Department

Compliance, Financial Crime Compliance (FCC)

Reports To

Head of KYC / Head of Financial Crime Compliance / MLRO (based on structure)

Role Purpose

The KYC Manager leads the bank’s KYC and KYB operations to ensure customer onboarding and ongoing due diligence meet regulatory requirements, internal policies, and the bank’s risk appetite. The role owns KYC quality, productivity, escalation judgment, and control effectiveness across onboarding, periodic reviews, and event-driven reviews, ensuring regulator-ready files and defensible decisions.

Key Accountabilities

• Deliver complete, regulator-ready KYC files with clear audit trails and evidence-based rationale

• Maintain consistent risk ratings and customer classifications across segments

• Control and improve queue performance (SLA, backlog health, aging, productivity)

• Own KYC quality assurance, remediation, and continuous improvement

• Act as escalation point for higher-risk cases, complex ownership structures, and exceptions

Core Responsibilities

1) KYC Operations Management

• Lead day-to-day KYC operations across retail and/or corporate segments (scope defined by the bank)

• Allocate workload by risk tier, complexity, and SLA; manage backlog and aging

• Track productivity and quality by analyst, segment, and channel; implement performance plans where needed

2) Customer Due Diligence and EDD Oversight

• Oversee onboarding and review activity for individuals and legal entities, including UBO verification and control structure mapping

• Ensure appropriate application of CDD, SDD, and EDD in line with risk appetite and regulatory guidance

• Review and approve EDD packs including source of funds and source of wealth where required

• Ensure appropriate screening coverage and resolution across sanctions, PEP, and adverse media

3) Escalations and Risk Decisioning

• Serve as escalation point for complex or sensitive cases (high-risk industries, PEPs, adverse media, complex shareholding, cross-border)

• Ensure consistent decisions on onboarding acceptance, rejection, restrictions, and enhanced controls

• Escalate material concerns to FCC, Sanctions, AML Investigations, Fraud, or Risk as appropriate, with well documented rationale

4) Quality Assurance and Controls

• Own the KYC QA framework: sampling, defect taxonomy, scoring, root cause analysis, and corrective actions

• Ensure KYC files meet internal standards for completeness, evidence quality, and narrative justification

• Drive KYC remediation for identified gaps from QA, audit, compliance testing, or regulator feedback

5) Policy, Procedures, and Governance

• Maintain KYC policies, SOPs, templates, and playbooks aligned to regulatory requirements and internal governance

• Support internal audit, compliance testing, and regulatory examinations by preparing documentation, MI, and evidence

• Provide management information (MI) on KYC risk, operational performance, and control effectiveness to senior stakeholders

6) Stakeholder Management

• Partner with Front Office, Operations, Legal, Risk, and FCC to resolve KYC blockers while maintaining control integrity

• Provide training and guidance to onboarding stakeholders on documentation standards and KYC requirements

• Contribute to change initiatives impacting KYC such as new products, channel changes, and system upgrades

Required Experience

• 6+ years in banking KYC, KYB, customer due diligence, or financial crime operations in a regulated bank

• 2+ years managing teams and operational performance (queue, SLA, capacity planning, QA)

• Strong knowledge of AML CFT principles, risk-based approach, and KYC recordkeeping standards

• Proven experience assessing UBO structures, control and ownership chains, and complex entity profiles

• Strong written communication: clear narratives, defensible rationales, regulator-ready audit trails

Preferred

• Experience across both retail and corporate segments

• Experience in remediation programs, large-scale KYC uplift, or regulatory-driven projects

• Certifications: ICA, ACAMS, or equivalent (nice to have, not mandatory)

Tools and Systems (Typical)

• KYC case management workflow tools

• Sanctions, PEP, and adverse media screening platforms

• Core banking and CRM systems

• Reporting tools (Excel, BI dashboards)

Key Performance Indicators

• KYC QA pass rate and defect rate by defect category

• SLA adherence by segment and risk tier

• Backlog aging and queue stability

• Rework rate and root cause closure rate

• Timeliness and quality of escalations and EDD approvals

• Audit, compliance testing, and regulator feedback related to KYC controls

Working Model

• Type: Permanent or Contract

• Location: Onsite or Hybrid (role dependent)

• Coverage: Business hours with escalation support as required

Interview Scorecard (1 to 5)

• Risk-based judgment and consistency

• KYC and EDD technical depth (bank context)

• Quality mindset: defect taxonomy, RCA, corrective action

• Team leadership and performance management

• Stakeholder handling with Front Office and FCC

• Documentation discipline and narrative clarity