CDD Operations Manager – High Risk Vertical Onboarding | CDD Operations | London

Are you ready to write your next chapter?

Make your mark at one of the biggest names in payments. We’re looking for a Customer Due Diligence (CDD) Operations Manager – High Risk Vertical Onboarding to join our Enterprise Customer Due Diligence team and help unleash the potential of every business.

What you’ll own as the CDD Operations Manager – High Risk Vertical Onboarding

Leadership & Team Management:

• Develop and mentor a high‑performing team specialising in end‑to‑end customer due diligence across complex verticals including payment facilitators, marketplaces, cryptocurrency, gambling and money transmission services
• Establish clear performance frameworks, measurable objectives, and structured career development plans to support capability growth and succession planning
• Set the tone for a strong culture of risk awareness, accountability and collaboration, balancing regulatory compliance, risk appetite and customer experience
• Implement effective capacity planning and workload allocation aligned to risk profiles, operational demand and team capability
• Proactively monitor workflows to ensure timely throughput, effective prioritisation and appropriate escalation of issues
• Identify capability gaps, emerging risks and improvement opportunities, developing targeted training programmes to enhance expertise

Stakeholder Management:

• Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders to drive collaboration and alignment
• Represent the CDD function in internal and external forums, advocating for robust due diligence practices and building industry relationships
• Influence and negotiate with stakeholders to deliver CDD objectives while balancing business priorities and operational needs
• Partner with cross‑functional teams to improve processes, enhance productivity, drive cost‑effectiveness and strengthen the customer experience

Global Due Diligence and Financial Crime Programme:

• Lead day‑to‑day execution of the Global Due Diligence programme, ensuring adherence to relevant regulations, policies and standards
• Maintain oversight of emerging risks and issues, proactively managing them through identification, escalation and resolution

Continuous Improvement:

• Promote a continuous improvement mindset across the CDD Operations team to achieve optimal efficiency, quality and productivity
• Identify and implement process optimisation opportunities to reduce customer friction, enhance user experience and deliver operational efficiencies
• Support and embed change initiatives effectively, guiding teams through transitions to ensure sustainable improvements
• Stay informed on industry trends, regulatory developments and best practices to ensure processes remain current, scalable and effective

Governance and Oversight:

• Oversee day‑to‑day team performance, ensuring accurate execution of CDD processes and timely issue resolution
• Produce and analyse management information to support decision‑making and identify key trends and risks
• Ensure effective oversight of team pipelines, controls and success metrics

What you’ll bring

Essential

• A demonstrable understanding of high-risk verticals, their associated risks and required application of controls, including but not limited to payment facilitators, marketplaces, cryptocurrency, gaming and gambling and money service businesses
• Minimum of 5 years’ direct experience managing a CDD/KYC team, including performance management, mentoring and operational oversight
• Strong understanding of AML/KYC regulatory frameworks across EMEA and their practical application within CDD operations, including local financial authorities and global standards. Familiarity with key regulatory bodies such as central banks, financial intelligence units (FIUs), and AML enforcement agencies in the region, as well as international frameworks like FATF, EU AML Directives, and their implications operating in EMEA
• Proven experience in leading CDD/KYC operations within a financial institution, ensuring due diligence processes align with local and international best practices
• Ability to assess customer risk, oversee enhanced due diligence (EDD) cases, and ensure CDD processes are executed efficiently
• Experience working closely with compliance, risk, and front-office teams, ensuring CDD aligns with regulatory expectations while supporting business objectives
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with internal teams, regulators, and external partners
• Experience using AML/KYC systems and tools (e.g., Actimize, Orbis, Fenergo) and leveraging data-driven insights to improve operational efficiency
• Ability to manage high workloads, competing priorities, and evolving regulatory expectations in a fast-paced environment

It’s a bonus if you have

• Experience in payment services
• Relevant professional qualifications such as CAMS, ICA or equivalent financial crime qualifications
• Familiarity with transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, and risk-based approaches to CDD
• Experience handling regulatory audits or internal reviews related to customer due diligence

About the team

To learn more about our winning teams, check out our world-class teams that own it every day.

What makes a Worldpayer

What makes a Worldpayer? It’s simple: Think, Act, Win. We stay curious, always asking the right questions and finding creative solutions to simplify the complex.

We’re dynamic, every Worldpayer is empowered to make the right decisions for their customers. And we’re determined, always staying open and winning and failing as one.

Does this sound like you? Then you sound like a Worldpayer. Apply now to write the next chapter in your career.

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