Senior Legal Counsel - FinCrime Product
Alexander Barnes has been engaged to hire a UK-focused AML Lawyer for a high-growth fintech operating across payments and digital banking.
This role sits in the 2nd line, working directly with product, engineering, and operations to ensure UK AML requirements are built into how the business actually runs.
What you’ll do
* Act as the UK AML/CTF SME across transaction monitoring, screening, onboarding, and SAR decisioning
* Translate UK regulation (MLRs, POCA, FCA Handbook) into clear controls, workflows, and product requirements
* Review new products and define risk-based decisions before launch
* Work with product and engineering to implement and refine AML controls and screening logic
* Support regulatory interaction, including audits and supervisory reviews with the Financial Conduct Authority
* Maintain AML policies and standards in a way that reflects how the business actually operates
* Track regulatory change and update controls accordingly
* Contribute to investigations, control testing, and risk assessments where needed
What you need
* Qualified lawyer (UK) with 5+ years’ AML/CTF experience
* Background in banks, EMIs, or payments
* Strong understanding of UK financial crime regulation and FCA expectations
* Experience working with product, engineering, or data teams
* Able to turn regulatory requirements into practical controls and decisions
* Comfortable owning outcomes in a fast-moving environment
Useful, but not essential
* SAR experience and exposure to the National Crime Agency process
* Experience across multiple jurisdictions
* Prior exposure to transaction monitoring or investigations
Not a fit
* Pure private practice backgrounds
* Advisory-only roles with no implementation
* Governance-heavy profiles removed from product or execution
Context
This is a role for someone who wants to move beyond interpretation and take ownership of how AML is designed and applied within a live product environment.