Customer Due Diligence Advisor

Customer Due Diligence Advisor

Location: London, United Kingdom
Business area: Global Private Banking
Career band: GCB4
Reporting to: Head of CDD Advisory & Quality Assurance

The opportunity

We’re expanding our Client Lifecycle Management Customer Due Diligence (CDD) Advisory team and are looking for experienced CDD specialists to join us.

As a CDD Advisor, you’ll provide timely, risk-based and well-documented advice on complex Customer Due Diligence and Enhanced Due Diligence matters across the client lifecycle. This includes account opening, periodic reviews, event-driven reviews and material changes in circumstances.

You’ll work closely with Relationship Managers, Client Lifecycle Management, Quality Assurance, Financial Crime Compliance, Risk, Legal, Tax and other teams. You’ll help colleagues understand what’s required, challenge incomplete or unsupported proposals constructively, and identify proportionate, policy-compliant solutions for complex cases.

You don’t need previous private banking experience. What matters is strong CDD expertise, sound judgement and the confidence to engage effectively with senior stakeholders.

Key responsibilities

1. Provide clear, timely and risk-based CDD and EDD advice across onboarding, periodic reviews, event-driven reviews and escalated cases.
2. Interpret applicable policies, procedures and local operating instructions, translating them into practical actions for Front Office and CLM colleagues.
3. Assess complex customer and Connected Party matters, including identification and verification, ownership and control, UBO analysis, Source of Wealth, Source of Funds, screening and financial crime risk rating.
4. Advise on higher-risk customer types and structures, including trusts, foundations, personal investment vehicles, funds, partnerships, NBFIs, PEPs and relationships involving sanctions or negative-news considerations.
5. Apply constructive challenge, identify material gaps and escalate exceptions, potential breaches and matters outside risk appetite through the appropriate governance route.
6. Work collaboratively with Front Office, Operations, Quality Assurance, Financial Crime Compliance, Risk, Legal, Tax and other stakeholders to resolve complex cases while maintaining clear ownership.
7. Maintain complete, accurate and auditable records of advice, evidence reviewed, rationale, challenge, escalation and outcomes.
8. Identify recurring issues and knowledge gaps, and contribute to coaching, policy implementation, root-cause analysis and continuous improvement.

Essential criteria

You must be able to demonstrate:

• Substantial relevant experience in Customer Due Diligence or Enhanced Due Diligence in Financial Services. Private banking or wealth-management desirable.
• Practical experience interpreting policy and providing clear, defensible advice on complex onboarding, periodic review and event-driven review cases.
• Strong technical knowledge of:
• Customer and Connected Party identification and verification
• Ownership and control, including UBO analysis
• Source of Wealth and Source of Funds
• Customer purpose and expected activity
• Screening and financial crime risk rating
• Enhanced Due Diligence
• Experience handling complex customer types and structures, such as trusts, foundations, personal investment vehicles, funds, partnerships, NBFIs, PEPs, Special Category Customers and other higher-risk relationships.
• Working knowledge of relevant financial crime requirements, including AML, sanctions, anti-bribery and corruption, tax transparency and data protection.
• Sound risk-based judgement, including the ability to analyse incomplete or conflicting information and document a clear rationale.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex requirements, influence senior stakeholders and provide constructive challenge.
• The ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines, maintain accurate records and work independently while escalating appropriately.
• Experience coaching colleagues or sharing knowledge, and contributing to process, control or quality improvements.
• Confidence using standard Microsoft Office tools and the ability to learn relevant workflow, case-management and records systems.

Desirable experience

• A relevant qualification in AML, financial crime, compliance, risk, law or banking.
• A degree or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• Experience with cross-border or multi-booking-centre relationships, including reliance or passporting arrangements.
• Experience supporting governance committees, audit, assurance, Quality Assurance, policy implementation or formal remediation.
• Knowledge of FATCA, CRS and US-person documentation requirements relevant to private banking clients.

#LI-HSBC

Being open to different points of view is important for our business and the communities we serve. At HSBC, we’re dedicated to creating diverse and inclusive workplaces - no matter their gender, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic background or age. We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring careers at HSBC are inclusive and accessible for everyone to be at their best. We take pride in being a Disability Confident Leader and will offer an interview to people with disabilities, long term conditions or neurodivergent candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the role.

If you have a need that requires accommodations or changes during the recruitment process, please get in touch with our Recruitment Helpdesk via hsbc.recruitment@hsbc.com.