Interim Risk & Compliance Manager

About us

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals and over 600 staff based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.

The team you will join

The Risk & Compliance department identifies risks that Birketts LLP faces and advises on how to avoid or address them. It implements controls to protect the organisation from those risks. Compliance monitors and reports on the effectiveness of controls in the management of the organisations risk exposure. Complete client due diligence for on-boarding them to the firm.

The work you will be doing

You will work closely with the other Risk and Compliance Manager and Head of Risk and Compliance to manage a team of compliance colleagues on a 6 months Fixed Term Contract . The role will require a strong technical expertise, excellent judgment and a proactive approach to developing and embedding best practice across compliance, risk management and business / client onboarding. You will help to lead a high-performing team in a culture that values professionalism, innovation and collaboration.

• Assist the Head of Risk and Compliance and advise on regulatory compliance under the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Standards and Regulations 2019, including conflict checks, confidentiality and due diligence.
• Manage client and matter onboarding processes, AML compliance and adherence to professional standards.
• Use and develop systems within Intapp for conflict management, business intake workflows and continuous improvement of compliance processes.
• Provide guidance on financial crime compliance and other regulatory issues.
• Act as a senior point of contact for risk and compliance queries from partners and fee-earners, providing pragmatic, business- focused advice.
• Support and enhance the firm’s policies and procedures relating to conduct, client engagement and terms of business.
• Support the Head of Risk and Compliance on the response to internal audits, external audits and external regulatory reviews, ensuring timely and accurate reporting.
• Promote best practices across the firm, ensuring an integrated approach to regulatory compliance, professional ethics and commercial delivery.
• Contribute strategically to the firm’s risk management framework and play a key role in R&C team training, policy development and implementation.
• Assist with annual review of software providers to the R&C team as required.
• Identify improvements to policy and process, assess effectiveness of current policies and processes, make recommendations to the Head of Risk and Compliance, and implement approved required changes.

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

What we are looking for

• Qualified Solicitor / Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (or equivalent foreign qualification) with at least 5 years’ PQE, ideally gained within a UK law firm.
• Knowledge / experience of AML regulations and the sanctions regime
• Demonstrated compliance and risk management experience, preferably within a law firm’s R&C team or in-house legal function.
• Proficiency with Intapp systems and strong working knowledge of client/matter onboarding processes including AML, sanctions screening and conflict checking,
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite of software (including Outlook, Excel & Word) & DMS
• Proven experience of managing and developing a team, with excellent leadership and delegation skills.
• Strong understanding of the SRA Standards and Regulations, Code of Conduct, financial crime regulations and sanctions regime.
• Self-motivated, ability to use initiative and provide pro-active support to fee earners and other colleagues.
• Strong written and oral communication skills. Ability to communicate with colleagues at all levels of seniority, with other internal departments and external contacts and advise confidently.
• Highly organized, commercially astute, and detail orientated with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Proactive, resilient and collaborative, with a commitment to continuous learning and improvement.

Hybrid Working

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. This role attracts a split of 60% office days and 40% working from home days per week.

Benefits

As a Birketts colleague, you will be eligible to receive a wide range of benefits:

• 30 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays
• Long Service holiday award - 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
• Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR Day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric car scheme
• Dress for your Day Policy

You can find out more on our website: https://www.birketts.co.uk/recognition-reward-benefits/

Inclusivity and Culture

At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth.

Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation.

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.