About Ashurst:

Ashurst is a leading global law firm with a history spanning almost 200 years, and clear strategy for our future growth. Our in-depth understanding of our clients and commitment to providing exceptional standards of service have seen us become a trusted adviser to local and global corporates, financial institutions and governments in all areas of commercial law. To find out more please visit here.

In order to comply with regulatory and client requirements, Ashurst will undertake appropriate vetting of staff. When applicants accept a job offer, Ashurst, alongside a specialist provider, will undertake professional verification and background checks. These checks are only undertaken with consent, and in accordance with our legal and regulatory obligations.

Title Associate Advisor, Financial Crime and Risk

Reporting to: Manager, Financial Crime and Risk

Location: Based at Ashurst's office in Glasgow, with travel to other offices as required

Hours Core Business Hours are Monday to Friday, 9.00 am - 5.30pm, flexible working can be considered. You will be required to work such hours as are necessary to carry out your duties and to meet specific deadlines and/or facilitate project implementations.

Overview

You will be part of the Financial Crime and Risk Team, which is based in London, Glasgow and Brisbane, and is responsible for ensuring the firm has effective policies and procedures to comply with relevant worldwide statutory and regulatory obligations in relation to financial crime and business risk, while providing specialist risk assessment advice on a range of financial crime and business risk areas, including but not limited to anti-money laundering, international sanctions, bribery, whistleblowing, tax transparency and supply chain risks.

Your role includes responsibility for delivering against our assurance / audit programme and our advisory product range.

Main responsibilities:

Business as usual:

•  Monitor developments in sanctions law for the team, updating the wider team and the Sanctions portal, in collaboration with other team members.
•  Assist with completion of AML remediation programmes and tier one sanctions queries.
•  Escalate complex queries as appropriate through the risk management chain and support the MLRO network on the submission of external SARs.
•  Assist in handling ad hoc queries from the partnership and the Risk and Compliance Operations Team.
•  Liaise with relevant teams in relation to issues identified during ongoing monitoring processes at the firm.

Specialist knowledge:

•  Proactively develop your specialist knowledge across the Financial Crime and Risk portfolio.
•  Horizon scan for legal, regulatory and risk developments across the Financial Crime and Risk portfolio, in light of the firm's strategy, work and industries, and proactively share knowledge across the team.
•  Contribute to the generation of new ideas and supporting the partnership in the development and sustainable delivery of briefings, products and advice to clients on issues across the Financial Crime and Risk portfolio, with particular focus on the Sanctions Portal and Integrity Due Diligence Reports.

Project work and control function:

•  As directed by your line manager, support the delivery various projects to ensure Ashurst's policies, procedures, systems and controls are up to date and appropriately aligned with relevant legislation and regulatory requirements across the jurisdictions in which we operate and across the Financial Crime and Risk portfolio.
•  As directed by your line manager, support the delivery of first line assurance projects, including external and regulatory audit/information returns, providing leadership to the Risk Assessment and Business Protection Team members who are coordinating delivering logistics support.
•  As required provide updates to the MLRO / Risk Partner Team and Risk Committee on work you are undertaking across the Financial Crime and Risk Portfolio.

Training and raising awareness:

•  Participate in the development of and delivery of training and awareness raising activity in relation to the wider Risk and Compliance Function and specialist areas within the Financial Crime and Risk portfolio across the firm.
•  Contribute to team identification of new opportunities for training and awareness raising on topics across the Financial Crime and Risk portfolio.
•  Participate in client facing events, raising the profile of the firm and the Risk and Compliance Function.
•  This may involve some travel to other offices as directed by your line manager.

Supervision:

Provide support and guidance to members of the Risk Assessment and Business Protection Team.

Essential skills and experience:

•  Strong research skills, attention to detail, lateral and analytical thinking, and ability to overcome obstacles
•  Good judgement and business awareness, with the ability to use own judgement to come to decisions but also aware of when issues need to be escalated
•  Strong organisational skills with the ability to work well under pressure, prioritise and meet deadlines
•  Ability to adapt and quickly learn new processes and understand new technology
•  Discrete and professional approach, as the information will be confidential, sensitive and subject to data protection rules
•  Good all-round communication and negotiation at all levels across the firm and offices; in particular, good ability to converse with Partners and obtain the necessary information and provide confident and succinct advice
•  Good interpersonal skills, team spirit and willingness to assist others when necessary

Keen interest in knowing the business as exposure to firm-wide legal practices will involve exposure to various types of deals

Education and requirements

•  UK/overseas legal qualification (or minimum of LPC)
•  Knowledge of the counter financial crime obligations placed upon regulated firms in the EU
•  An understanding of the nature of the work in a multinational corporate law firm or other regulated professional firm;
•  Previous AML/CTF experience in a multinational law firm or other regulated body