Manager – AML & KYC Advisory

About the role

Equity Bank Kenya is looking for a Manager – AML & KYC Advisory to provide risk-based AML/CFT/CPF and KYC advisory opinions, independent review and challenge on customer onboarding, retention and high-risk relationships. The role ensures CDD, EDD and beneficial ownership assessments meet regulatory and policy requirements, that advisory decisions are documented and consistent, and that material customer financial crime risks are escalated in a timely manner.

Key responsibilities

• Provide risk-based opinions on onboarding, customer retention, CDD, EDD and complex KYC exceptions, and review and challenge PEP assessments, adverse media, source of funds and wealth, high-risk sectors and proposed acceptance decisions.
• Analyse complex ownership and control arrangements, trusts, nominees and layered entities, and advise on risk-rating overrides, event-driven reviews, periodic reviews and mitigation measures.
• Contribute to KYC policy development, digital onboarding and risk-rating system changes, document advisory decisions and escalate material risks.
• Review specialist opinions, supervise workload and coach analysts, maintaining quality standards for advisory outputs.
• Maintain an advisory log and quality-assured case files, identify recurring KYC deficiencies and control themes, and provide technical input into KYC procedures, digital onboarding journeys and risk-rating tools.
• Escalate material customer financial crime risks to the Senior Manager – KYC Advisory and the MLRO, and support regulatory inspections, audits and correspondent bank due diligence requests.

Required profile

• Minimum 7 years' experience in AML/CFT/CPF, KYC, Financial Crime Compliance, Risk or Internal Audit within financial services.
• At least 3 years' experience in a supervisory or senior specialist role.
• Demonstrated experience in CDD, EDD, PEP and beneficial ownership assessments for complex customers, and in KYC remediation, regulatory inspections and correspondent bank due diligence.
• Bachelor's degree in Law, Finance, Banking, Commerce, Accounting, Economics, Risk Management or a related field; Master's degree and professional certifications (e.g. CAMS, ICA AML, ICA KYC and CDD, CFE, CPA(K)) are an added advantage.
• Prior experience in a Tier 1 bank and familiarity with CBK and FRC supervisory expectations is an added advantage.

Required skills

• Strong knowledge of AML/CFT/CPF laws, CBK Prudential Guidelines, FATF Standards and beneficial ownership requirements.
• Expertise in CDD, EDD, PEP assessment, adverse media and source of funds and wealth analysis.
• Ability to analyse complex corporate, trust and nominee structures.
• Clear written advisory and report writing skills, and supervisory, coaching and stakeholder engagement skills.