SAR Testing Manager

Location: Glasgow

Length: 6 Months 

PAYE only

Hybrid role with 2 days in the office 

Overall purpose of the role

Barclays are now looking to recruit an SAR Testing Manager to join our internal Investigations team, part of Barclays Execution Services. The position will be involved in the UK’s Suspicious Activity Report Oversight Team, we are looking for a confident Suspicious Activity Report Testing Manager to come in and hit the ground running being able to deliver from day one. The Financial Crime environment and Suspicious Activity Reporting at Barclays is incredibly dynamic for our Transformation programs which means there is always something new to be involved in. 

The successful candidate will be looking at cases where there have been multiple decisions made not to report suspicious activity to the National Crime Agency. They will be able to go into cases and see all decisions made on every investigation held and decide if they agree with them. If not agreed, this will require further action to go back to the business or raise an internal SAR. It is key in this role to have made or been involved in financial decisions in the past, as this will help in the role. 

Key Accountabilities:

• Deliver effective oversight of SAR reporting in the UK for investigations undertaken in the first or second line of defence, with a focus on Confirmation Bias (SAR investigations where there has been a repeated decision not to disclose the activity to the NCA/relevant FIU) identification and management.

• Collaborate with risk owners and key stakeholders, including Group Financial Crime Operations, Business Oversight Compliance, UK Nominated Officer, Compliance Assurance, Audit and Legal.

• Execute against the SARs Accreditation and Testing Framework as part of a high performing team within SARs Oversight.

• Deliver independent risk based testing of SAR investigations to ensure delivery of high quality SAR investigations through first and second line teams with delegated Nominated Officer authority.

• Provision of validation testing of Quality Assurance / Quality Control delivered by SAR investigation operational teams.

• Analyze and interpret management information and SAR data to identify trends, develop actionable insights for risk owners and key stakeholders, and monitor the effectiveness of the control framework, taking appropriate action with Operational and Business Areas to address actual and developing issues.

• Act as an AML subject matter expert for resolution of issues raised by Businesses and specialist areas, senior management and external bodies.

• Contribute to the resolution of issues/recommendations raised by Barclays Internal Audit / Compliance

• Monitoring or as a result of audits by external bodies e.g. Financial Conduct Authority.

• Deliver, through collaboration with key internal partners, enhanced quality in SAR submissions.

• Familiarity with the Proceeds of Crime act and Terrorism Act

Key Skills:

• Experience in regulatory compliance and risk management.

• General knowledge of Barclays products, markets and delivery channels.

• Robust understanding of risk management and its value to the organisation.

• Deep technical expertise on issues impacting the UK regulatory environment/policies/legal framework as they relate to SARs.

• Experience of QC, QA or Validation testing of SAR activity across a range of different products/channels.

• Developed knowledge and understanding of Barclays UK overall strategy.

• Developed ability to deliver feedback and respond to challenges, collaborating with stakeholders to deliver effective, risk based solutions.

About Barclays

Barclays is a British universal bank. It is diversified by business, by different types of customers and clients, and by geography. Barclays businesses include consumer banking and payments operations around the world, as well as a top-tier, full service, global corporate and investment bank, all of which are supported by its service company which provides technology, operations and functional services across the Group.

Values

Everything Barclays does is shaped by its five values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship. The Barclays values inform the foundations of its relationships with customers and clients, but they also shape how Barclays measures and rewards the performance of colleagues. Simply put, success is not just about what you achieve, but about how you achieve it.

Diversity

Barclays aims to foster a culture where individuals of all backgrounds feel confident in bringing their whole selves to work, feel included and their talents are nurtured, empowering them to contribute fully to Barclays vision and goals.

Hybrid Working

Barclays is currently in the early stages of implementing a hybrid working environment, which means that many colleagues spend part of their working hours at home and part in the office, depending on the nature of the role they are in. Barclays is flexible on how this works and it may continue to change and evolve. Depending on your team, typically this means that colleagues spend a minimum of between 20% to 60% of their time in the office, which could be over a week, a month or a quarter. However, some colleagues may choose to spend more time in the office over a typical period than their role type requires. Barclays also has a flexible working process where, subject to business needs, all colleagues globally are able to request work patterns to reflect their personal circumstances

Your Benefits

As a contract employee of Randstad Sourceright, you’ll receive a wide range of financial and personal benefits. There’s enrolment in a pension plan (after 12 weeks on assignment) and holiday pay. You’ll also get 24/7 access to an Employee Assistance Programme, designed to help you deal with any problems that could be affecting your home or work life. Plus, there’s discounts at heaps of high street shops, restaurants and entertainment - from Asda to Zizzi Italian restaurants.