Head of Middle Office

Company Description
CIC London, part of the Crédit Mutuel Group, is a highly reputable financial institution and one of Europe’s largest and most well-rated banking groups. Established in 1895, it has over 125 years of history and expertise, providing reliable financial solutions through all economic climates. CIC London specialises in a range of services, including Acquisition Finance, Corporate Finance, Project Finance, Private Debt Solutions, and Asset-Based Lending. The organisation serves businesses across the UK and Europe, offering a trusted and comprehensive approach to financial support.
OVERALL JOB OBJECTIVES
Certified role under the SMCR holding the Middle-Office key function
Manage, and be responsible for, the Branch’s Middle-Office functions
Ensure continuous and consistent coverage for all of the Branch’s Middle-Office functions
Ensure timely delivery of ESG assessments and other related contributions
Ensure timely and smooth on-boarding and monitoring of Global Banking and Real Assets third parties
Ensure timely and smooth closing and execution of Global Banking and Real Assets transactions
Ensure timely management of client document and data
Ensure timely performance of adequate 1st line credit monitoring, reporting and controls
Ensure that all relevant policies and procedures are consistently applied by CBG and the Middle-Office
Play a pivotal role between Front-Office, Risk, Compliance, Back-Office, Treasury and Finance
Develop the Middle-Office’s organisation and operations in line with Group and Branch strategy
MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
A. Head of Middle-Office
Manage a team of 11 people (including 3 direct reports), covering the Branch’s Middle-Office functions
Act as the Middle-Office’s main senior contact, ultimate decision-making authority and signatory
Ensure appropriate review and approval of all Middle-Office matters
Represent the Branch’s Middle-Office in local and Group committee and working group meetings
Contribute and present to the relevant committees, and opine on behalf of the Middle-Office
Monitor changes to legislation, regulation, industry best practices and Group policies and procedures
Ensure that adequate operating procedures and 1st line controls are maintained and applied at all time
Ensure that Front-Office staff are promptly informed of, and apply the latest operating procedures
Lead the Middle-Office’s ARIS mapping, BIA and RCSA reviews
Monitor the Middle-Office’s workload, and address identified skills and resource gap
Ensure the periodic review of processes to identify streamlining and automation opportunities
Ensure the Middle-Office’s contribution to all relevant projects and remediation process
Oversee the implementation and maintenance of Middle-Office systems and technology infrastructure
B. ESG Analysis
Oversee the Branch’s ESG analysis process at on-boarding and on-going monitoring
Ensure that the latest ESG policies and procedures are applied
Ensure that ESG horizon scanning is performed on time, and that relevant publications are flagged
Ensure that required ESG-related gap analyses are performed in a timely manner
Ensure that the required implementation and remediation projects are achieved in a timely manner
Foster coordination with the Institut Mutualiste and CIC CIB ESG correspondents
Coordinate the development and implementation of ESG risk and performance assessment tools
Coordinate the development and rolling out of the Branch’s ESG training programme
C. Due Diligence, and document and data management
Oversee the Branch’s on-boarding, and document and data management processes
Ensure that the latest CDD, CTM and static data management policies and procedures are applied
Ensure that all client, transaction and credit static data are uploaded and updated in a timely manner
Ensure that all relevant external datasets are up-to-date
Ensure that the CRM and other applications or databases are adequately updated
Ensure that any delay or exception is formally explained and documented
Review Financial Crime related assessments and forms, and escalate where appropriate
Ensure that an adequate audit trail is maintained for client and credit documentation at all times
Ensure that client, transaction and credit documentation is consistently labelled and classified
Coordinate the development and implementation of Financial Crime risk assessment tools
D. Legal and Transactions
Oversee the Branch’s facility documentation closing and execution process
Ensure that the latest standards and procedures are applied
Review trade volumes, and anticipate and address potential bottlenecks
Ensure that operational issues are flagged, justified and escalated
Ensure that relevant MIs (anticipated funding, headroom, etc.) are reported to the relevant stakeholders
Coordinate the development and implementation of Legal risk assessment and support tools
E. Monitoring, Reporting and Controls
Oversee the Branch’s pipeline, CDD, ESG and credit reporting and 1st line controls
Ensure that Data Quality Controls are performed for all pipeline, CDD, ESG and credit related reports
Develop and ensure timely production of relevant monitoring KPIs, KRIs and other Mis
Ensure timely preparation, validation and circulation of reports required by Head-Office
Ensure that responses to ad hoc queries sent to CBG by Head-Office and addressed in a timely manner
Provide support to CBG and other Middle-Office teams
Provide administrative support as required
Contribute to regulatory reporting and audit assignments where required
F. Risk and compliance culture
Adhere to the Group’s compliance related policies and procedures such as anti-bribery and corruption, anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML-CFT), conduct rules, conflict of interest, data protection, gifts and entertainment, market abuse, personal account dealing, safety and security, tax evasion, whistleblowing, etc.
Partake in strengthening the branch’s risk and compliance culture (i.e., write and implement policies, design trainings, update Questions & Answers, etc.) in collaboration with the Senior Management and business units.
PROFILE AND SKILLSET
Relevant University Degree in Law and/or Finance
Previous management experience in a front-office or a middle-office function
Comfortable working in a multicultural and diverse environment
Comprehensive understanding of UK, French and EU financial regulatory and supervisory framework
Good understanding of commercial bank loans, treasury products, and related standard documentation (e.g., LMA, LSTA, ISDA, etc.) and regulatory requirements
Role model for gravitas, professional behaviour, positive attitude and integrity
Good organisational, interpersonal and communication skills
Ability to manage a variety of duties simultaneously and to prioritise
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and French
Proficient in MS Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint and Excel)
Previous experience in CIC’s, Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale’s and/or GCM’s headquarters
Please apply by email to humanresources@london.cic.fr - no agencies please.