Expert Money Laundering Compliance Officer

Old Mutual, a prominent financial services organisation, is seeking an experienced professional to join their Group Compliance team in Johannesburg. This critical role focuses on ensuring the organisation upholds the highest standards of Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Counter Terrorist Financing (CTF), and Counter Proliferation Financing (CPF) compliance, with a particular emphasis on South African regulatory requirements. The successful candidate will play a pivotal part in maintaining the integrity of Old Mutual's financial operations and safeguarding its reputation within the broader African context.

About the Role

This position is integral to Old Mutual's commitment to regulatory adherence and risk management. The core responsibility lies in overseeing the implementation and ongoing effectiveness of the Group's Risk Management and Compliance Programme (RMCP). This programme must be meticulously tailored to meet the specific demands of various entities within the Group, ensuring robust alignment with Section 42 of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) in South Africa, as well as equivalent national obligations in other jurisdictions. The role operates as an independent second-line function, providing essential oversight, expert guidance, and assurance to business units.

The Expert Money Laundering Compliance Officer will be entrusted with a range of significant responsibilities:

• **RMCP Oversight:** Lead the implementation and continuous assessment of the Group RMCP across relevant entities, ensuring it is customised appropriately and aligns with FICA's Section 42 requirements.
• **Policy Governance:** Develop, maintain, and oversee all policies, standards, risk assessments, and guidance documents related to AML, CTF, CPF, and sanctions. This includes ensuring strict adherence to FICA, relevant guidance notes, directives, joint standards, and FATF recommendations, while also facilitating practical integration into daily business operations.
• **Regulatory Advisory:** Provide expert compliance advice on the interpretation and application of AML, CTF, CPF, and sanctions regulations, translating complex legal requirements into actionable controls and procedures for business units.
• **Monitoring and Reporting Oversight:** Conduct second-line oversight of transaction monitoring, screening processes, investigations, and regulatory reporting activities to ensure they meet all legislative requirements and deadlines.
• **Sanctions Compliance:** Oversee adherence to targeted financial sanctions requirements across all relevant jurisdictions, including managing screening processes, escalation procedures, and decision-making protocols.
• **Training Oversight:** Ensure that AML, CTF, and CPF training programmes are risk-based, role-specific, and fully compliant with Section 43 of FICA and similar country-specific obligations.
• **Management Information:** Oversee the generation of accurate and insightful management information related to AML activities to support effective oversight and facilitate regulatory engagement.
• **Risk-Based Approach:** Drive the consistent application of a risk-based approach across key compliance functions, including customer due diligence, ongoing monitoring, sanctions screening, transaction monitoring, and regulatory compliance. This also involves providing oversight of risk assessment methodologies and ensuring alignment with the organisation's risk appetite.

What They're Looking For

To excel in this role, candidates will need a strong foundation in legal or commercial disciplines, coupled with extensive experience in financial crime compliance.

• **Qualifications:** A tertiary qualification in Law or Commerce is essential. A postgraduate qualification and a relevant professional certification, such as a Certificate in AML or ACAMS, would be highly advantageous.
• **Experience:** Demonstrated experience working with senior stakeholders, including heads of business and executive management, is a must. You will need advanced and demonstrable knowledge of AML, CTF, and CPF regulations and practices. Experience in managing compliance programmes and providing regulatory advice is critical.
• **Skills:** Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, are required to effectively engage with diverse audiences at various levels. Strong business acumen, coupled with excellent interpersonal and influencing skills, will be vital for success. The ability to work independently, demonstrate initiative, and manage tasks under pressure to meet tight deadlines is paramount. A proactive, solution-driven attitude with a strong sense of ownership and energy is also desired. Familiarity with compliance software and regulatory frameworks is expected.

This role is situated within the dynamic financial services sector in South Africa, where compliance with FICA and related legislation is paramount. Typically, compliance professionals in such roles can expect competitive remuneration packages, often reflective of their specialised expertise and the critical nature of their work. Old Mutual, as a large and established financial institution, offers opportunities for career progression within its extensive operations.

Requirements: Skills, Qualifications and Experience required:

• Tertiary Legal or Commercial qualifications

• Post graduate qualification

• Demonstrated experience with senior stakeholders e.g.  heads of business and executive management

• Advanced and demonstrable knowledge of AML, CTF and CPF.

• Certificate in AML or ACAMS certification would be advantageous.

Skills and Experience

• An excellent communicator who can adapt to different levels of audience expertise and different sizes of audiences in both their written and verbal communication.

• Good business acumen.

• Good inter-personal skills, including influencing skills.

• Self-starter, able to show initiative and work with minimal guidance.

• Capacity to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.

• Solution-driven, passionate and energetic.

• Possess a strong sense of ownership and initiative.

 

Role Overview:

This role is responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance with applicable Anti Money Laundering, Counter Terrorist Financing and Counter Proliferation Financing obligations, with a primary focus on South Africa, while also supporting broader Group Accountable Institutions where required.

The role is anchored in the requirements of section 42 of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, with accountability for overseeing the implementation and ongoing effectiveness of the Group Risk Management and Compliance Programme (RMCP), tailored and applied across the relevant Group entities.

The role sits within Group Compliance and provides independent second line oversight, regulatory guidance and assurance. This includes ensuring alignment to Group standards, while taking into account in country legislative requirements and regulatory expectations across multiple jurisdictions.

Skills

Compliance Software, Data Compilation, Engineering Standards, Executing Plans, Legal Practices, Performance Management Design, Policies & Procedures, Procurement Performance, Project Quality Management, QA Methodologies, Regulatory Compliance Management, Requirements Development

Competencies

Balances Stakeholders

Communicates Effectively

Financial Acumen

Instills Trust

Interpersonal Savvy

Manages Ambiguity

Manages Complexity

Optimizes Work Processes

Education

NQF Level 7 - Degree, Advance Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate or equivalent

Closing Date

22 September 2026 , 23:59

The appointment will be made from the designated group in line with the Employment Equity Plan of Old Mutual South Africa and the specific business unit in question.

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