Risk & compliance manager

About us

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals and over 600 staff based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.

We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face.

Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do.  RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 6th best law firm to work at in 2026.

With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 45% of our partnership.

The team you will join

Our Risk and Compliance team sits within our wider Business Services Division and is responsible for ensuring that the firm retains accreditation against the Law Society’s Lexcel and Conveyancing Quality Scheme Standards, and manages the internal audit processes to ensure this. They also provide support to other internal audit functions within the firm through assessing upcoming regulation and high-risk corporate issues.

The work you will be doing

We are seeking an experienced Risk and Compliance Manager to join the firm’s central Risk and Compliance (R&C) team. This is a key leadership role responsible for ensuring the firm meets its regulatory obligations while maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct and operational efficiency.

You will work closely with the other Risk and Compliance Manager and Head of Risk and Compliance to manage a team of compliance colleagues. The role will require a strong technical expertise, excellent judgment and a proactive approach to developing and embedding best practice across compliance, risk management and business / client onboarding. You will help to lead a high-performing team in a culture that values professionalism, innovation and collaboration.

• Assist the Head of Risk and Compliance to lead and manage the firm’s R&C team, providing day–to–day supervision, mentoring and professional development.
• Oversee and advise on regulatory compliance under the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Standards and Regulations 2019, including conflict checks, confidentiality and due diligence.
• Manage client and matter onboarding processes, AML compliance and adherence to professional standards.
• Use and develop systems within Intapp for conflict management, business intake workflows and continuous improvement of compliance processes.
• Provide guidance on financial crime compliance and other regulatory issues.
• Act as a senior point of contact for risk and compliance queries from partners and fee-earners, providing pragmatic, business- focused advice.
• Support and enhance the firm’s policies and procedures relating to conduct, client engagement and terms of business.
• Support the Head of Risk and Compliance on the response to internal audits, external audits and external regulatory reviews, ensuring timely and accurate reporting.
• Promote best practices across the firm, ensuring an integrated approach to regulatory compliance, professional ethics and commercial delivery.
• Contribute strategically to the firm’s risk management framework and play a key role in R&C team training, policy development and implementation.
• Responsible for ensuring own knowledge and training is kept up to date and requesting training when necessary.
• Overview of the R&C team inbox and Intapp to ensure efficient service delivery.
• Assist with staff quarterly reviews as required.
• Assist with annual review of software providers to the R&C team as required.
• Identify improvements to policy and process, assess effectiveness of current policies and processes, make recommendations to the Head of Risk and Compliance, and implement approved required changes.

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

What we are looking for

• Qualified Solicitor / Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (or equivalent foreign qualification) with at least 5 years’ PQE, ideally gained within a UK law firm.
• Knowledge / experience of AML regulations and the sanctions regime
• Demonstrated compliance and risk management experience, preferably within a law firm’s R&C team or in-house legal function.
• Proficiency with Intapp systems and strong working knowledge of client/matter onboarding processes including AML, sanctions screening and conflict checking,
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite of software (including Outlook, Excel & Word) & DMS
• Proven experience of managing and developing a team, with excellent leadership and delegation skills.
• Strong understanding of the SRA Standards and Regulations, Code of Conduct, financial crime regulations and sanctions regime.
• Self-motivated, ability to use initiative and provide pro-active support to fee earners and other colleagues.
• Strong written and oral communication skills. Ability to communicate with colleagues at all levels of seniority, with other internal departments and external contacts and advise confidently.
• Highly organized, commercially astute, and detail orientated with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Proactive, resilient and collaborative, with a commitment to continuous learning and improvement.

Hybrid Working

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. This role attracts a split of 40% working from home and 60% office days per week with weekly commiment to Ipswich office.

We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part-time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application. 

Benefits

As a Birketts colleague, you will be eligible to receive a wide range of benefits: