Compliance Consultant – Payments & E-Money - CER Financial

1. Location: Remote / Hybrid – UK, with occasional client travel
2. Salary: £60K - £75K +
3. Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time
4. Industry: Financial Services | Payments | E-Money | Fintech

The Opportunity

We are working with a specialist regulatory consultancy that supports businesses operating across the payments, electronic money and wider fintech sectors. Our client provides tailored regulatory advice and compliance solutions to businesses entering or operating within the UK financial services market. Their services include FCA authorisations, regulatory compliance frameworks, financial crime prevention, compliance audits and ongoing advisory support.

They are seeking an experienced Compliance Consultant to join their growing team, working closely with a diverse portfolio of clients, including payment institutions, electronic money institutions (EMIs) and fintech businesses.

Key Responsibilities

FCA Authorisations & Regulatory Licensing

1. Manage and support end-to-end FCA authorisation applications for Electronic Money Institutions (EMIs), Authorised Payment Institutions (APIs) and other regulated payment businesses.
2. Draft, review and enhance Regulatory Business Plans, compliance policies, governance arrangements and financial crime frameworks.
3. Liaise with the FCA throughout the application process, responding to regulatory queries and requests for additional information.
4. Advise clients on regulatory permissions, safeguarding requirements, capital adequacy, governance and operational resilience.
5. Conduct regulatory readiness assessments and support clients in preparing for FCA authorisation.

Regulatory Compliance & Financial Crime

1. Conduct compliance and financial crime audits, assessing the effectiveness of existing policies, procedures and internal controls.
2. Review AML/CTF frameworks, including KYC/KYB, customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, suspicious activity reporting and customer risk assessments.
3. Develop and enhance compliance monitoring programmes, risk management frameworks and internal governance structures.
4. Assess safeguarding arrangements, financial controls, regulatory reporting obligations and operational resilience frameworks.
5. Identify regulatory weaknesses and provide practical, commercially focused recommendations and remediation plans.
6. Support clients with ongoing regulatory compliance, including Consumer Duty, complaints handling, financial promotions and data protection requirements.

Client Advisory & Regulatory Consulting

1. Act as a trusted regulatory advisor to clients, including CEOs, founders, MLROs, Heads of Compliance and other senior stakeholders.
2. Provide ongoing advice on regulatory obligations, compliance challenges and financial crime risks.
3. Support clients through FCA supervisory engagement, regulatory reviews and remediation exercises.
4. Monitor developments in UK and EU financial services regulation, providing relevant updates and guidance to clients.

Experience & Skills Required

1. 6+ years' experience within regulatory compliance, financial crime, payments, e-money, fintech or financial services consultancy.
2. Previous involvement in FCA authorisation applications, particularly EMI and API licensing.
3. Strong understanding of the UK regulatory environment, particularly FCA requirements applicable to payment and electronic money institutions.
4. Comprehensive knowledge of AML/CTF regulations, financial crime controls, governance and risk management frameworks.
5. Experience reviewing, developing or implementing compliance policies, procedures and monitoring programmes.
6. Strong understanding of safeguarding, regulatory capital requirements and operational controls within the payments sector.
7. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to advise and influence senior stakeholders.
8. Strong analytical skills, attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple client projects.
9. Experience producing regulatory documentation, risk assessments, audit reports and compliance recommendations.