Interim Senior Manager, Fraud & Financial Crime (Hands-On, Analytics-Led)

Location: London (hybrid, highly flexible, UK-based)

Type: Interim, circa 6 months. Outside IR35 day rate or fixed-term contract

Availability: Immediate or short notice only

A profitable, PE-backed consumer lender (cards and loans) is looking for an interim Senior Manager, Fraud & Financial Crime to lead its first line fraud and financial crime capability while a permanent appointment is made.

This is not a figurehead role. You will run a lean, hands-on function (one analyst), so you need to be as comfortable in the data as you are setting strategy. You will own the first line approach across fraud, AML and wider financial crime risk, working closely with the MLRO and DMLRO to keep controls effective, scalable and forward-looking.

We are particularly interested in people who are genuinely fluent in how AI is reshaping this space, both as a detection tool and as a weapon for bad actors, and who can turn that into practical controls rather than slideware.

What you'll do:

• Own and deliver the first line fraud and financial crime strategy and control framework across card and loan portfolios
• Get hands-on with the analytics yourself, from data extraction through to clear, actionable recommendations
• Investigate complex issues, pressure-test existing controls and drive operational improvement at pace
• Articulate to the wider business how the threat landscape is evolving and how the firm should respond

What you'll bring:

• Deep, demonstrable fraud and financial crime expertise in UK consumer lending or financial services, across both onboarding and existing customers
• Strong, current hands-on analytics: you write your own SQL and work directly with data (R or Python a real plus)
• A credible, current point of view on AI in fraud and financial crime
• Solid grasp of relevant UK regulation and the ability to translate it into workable first line controls
• The judgement and presence to operate at Head level under SM&CR, and the pragmatism to balance strong controls with commercial reality

This role is subject to certification under the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR).