these into operational requirements.
• Extensive experience of dealing with 2nd and 3rd line of defence teams to influence standards and controls that ensure (i) adherence to standards and risk appetite . click apply for full job details