Banking & InvestmentFull time
9 Oct
Client Onboarding Analyst – Ghana
Accra, United Kingdom
GHS 380K - GHS 480K
Full time
Job Title: Client Onboarding Analyst – Ghana
Industry: Banking / Financial Services
Location: Ghana
Salary: GHS 380,000– GHS 480,000 per annum, depending on experience
Role purpose
Our client, a reputable financial institution, is seeking a diligent, analytical and detail-oriented Client Onboarding Analyst to support its customer onboarding, due diligence and ongoing relationship review activities.
The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring that new and existing customer relationships are appropriately assessed, documented and reviewed in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements, internal policies and established financial crime prevention standards.
The role requires practical experience in Know Your Customer (KYC), Know Your Business (KYB), Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF), customer risk assessments and sanctions screening.
The position involves close collaboration with Relationship Management, Operations, Customer Service and Compliance teams to ensure efficient onboarding, accurate documentation and effective management of financial crime risks.
Key responsibilities
1. Client onboarding and due diligence
Conduct customer onboarding checks and due diligence reviews for new and existing customers, including individuals, corporate entities and other business relationships.
Obtain, verify and assess customer identification documents and supporting information in accordance with internal policies and applicable regulatory requirements.
Perform Customer Due Diligence (CDD) and Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD), where appropriate, based on identified customer risks.
Review customer ownership structures, beneficial ownership information, business activities and relevant supporting documentation.
Ensure accurate recording of customer information, including source of funds, source of wealth, purpose of the relationship and expected account activity.
Identify missing, incomplete or inconsistent documentation and coordinate with relevant stakeholders to resolve outstanding requirements.
2. KYC, AML and financial crime risk assessment
Conduct customer risk assessments using established risk-rating methodologies and internal guidelines.
Identify potential financial crime risks, including politically exposed persons (PEPs), sanctions exposure, adverse media and other relevant risk indicators.
Undertake customer screening using approved screening tools and databases.
Review screening alerts, assess potential matches and escalate material concerns to the appropriate Compliance or Financial Crime teams.
Identify unusual customer characteristics, complex ownership arrangements and other potential financial crime red flags.
Support the application of appropriate risk mitigation measures and ensure that identified concerns are documented and escalated promptly.
3. Ongoing monitoring and customer reviews
Conduct periodic KYC reviews of existing customer relationships in accordance with assigned risk classifications and review schedules.
Perform event-driven reviews arising from changes in customer circumstances, ownership structures, business activities or other relevant risk factors.
Assess the adequacy, accuracy and completeness of existing customer documentation.
Liaise with Relationship Managers and relevant internal teams to obtain updated customer information.
Support reviews of customer transactional activities where necessary to determine whether account behaviour remains consistent with the established customer profile.
Ensure that customer records and risk assessments remain accurate, complete and up to date.
4. Stakeholder engagement and operational support
Work closely with Relationship Management, Customer Service, Operations and Compliance teams to facilitate timely onboarding and customer reviews.
Provide practical guidance to internal stakeholders on KYC documentation requirements and established onboarding procedures.
Follow up on outstanding documentation and unresolved onboarding issues.
Participate in regular operational meetings to monitor onboarding progress, review outstanding cases and resolve process bottlenecks.
Escalate complex cases and potential compliance concerns through established reporting channels.
Maintain a customer-focused approach while ensuring adherence to regulatory and internal control requirements.
5. Documentation, reporting and process improvement
Maintain accurate and complete customer onboarding files, due diligence records and supporting documentation.
Ensure that assigned cases are appropriately tracked, documented and completed within agreed service standards.
Update relevant onboarding systems, customer databases, case management records and management information reports.
Maintain clear audit trails for completed reviews, decisions, approvals and escalations.
Support the preparation of periodic reports covering onboarding activities, outstanding reviews, exceptions and operational performance.
Contribute to improvements in onboarding processes, documentation standards and operational efficiency.
Support relevant departmental initiatives and other assigned activities.
Person specification
Educational qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Banking, Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, Law or another relevant discipline.
Relevant professional qualifications or training in Compliance, AML, Financial Crime Prevention or Risk Management would be an advantage.
Professional certifications such as ACAMS, ICA or equivalent qualifications are desirable but not mandatory.
Professional experience
Minimum of three years' relevant experience in client onboarding, KYC, customer due diligence, AML compliance or related activities within a bank or regulated financial institution.
Practical experience conducting customer identification, verification, onboarding and periodic review activities.
Exposure to corporate and individual customer due diligence processes.
Experience identifying and escalating potential financial crime risks.
Familiarity with sanctions screening, PEP identification, adverse media reviews and customer risk assessments.
Experience working with Relationship Management, Operations or Compliance teams would be advantageous.
Technical knowledge and competencies
Regulatory and compliance knowledge
Good understanding of KYC, AML and CTF principles and their practical application within the banking environment.
Working knowledge of applicable Bank of Ghana regulatory requirements and Ghana's AML/CFT framework.
Familiarity with customer due diligence, enhanced due diligence, beneficial ownership identification and risk-based customer assessments.
Understanding of sanctions screening, politically exposed persons and adverse media risk indicators.
Awareness of international financial crime prevention standards and industry best practices would be advantageous.
Ability to interpret and apply internal policies, procedures and regulatory guidance in day-to-day onboarding activities.
Analytical and operational skills
Strong analytical skills and ability to assess customer information, identify inconsistencies and recognise potential risks.
Excellent attention to detail and commitment to accurate documentation.
Ability to manage multiple cases, prioritise competing responsibilities and meet established deadlines.
Good problem-solving skills and willingness to recommend practical, compliant solutions.
Strong organisational and record-management capabilities.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive customer information responsibly.
Communication and interpersonal skills
Good written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to engage effectively with Relationship Managers, Compliance teams and other internal stakeholders.
Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills.
Customer-focused approach balanced with sound risk awareness.
Ability to communicate outstanding requirements and escalate concerns clearly and professionally.
Proactive attitude, accountability and willingness to take ownership of assigned responsibilities.
IT and systems proficiency
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word and Outlook.
Familiarity with Microsoft 365, SharePoint or similar document management platforms.
Experience using customer onboarding systems, KYC databases or financial crime screening tools would be advantageous.
Knowledge of Power BI or similar reporting and data analysis tools would be an added advantage.
Key performance expectations
The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate:
Timely completion of assigned onboarding and customer review cases.
High standards of accuracy and completeness in customer due diligence documentation.
Consistent application of internal KYC, AML and financial crime prevention policies.
Prompt identification, documentation and escalation of material risks.
Effective management of outstanding cases and adherence to agreed service-level timelines.
Strong collaboration with relevant internal stakeholders.
Maintenance of complete, accurate and auditable customer records.
Commitment to continuous improvement in onboarding quality and operational efficiency.
Professional conduct and confidentiality
The successful candidate will be required to:
Comply with all applicable laws, regulatory requirements and internal policies.
Maintain strict confidentiality of customer, employee and organisational information.
Observe applicable data protection and information security requirements.
Demonstrate integrity, professionalism and sound judgement in all assigned activities.
Act in accordance with established ethical standards and the institution's risk management and compliance framework.
Equal opportunity
Our client is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and welcomes applications from suitably qualified candidates who meet the requirements of the position.
All applications will be treated in strict confidence.