Overview
Seeking: Enhanced Due Diligence Officer on behalf of a top risk management company specialising in commodities.
The Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) Officer, reporting to the EDD Team Lead, will support the effective and compliant delivery of the Firm’s EDD programme.
The EDD Officer will play a key role in identifying, assessing, and mitigating financial crime, sanctions, and reputational risks associated with high-risk clients during onboarding, periodic, and trigger reviews. This includes conducting EDD on clients in high-risk jurisdictions, those subject to adverse media or sanctions exposure, and those involving politically exposed persons (PEPs), their Relatives and Close Associates (RCAs). All work will be performed in line with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, industry standards, and internal policies. The role will support EDD cases across the Firm’s global business, including the newly established Precious Metals Trading business area, while being based out of the firm’s London headquarters.
Although primarily research and investigation-focused, this position offers the opportunity to help shape the newly established Financial Crime Compliance department’s approach to robust financial crime and sanctions investigations. The role also provides scope to influence and enhance existing EDD processes and procedures, and to promote awareness and understanding of financial crime and sanctions risks across the Firm.
Responsibilities include gathering and analysing information from diverse sources—such as client-provided data, public records, online sources, media articles, corporate and compliance databases—and producing clear, accurate, and actionable reports to support compliance with anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorist financing (CTF), and sanctions regulations.
The EDD Officer is expected to uphold the Values and Vision of the company, contribute to maintaining an ethical environment, and ensure that all work meets the highest standards of integrity, accuracy, and regulatory compliance.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Crime & Sanctions
- Research and Reporting
- Conduct EDD for new onboardings, periodic reviews, and trigger reviews, including clients subject to mandatory EDD measures (e.g., high-risk third countries, correspondent relationships, PEPs, and RCAs), in accordance with standard operating procedures and regulatory requirements.
- Perform robust research using a diverse array of sources, including public records, media reporting, corporate and regulatory filings, compliance databases and client-provided information to analyse risks related to the business relationships and transactions.
- Where required, obtain, and corroborate information on source of funds and source of wealth for customers and beneficial owners.
- Critically evaluate and analyse open-source information to identify financial crime and sanctions risks, including adverse media, exposure to sanctioned subjects and jurisdictions via its legal entity, connected persons or operating activities, PEPs and RCAs
- Utilise internal information to corroborate the legitimacy and consistency of the intended nature and purpose of the business relationship and associated transactions, ensuring alignment with the Firm’s understanding of the client.
- Compile findings into concise and well-structured reports that provide actionable insights regarding identified risks, mitigating factors, and recommendations, ensuring reports meet regulatory standards and are delivered to required deadlines.
- Investigations and Escalations
- Undertake targeted internal investigations, as directed by Financial Crime Compliance management, into suspected money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing, bribery and corruption, tax evasion, sanctions evasion/violations, and fraud.
- Summarise investigative findings and conclusions to support internal decisions on disclosure requirements and assist in drafting and submitting disclosures in line with the Firm’s external reporting obligations and responses to regulatory or law enforcement requests (e.g. SARs, sanctions disclosures, regulatory disclosures).
- Ensure any material and unmitigated risks deriving from EDD research and analysis are appropriately and promptly escalated to Senior Management in accordance with standard operating procedures.
- Support Financial Crime Compliance management with the maintenance of internal financial crime and sanctions watchlists and assist in implementing enhanced monitoring measures for high-risk clients and transactions, as necessary.
- EDD Programme Support and Development
- Assist in maintaining and updating EDD procedures to ensure compliance with the Firm’s Financial Crime and Sanctions policies and alignment with minimum risk management standards.
- Monitor regulatory changes and industry best practices to help identify when updates are required and provide input into procedure revisions.
- Proactively identify and recommend process improvements to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the Firm’s EDD framework.
- Help produce accurate, and meaningful management information (MI) to Senior Management with insight into:
- EDD function performance (e.g., turnaround times, case volumes)
- Key trends, emerging risks, and areas of concern identified through the EDD processes.
- Support team development and process improvement by assisting with training activities, sharing knowledge with colleagues, and collaborating with other departments (such as IT) to help implement and optimise technological solutions that enhance EDD processes.
- SMCR
- To at all times adhere to the Conduct Rules as set out in the Senior Manager & Certification Regime.
Skills, Knowledge & Experience
- 2–4 years’ experience in investigative research, business intelligence, or corporate investigations, ideally with exposure to public record research across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or Asia, or the Americas.
- Proven ability to conduct comprehensive public record research on corporates and individuals using diverse sources (media, corporate filings, litigation, regulatory filings, compliance databases, social media) and
- Ability to produce clear, analytical reports on reputational and regulatory risks contextualised within their political and commercial environment.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to summarise and convey complex information clearly and concisely in English, both verbally and in writing.
- Strong attention to detail, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage multiple assignments and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Solid understanding of financial crime, sanctions, and anti-money laundering concepts but not necessarily in the provision of financial services.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field (e.g., International Relations, Political Science, Regional Studies (Asia, Middle East), Journalism, Business).
Desirable
- Fluency in additional languages beyond English is welcome.
- Experience conducting complex, multijurisdictional investigations into adverse allegations, regulatory issues, civil litigation, commercial disputes, or financial crime related concerns (e.g., bribery and corruption, fraud, or sanctions).
- Understanding of the profile and risks associated with commodity, mining, and energy.
- Understanding of risks associated with commodity, mining, and energy firms, particularly in higher risk or emerging markets.
- Interest in extractive industries, including awareness of financial crime and broader social risks (f.ex forced labour, human rights) associated with mining and supply chain activity in high risk regions.
- Experience working with or an interest in financial services, including derivatives, is an advantage but not required.
- Experience preparing reports for clients or internal stakeholders.
