Client Acceptance Manager

Based in Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds, Manchester, Norwich, or Oxford – full time permanent contract.

The role

This is a varied role that will be responsible for working as a key member of the firm’s central inception team.  Reporting to the firm’s Head of Client Acceptance (“HOCA”), the principal responsibilities of the role are:

• Supporting the firm to develop its CDD policies, controls and procedures including reviewing and developing onboarding processes that utilise best of breed compliance and CMI technology.
• Advising M&R’s lawyers on their obligations around AML, CDD, sanctions, conflicts and engagement obligations.
• Supporting the firm to comply with its obligations under The Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017, including supporting the firm to conduct financial crime risk assessments at firm, client and matter level as well as supporting the firm during the independent AML audit.
• Supervising and training members of the firm’s central inception team and acting as a point of escalation for the team for higher risk clients.
• Managing escalations to the firm’s MLCO, managing partner or senior partner to consider whether a particular client or matter is within the firm’s appetite for risk.

The person

To be successful in this role, it is likely your background will include:

• Strong previous experience supporting and advising lawyers and firms on their client onboarding obligations
• Excellent people management skills
• The ability to deliver strong process management procedures and controls
• A good legal knowledge of a law firm's regulatory and legislative obligations in relation to financial crime, conflicts of interest and client engagement
• An analytical approach and experience of managing and advising complex financial crime issues

The role additionally requires someone who:

• Is confident with developing processes and utilising technology to ensure best practice is achieved
• Is self-managed and confident in setting and prioritising their own work agenda

The package

As you would expect, the firm offers a generous salary and benefits.  The firm’s standard benefits are detailed in the following link:

https://www.mills-reeve.com/careers/benefits

The Mills & Reeve Business Services career structure

We have a firm wide Business Services career structure and a published career progression framework.  Within the firm wide career structure there are five career levels.  For the purposes of the framework, this role is at a Manager level and the role profile that details the outcomes and activities expected of across the firm is included with this job description.  Further information on the firm’s Business Services career structure is available from the HR team.

Pre-employment screening

Please note that, in the event that we make an offer of employment, we will conduct pre-employment screening that includes, but is not limited to, a basic DBS check, right to work check, any disciplinary history recorded with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and a self-declaration to assess your character and suitability for the role.  A full policy of the screening the firm undertakes is available on request.

The firm

Mills & Reeve is a major UK law firm renowned for its outstanding service to national and international clients, for its collaborative culture and for its deep sector expertise.

The firm has a strong sector focus with expertise in agriculture, charities, education, food and beverage, health, insurance, private wealth, real estate investment, sport and technology. Clients include businesses from PLCs to start-ups, high net worth individuals and landowners, more than 120 universities, colleges and education bodies and over 100 healthcare organisations.

This is an ideal opportunity to build your skills and experience with a major UK law firm, listed as one of the “Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For” for the last 20 years - the only law firm to achieve this.

We are also proud to have been awarded Platinum Investors in People status this year.  The firm joins a select club of only 6% of 50,000 assessed organisations awarded the coveted platinum status.

The firm is also delighted to report for the eighth year running we were named as one of Roll On Friday’s ‘best law firms to works at’.

And finally

Mills & Reeve is committed to providing an inclusive and supportive working environment. We are happy to consider flexible working arrangements and endeavour to achieve the right balance for both our people and the business. This attitude to flexible working ensures we continue to provide outstanding service to our clients, whilst allowing our people to develop their careers in the knowledge that personal priorities will remain just that.

Mills & Reeve is committed to promoting equality, diversity and to providing an inclusive and supportive environment. Please click the link below to find further information regarding our diversity policy.

https://www.mills-reeve.com/about-us/diversity-and-inclusion

If you would like any more information about Mills & Reeve, you can visit our website by clicking on the following link:

http://www.mills-reeve.com/