Head of Client Onboarding - Director

Profile Summary

An integral part of the leadership of the EMEA Client Lifecycle Management (CLM) team, responsible for 15 FTE. This role manages the Client Onboarding team across the region (UK & MENA), including Mizuho Bank London ("MHBK") and Mizuho Securities International ("MHI"), and provides leadership, collaboration, and support to MBE.

The role holder acts as a key link between front‑office teams and Operations to improve the customer onboarding experience and drive efficiencies in the end‑to‑end onboarding journey. The role has full leadership responsibility for hiring and development, resource management, product expertise, and all other management duties for the Onboarding function.

The role reports to the Head of EMEA CLM.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide leadership to the management team for the day‑to‑day running of the Client Onboarding function, requiring AML/KYC technical expertise, sound decision‑making, risk awareness, and management capability.
• Work closely with front‑office teams to increase efficiency and enhance customer experience throughout the onboarding journey.
• Transition the current onboarding operating model to a fully integrated in‑house model, creating appropriate governance and management information (MI) to support the function.
• Provide leadership for the provision of EMEA‑wide support, including support to MBE where required.
• Ensure the function’s KYC responsibilities are understood, with processes and controls established to ensure compliance.
• Provide leadership oversight to ensure Operations processes and procedures comply with relevant KYC and anti‑money‑laundering legislation, regulation, and guidance.
• Ensure appropriate regulatory due diligence is completed on all new and existing clients.
• Oversee the effective running of the Client Onboarding team to ensure all day‑to‑day activities are completed.
• Partner with Compliance and the business to manage the client onboarding pipeline.
• Ensure effective oversight and engagement with stakeholders and senior management through reporting and committees.

Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• Excellent organisational and time‑management skills.
• Strong communication skills.
• High numerical and analytical capability.
• Customer‑centric professional experience.
• Demonstrable ability to innovate, support change, and solve problems.
• Collaborative approach supporting strong team performance.
• Sound knowledge of the banking industry.
• High level of computer literacy.
• Additional language skills beneficial but not essential.
• Experience in transformation initiatives.

Supervisory / Management Skills

• Maintain transparent communication and provide clear direction to the team.
• Strong decision‑making and effective delegation skills.
• Foster teamwork and cohesiveness across the function.
• Motivate team members to deliver high‑quality work.
• Empower individuals to take ownership of their goals.
• Coach, mentor, and develop staff in a constructive manner.

What Mizuho can offer you

Here at Mizuho, there are fantastic progression opportunities and clear paths to promotion. We will give you ample opportunity to affect change and to help grow our business.

In addition to the great opportunity outlined above we are also currently able to offer:

• Competitive starting salary, plus discretionary bonus
• Non-contributory pension
• 27 days’ annual leave
• Core working hours*
• Hybrid working  - office and home based*
• Virtual GP
• Wellbeing benefits, including Mental Health Allies and First Aiders

*For applicable roles only

At Mizuho, we embrace flexible ways of working when the role permits. We offer different working arrangements like part-time, job-sharing and hybrid (office and home) working. Our purpose-led culture and global infrastructure help us connect, collaborate, and work together in agile ways to meet all our business needs.

At Mizuho we are committed to supporting equality, diversity and equality, and seek to create a workplace that is fully inclusive. We welcome applications from all sections of the community that we operate in and from all ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientation, beliefs, gender identities and disabilities.

If you require more information about our equal opportunities policy or wish to discuss any accessibility requirements or reasonable adjustments please contact the recruitment team – recruitment@mizuhoemea.com and we will be happy to help.