Onboarding Operations

Rothesay is the UK’s largest pensions insurance specialist, purpose-built to protect pension schemes and their members’ pensions. With over £69 billion of assets under management, we secure the pensions of nearly one million people and pay out, on average, approximately £350 million in pension payments each month.

Rothesay is dedicated to providing excellence in customer service alongside prudent underwriting, a conservative investment strategy and the careful management of risk. We are trusted by the pension schemes of some of the UK’s best known companies to provide pension solutions, including British Airways, Cadbury’s, the Civil Aviation Authority, the Co-Operative Group, National Grid, NatWest, Morrisons and Telent.

At Rothesay, we are striving to transform our industry. We believe deeply in creating real security for the future and our leadership in finding new and better ways to do that is the key to our success. To do that, we need the very brightest original thinkers to bring creativity as well as rigour. Rothesay is a rewarding place to work, where quality people can thrive and prosper. We pride ourselves on the connections our people build, many of whom have been with us for over ten years.

Job title:   Onboarding Operations

Reports to:   Team Manager              

Role type:  Permanent

SMCR classification:    Conduct

Team overview:

Onboarding Operations is a relatively new team within Rothesay which sits within Asset Operations however the team services both the Asset and Liability business. The primary responsibility is KYC and screening however we have moved to a managed service model allowing the team to add value by partnering with Trading, Asset Origination and Pricing to help facilitate new transactions and focus on strategy and process management. The role is broad allowing an individual to expand the breadth of what they focus on daily.  It will suit an entrepreneurial self-starter wanting to implement change and drive the business forward as Onboarding Operations is quickly expanding its responsibilities as Rothesay looks to develop other Onboarding functions e.g. entity creation, customer account creation etc.

 

Key Responsibilities: 

KYC Operations & Risk Management

• Perform and review end-to-end KYC processes including onboarding, periodic reviews, and remediation activities
• Conduct and oversee Customer Due Diligence (CDD) and Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD), particularly for high-risk and complex client types
• Partner with the Front Office to help facilitate new transactions across various product lines and structures
• Analyse intricate corporate structures and validate Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO)
• Act as an escalation point for complex or high-risk cases, providing recommendations to our third-party KYC vendor, Compliance and MLRO where required
• Perform sanctions screening, PEP checks, and adverse media analysis with appropriate risk assessment

Vendor Management & Oversight

• Oversee our third-party KYC vendor ensuring delivery aligns with SLAs, KPIs, and quality standards. Oversee our other supplementary vendors
• Perform quality reviews of vendor-produced KYC files and provide structured feedback to drive continuous improvement along with ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements and internal standards
• Act as the primary point of contact between internal stakeholders and external vendors for queries and issue resolution
• Monitor vendor performance metrics (turnaround times, error rates, backlog) and escalate concerns where necessary
• Collaborate with Vendor Management, Operational Risk and Internal Audit on governance, periodic reviews, and contract performance assessments

Strategy

• In Q4 2025 Rothesay pivoted towards a managed service model with a third-party KYC vendor therefore extensive opportunities exists to help implement control, governance, best practice and future strategy
• Post moving to a managed service we are exploring the use of Enterprise Architecture tooling to help facilitate and embed the workflow within Rothesay
• Rothesay are on a journey to establish the broader Onboarding functions which we currently outsource e.g. entity creation, customer account creation etc. Effectively a blank canvas for someone to help shape

Stakeholder & Process Management

• Partner with Compliance, Front Office, and Operations teams to resolve onboarding challenges and improve client experience
• Support regulatory audits, internal reviews, and remediation initiatives involving both internal and outsourced processes
• Identify process inefficiencies and contribute to automation, workflow improvements, and policy enhancements

Skills and experience required: 

• Undergraduate degree (minimum 2.1)
• 6-8 years of relevant experience in a similar KYC role
• Exposure to other aspects of the Onboarding process
• Experience of managing a vendor relationship
• Ability to comfortably manage multiple work streams at the same time
• Able to demonstrate an entrepreneurial mindset with a track record of project delivery
• Experience leading projects
• Strong personal commitment to the highest ethical standards and exceptional customer outcomes
• Experience working in a high-profile financial services environment
• Strong communication skills and experience consulting and advising internal stakeholders e.g. Front Office, Operational Risk
• Demonstrable commitment to diversity, inclusion and making a real difference in the communities we live and work in
• Exposure to AI and influencing change with AI

Preferred

• Exposure to Databricks
• Exposure to Python
• Exposure to Enterprise Architecture tools

Rothesay competencies:

• Technical Skills - Demonstrates strong technical skills required for the role, pays attention to detail, takes initiative to broaden his/her knowledge and demonstrates appropriate analytical skills
• Drive and Motivation – Be a self-starter; successfully handles multiple tasks, takes initiative to improve his/her own performance, works intensely towards extremely challenging goals and persists in the face of obstacles or setbacks
• Teamwork – Demonstrate evidence of being a strong team player, collaborates with others within and across teams, encourages other team members to participate and contribute and acknowledges others' contributions
• Communication Skills - Communicates what is relevant and important in a clear and concise manner and shares information/new ideas with others
• Judgement and Problem solving - Thinks ahead, anticipates questions, plans for contingencies, finds alternative solutions and identifies clear objectives. Sees the big picture and effectively analyses complex issues
• Creativity/Innovation - Looks for new ways to improve current processes and develop creative solutions that are grounded in reality and have practical value
• Influencing Outcomes - Presents sound, persuasive rationale for ideas or opinions. Takes a position on issues and influences others' opinions and presents persuasive recommendations

 

Disclaimer This position description is intended to describe the duties most frequently performed by an individual in this position. It is not intended to be a complete list of assigned duties, but to describe a position level.  The role shall be performed within a professional office environment. Rothesay Life has health and safety polices that are available for all workers upon request.  There are no specific health risks associated with the role.

Inclusion Rothesay actively promotes diversity and inclusivity. We know that our success depends on our people and that by nurturing a culture that values difference, we create a stronger, more dynamic business. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability or age.