Client Onboarding Graduate Programme

Fieldfisher Graduate Onboarding Officer role developing practical experience in client onboarding, KYC, AML, sanctions, PEP screening, conflict checks and compliance risk assessment within an international law firm.

The Vacancy

Fieldfisher's Client Onboarding Graduate programme is an excellent opportunity for motivated, ambitious and curious Graduates who are interested in a career in Risk and Compliance at Fieldfisher. 

As a Graduate Onboarding Officer, you will develop knowledge and practical experience of Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) checks. You will also have the opportunity to develop the skills to assess the impact of international Sanctions, involvement of Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), and conduct negative news reviews to develop a holistic and detailed risk assessment. 

A bit about the programme 

This two-year programme will help in developing your communication and organisational skills and managing your own workload. You will be communicating with some of the most senior people in the firm. You will gain exposure to the work types, client types and practice types of an international law firm, from assisting individuals to some of the largest corporations. You will be able to leverage this knowledge in your career to demonstrate knowledge on the breadth of work at a law firm. 

By working inside Risk you will gather experience on the risks associated with legal work and our clients, also how to mitigate those risks. You will develop excellent research and analytical skills and bring this into any legal work you subsequently do and identifying risks in potential clients/matters early. 

As a Graduate Onboarding Officer, you will be... 

• Utilising cloud-based, AI-infused technology to assist our Anti Money Laundering processes 

• Providing support to the Firm, Partners and offices on onboarding clients and matters 

• Diligently review and assess the AML risks associated with all new client and matter requests submitted via the Firm’s systems (e.g. Intapp) to perform KYC/CDD 

• Document research and analysis into an AML 'Pack' provided to fee-earners for their approval 

• Assessment and collation of Politically Exposed Persons 

• Collating information from the Company registers globally 

• Assessing negative news stories about potential clients for their risk to the firm 

• Liaising with Partners and Senior Stakeholders to obtain outstanding information 

• Verifying the ID of individuals using our Biometric Identity Verification tool 

• Matter Management on our bespoke in-house finance system, Evergreen 

• Assisting the team by gathering information on active clients to be reviewed 

• Performing ongoing monitoring of existing client relationships 

• Participating in meetings with the firmwide risk team 

• Assist with developing training materials, presentations, and courses on AML 

• Performing Conflict of Interest searches, diligently assessing the results and liaising with lawyers across the firm to address any concerns 

A bit about you 

• 2:1 (achieved) in a law degree (preferable) 

• Demonstrable research skills 

• Demonstrable organisational skills 

• Ability to adjust workflows to meet deadlines 

• Clear written and verbal communication 

• Team-focused 

• Self-motivated 

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Products 

• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail 

• Keen interest in a career in Risk and Compliance