12-month FTC / Secondment Opportunity - Associate Director, KYC Client Onboarding (London) - GG07

Job Description

What is the opportunity?

This is a 12 month FTC / Secondment maternity cover opportunity.

The Associate Director, KYC Onboarding leads the strategic direction and operational excellence of the KYC onboarding function within Client Shared Services.

The Associate Director oversees multiple teams of KYC Analysts and Managers and is responsible for managing the end-to-end onboarding process for completing client due diligence reviews across the organisation.

The Associate Director ensures all activities adhere to regional policy requirements and that teams operate efficiently to meet business demand and expected timelines. The role is critical to the Client Success Team's mission of delivering frictionless, consistent onboarding across all client and product types.

The Associate Director provides services to RBC Capital Markets business lines along with other RBC business lines where an agreement exists. Reporting to the Director of CSS, the Associate Director is accountable for team performance, regulatory compliance, cross-functional partnership, and proactive identification and mitigation of emerging risks and compliance issues.

The Associate Director leads the KYC onboarding function in line with global and regional regulatory requirements and oversees day-to-day global operations to ensure all teams are operating effectively.

Should you be shortlisted, do please let us know if you have any specific requirements for the interview.

This is a secondment or 12 month FTC mat cover and will be full-time. This will require a 4-day in-office presence at our 100 Bishopsgate, London building.

What will you do?

Strategy & Performance Management

• The Associate Director establishes team strategy and optimises processes, measuring performance against key success metrics and key risk indicators.
• The Associate Director maintains and supervises the KYC pipeline for data hygiene and KPI reporting across all teams, identifies opportunities to reduce key risk indicators, and drives optimal productivity results.

Operations & Compliance

• The Associate Director oversees multiple KYC teams to ensure consistent collection and validation of Know Your Client due diligence requirements for new and existing client relationships.
• The Associate Director ensures requirements are obtained and documented prior to relationship establishment in accordance with local AML compliance regulations and RBC policies.
• The Associate Director ensures all client due diligence records are maintained and validated in the Fenergo system RBC's core repository for KYC information globally and that team workflows align with business expectations and timelines.
• The Associate Director ensures the firm adheres to all KYC/AML guidelines and regulatory policies and obtains and retains records of essential facts concerning each counterparty prior to transaction execution.

Risk Mitigation & Control Design

• The Associate Director, in partnership with the Client Onboarding Services team, proactively designs controls and enhances monitoring effectiveness by reviewing Quality Control, Quality Assurance, and internal control testing results.
• The Associate Director monitors and resolves noncompliance issues, establishes preventative controls to minimise operational risks, and ensures controls are satisfactory to internal audit and regulatory exams.
• The Associate Director works with regional Compliance teams to raise commonly encountered issues, complete high-risk reviews, and obtain consensus to streamline requirements globally.

Policy & Procedure Expertise

• The Associate Director owns deep accountability for local regional KYC policies and procedures and serves as a functional expert of Fenergo, managing it as the core repository for KYC information.
• The Associate Director responds to stakeholder inquiries on policy interpretation, manages escalations from teams and business partners, and ensures data remediations are completed within agreed timeframes with consistent partner communication.
• The Associate Director is a subject matter expert on regional KYC policies, procedures, and Fenergo functionality, and maintains deep working knowledge of other regional requirements.

Data Quality & Process Optimisation

• The Associate Director develops and oversees data quality reporting to ensure senior management is informed of data quality issues and operational risks impacting downstream processes.
• The Associate Director optimises KYC and regulatory processes to reduce cycle time, manual effort, and improve client experience while realising cost savings.
• The Associate Director ensures product and process knowledge is shared across all teams, updating desk procedures and business process documentation as necessary.
• The Associate Director supports and leads global onboarding training initiatives and conducts scheduled team coaching meetings to provide continuous guidance and build organisational capability.

Client Experience & Stakeholder Management

• The Associate Director leads client lifecycle management strategies aimed at improving client experience and mitigating regulatory concerns.
• The Associate Director engages in close collaboration with multiple functional partners to ensure the highest level of client service, maintaining focus on client satisfaction and supporting client retention and growth.
• The Associate Director serves as a point of contact for Business, AML Compliance, and Financial Crime escalations, responds to regulatory queries, and escalates complex compliance issues to executive leadership.

Team Leadership & Development

• The Associate Director provides strategic leadership to drive team accountability, performance, and organisational capability. This includes establishing clear individual and team objectives, supporting career progression and succession planning, conducting performance reviews, and fostering a culture aligned with RBC's leadership principles.
• The Associate Director oversees team onboarding, training, and knowledge transfer, providing regular coaching and mentorship focused on increasing skills, knowledge, and enterprise relationships.

Audit & Governance

• The Associate Director serves as the primary internal and external audit contact, responsible for preparing audit responses, coordinating audit activities, and ensuring audit findings are addressed appropriately and closed on time.
• The Associate Director acts as lead participant for audits and regulatory exams.
• The Associate Director leads cross-functional initiatives to drive process improvements and system enhancements.

What do you need to succeed?

Must-have

• Robust and relevant KYC/AML experience with a financial institution or broker dealer, preferably in Capital Markets with progressive responsibility in compliance or onboarding operations.
• Demonstrated experience managing high-volume onboarding processes, handling complex client due diligence cases, and leading teams through process improvements and control enhancements.
• Proven ability to exercise strategic judgment on compliance matters, escalate issues to senior leadership, and provide expert recommendations on policy interpretation and regulatory matters.
• Extensive experience mentoring, training, and developing junior and mid-level team members on KYC procedures, regulatory requirements, and best practices.
• Advanced proficiency with KYC workflow systems (such as Fenergo) and demonstrated expertise in managing escalations, coordinating across multiple functional partners, and driving process optimisation.
• Deep understanding of AML regulations, sanctions screening, adverse media analysis, and regional KYC policy requirements. Experience participating in internal and external audits, working with compliance teams on control design, and managing regulatory inquiries is preferred.

Nice-to-have

• Familiarity with Capital Markets products, trade systems and business lines.
• Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) designation.

What is in it for you?

We thrive on the challenge to be our best - progressive thinking to keep growing and working together to deliver trusted advice to help our clients thrive and communities prosper. We care about each other, reaching our potential, making a difference to our communities, and achieving success that is mutual.

• A comprehensive Total Rewards Program including bonuses, flexible benefits and competitive compensation
• Leaders who support your development through coaching and managing opportunities
• Opportunities to work with the best in the field
• Ability to make a difference and lasting impact
• Work in a dynamic, collaborative, progressive, and high-performing team
• A world-class training program in financial services.

Agency Notice

RBC Group does not accept agency resumés. Please do not forward resumés to our employees, nor any other company location. RBC Group only pay fees to agencies where they have entered into a prior agreement to do so and in any event do not pay fees related to unsolicited resumés. Please contact the Recruitment function for additional details.

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At RBC, we are guided by living shared values of Client First, Integrity, Collaboration, Respect and Excellence and winning together as One RBC. We believe an inclusive workplace that has diverse perspectives is core to our continued growth as one of the largest and most successful banks in the world. Maintaining a workplace where our employees feel supported to perform at their best, effectively collaborate, drive innovation, and grow professionally helps to bring our Purpose to life and create value for our clients and communities. RBC strives to deliver this through policies and programs intended to foster a workplace based on respect, belonging and opportunity for all.

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RBC is presently inviting candidates to apply for this existing vacancy. Applying to this posting allows you to express your interest in this current career opportunity at RBC. Qualified applicants may be contacted to review their resume in more detail.