Sanctions Advisory Consultant

6 month contract, temp to perm

London based, 3 days in the office

Driving the implementation of MUFG Bank’s financial crimes risk appetite, policies and standards by managing and providing an approachable sanctions advisory escalations hub, within the Sanctions Advisory team. The Sanctions Advisory, Escalations team are responsible for managing escalations from the EMEA region on all sanctions queries, which will primarily relate to payments, transactions and customer queries; it is their responsibility to ensure that regulations and laws are well understood and applied against payments, transactions and customer escalations, ensuring advice is clear, informative and consistent. 

About the Role:

This role sits within the EMEA Sanctions Advisory team and acts as a key escalation point for complex sanctions queries. You’ll be responsible for reviewing high-risk alerts, providing clear and consistent advisory, and ensuring that sanctions regulations are accurately applied across payments, transactions, and client activity. The position requires strong decision-making capability, a deep understanding of sanctions risk, and the ability to operate in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Review and assess Level 3 (L3) sanctions screening escalations, determining appropriate outcomes in line with regulatory requirements
• Provide timely and consistent sanctions advice on payments, transactions, and client-related queries
• Conduct risk assessments on complex transactions and escalate issues where required
• Partner with stakeholders across Compliance, Operations, and Front Office to ensure effective management of sanctions risk
• Provide SME input into payment-related initiatives and projects, ensuring systems and processes remain compliant
• Monitor case volumes and contribute to MI reporting and trend analysis
• Stay up to date with sanctions regulations (UK, EU, OFAC) and assess their impact on payment activity and controls
• Support policy updates, training, and continuous improvement of sanctions processes

Key Skills & Experience

• Proven experience within a sanctions advisory or financial crime function, ideally within banking
• Strong hands-on experience with payments, transactions, and sanctions screening systems (including L3 escalations)
• Solid knowledge of UK, EU, and OFAC sanctions regimes
• Strong understanding of financial crime risk, controls, and banking products
• Experience making risk-based decisions in a fast-paced, high-volume environment
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to provide clear and practical advice to stakeholders
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with high attention to detail
• Ability to work autonomously and manage competing priorities effectively