Financial Crime Legal Director - EMEA Job at Barclays (London)

Job Description

Barclays have an excellent opportunity for a Financial Crime Legal Director - EMEA to join our Financial Crime Legal Team. This is a permanent role based in London. Join the Legal team to protect Barclays, its employees, and its brands while ensuring global competitiveness and compliance with legal standards. Your responsibilities will include risk mitigation, managing strategic transactions, and overseeing business contracts. FCL is a global team providing strategic, commercially focused legal advice on complex financial crime issues - including anti‑money laundering (AML), counter‑terrorist financing (CTF), sanctions, and anti‑bribery & corruption (ABC) - to all businesses and key functions across the Group. We are not business‑aligned: we provide a Group‑wide service spanning Retail Banking, Cards & Payments, Business Banking, Corporate Banking, Investment Banking, and Private Bank & Wealth Management.

Job Responsibility

Act as the senior regional legal lead for AML/CTF across the UK, Middle East, and Africa regions delivering authoritative, independent advice on high‑profile, complex matters with minimal supervision
Be a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, exercising sound legal judgement and professional independence in a fast‑paced environment
Provide strategic leadership on legal issues relating to AML/CTF, working with other functions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of AML/CTF risk management within the region and across the Bank
Drive our global remit, locally coordinating cross‑border legal advice and ensuring consistent standards across jurisdictions
Strengthen the region’s financial‑crime risk management by partnering with Legal, Financial Crime Compliance (FCC), Audit and the Business, providing effective oversight and credible challenge
Proactively seek to identify unmanaged risk and emerging trends in financial crime, (including forthcoming laws, rules, and regulations) and help deliver legal advice on procedures and controls of to anticipate those trends and deliver sustainable value within the region and to the Bank globally
Provide a supporting role to LI&E, the Bank’s FIU and FCC as necessary, on investigations and potential enforcement actions, specifically providing SME input including on remediation considerations
Serve as primary senior legal contact for AML/CTF in the region
lead complex, time‑sensitive matters with material legal, regulatory and reputational impact
Provide cross‑border legal advice coordinating with in‑country and product counsel to ensure consistent positions and robust execution
Translate complex legal requirements into clear, practical advice and options that balance risk, regulation and commerciality
Exercise independent judgement when advising senior management
escalate promptly where risk tolerance, regulatory expectations or policy are at issue
Provide credible challenge to business proposals and control decisions
record and communicate legal risk positions effectively
Represent FCL at regional governance fora (e.g., Transaction Review Committees), ensuring financial‑crime risks are appropriately assessed and mitigated
Contribute to the design and enhancement of financial‑crime legal risk frameworks, policies and standards, support periodic effectiveness reviews
Produce high‑quality management information (MI) and reporting on themes, trends and emerging risks for regional ExCo and Group stakeholders
Support engagement with regulators, government and law‑enforcement on AML/CTF matters
prepare responses to supervisory queries and participate in thematic reviews
Support industry engagement and thought leadership, input to consultations and external policy initiatives where appropriate
Advise on the legal implications of screening, monitoring and analytics technologies (including model governance, data and privacy interfaces) and major change programmes
Provide legal input on control enhancements, remediation and regulatory commitments
Lead and coach VP/AVP lawyers and other team members
set clear expectations, provide feedback and develop specialist capabilities
Foster a high‑performance, fast‑paced culture anchored in professionalism, inclusion and continuous improvement
Instruct and manage external counsel for complex cross‑border or niche issues
ensure quality, value and knowledge transfer
Development and implementation of best practice legal strategies for risk management and compliance
Legal advice and support to the business on financial crime laws, regulations, and rules, including anti-money laundering (AML), sanctions, and anti-bribery and corruption (ABC) laws and regulations
Support other legal teams in representation, of the bank in legal proceedings that raise financial crime issues, such as litigation, arbitration, and regulatory investigations
Advising on financial crime compliance policies and procedures including to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations
Legal research and analysis to stay up to date on changes in laws and regulations that may impact the bank's financial crime compliance practices
To support Compliance, contributing to and delivering training to educate employees on legal and regulatory requirements related to financial crime
Pro-active identification, communication, and provision of legal advice on applicable laws, rules and regulations (LRRs). Keeping up to date with regards to changes to LRRs in the relevant coverage area. Ensuring that LRRs are effectively allocated to, and adequately reflected within, the relevant policies, standards and controls

Requirements

Qualified lawyer (Solicitor, Barrister, Attorney or equivalent)
Seasoned AML expert with demonstrable experience leading high‑profile, complex AML/CTF matters in financial services, ideally across multiple jurisdictions
Strong knowledge of UK AML/CTF legal and regulatory frameworks
familiarity with Middle East / Africa regimes advantageous
Track record of operating independently and advising senior stakeholders, including ExCo‑level engagement
Experience partnering with regulators and managing regulatory interactions on financial‑crime topics
Exceptional analytical, judgement and problem‑solving skills
ability to distil complexity into clear, pragmatic advice
Strong communication, negotiation and influencing skills
capable of credible challenge and effective escalation
Proven leadership and people‑development capability
Resilient, organised and responsive under time pressure in a fast‑paced environment
Commitment to integrity, accountability and collaborative teamwork
In‑depth knowledge of UK financial‑crime law, with strength in AML/CTF
ability to develop or deepen sanctions expertise as needed
Understanding of governance, risk frameworks and three lines of defence
ability to contribute to control design, testing themes and remediation planning
Awareness of the legal considerations around screening/monitoring platforms and data‑driven controls

Nice to have

Sanctions expertise is beneficial
familiarity with Middle East / Africa regimes advantageous

What we offer

Hybrid working
Wellness Suite includes a well-equipped gym and exercise studios, and provides personal training sessions and massage therapy
Cycle or run to work? We’ve got everything you need – from cycle hire and parking areas to new showering and changing facilities

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Financial Crime Legal Director - EMEA

Job Description

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Financial Crime Legal Director - EMEA

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