Forensic and Financial Crime Risk Management Lead – Kenya

KPMG is a global network of professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. Our purpose is to inspire confidence and empower change. We have a notable Africa Footprint serving clients across the continent. Our East Africa practice comprises Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda.

The Nairobi office serves as the regional coordinating office providing the required networking to facilitate delivery of services on a timely basis to meet and exceed our clients’ expectations.

Position Summary

We are currently looking for a Forensic & Financial Crime Risk Management professional to take up a leadership role in supporting the growth and delivery of KPMG East Africa's Forensic and Financial Crime Risk Management portfolio. The successful candidate will lead and deliver complex AML/CFT/PF, fraud risk management, financial crime compliance, forensic review, investigation and regulatory remediation engagements, while building trusted client relationships and contributing to business development across a broad range of sectors.

The role will involve working closely with senior client stakeholders, regulators and multidisciplinary teams to provide practical and commercially relevant solutions for banks, insurance companies, fintechs, SACCOs, development organizations, public sector institutions, regulators and corporates across Kenya and the wider East African region. The successful candidate will combine strong technical expertise with leadership capability, commercial acumen and the ability to drive high-quality client delivery across diverse engagements.

The successful candidate will play a leadership role in strengthening KPMG's market presence in forensic and financial crime risk management, developing innovative client solutions, mentoring high-performing teams and delivering exceptional client service across the region. 

Key roles and responsibilities

Financial Crime Risk Management / AML-CFT-PF Advisory

• Lead the delivery of AML/CFT/PF engagements, including independent AML/CFT/PF audits, financial crime compliance reviews, enterprise-wide risk assessments, sanctions reviews, customer due diligence reviews, transaction monitoring reviews and AML control assessments.
• Advise clients on the design, implementation and enhancement of AML/CFT/PF frameworks, governance structures, policies, procedures and control environments.
• Support clients in assessing exposure to money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing, sanctions and broader financial crime risks.
• Provide practical remediation strategies to address regulatory, governance, process, system and control deficiencies.
• Maintain high technical quality standards across AML/CFT/PF and financial crime risk management engagements.

Fraud Risk Management & Forensic Advisory

• Lead or support fraud risk assessments, fraud prevention framework reviews, investigations, whistleblower reviews, fact-finding assignments and fraud vulnerability assessments.
• Advise clients on strengthening fraud risk governance, prevention, detection and response capabilities.
• Review fraud indicators, control weaknesses, transaction patterns and process vulnerabilities to identify areas of risk exposure.
• Support forensic accounting reviews, financial analysis, evidence gathering, document review and preparation of defensible reports.

Enterprise Risk Management & Internal Audit Support

• Support Enterprise Risk Management and Internal Audit teams on engagements requiring financial crime, fraud, governance, compliance, conduct risk, internal controls and forensic expertise.
• Provide specialist input into internal audit planning, risk assessments and audit procedures relating to AML/CFT/PF, fraud risk, ethics, conduct risk, third-party risk and regulatory compliance.
• Develop practical and sustainable recommendations that address root causes, control weaknesses and risk ownership gaps.

Data, Technology and Innovation

• Apply data analytics and technology-enabled approaches to identify fraud, financial crime, compliance and control anomalies.
• Work with forensic technology, data analytics and digital teams to support transaction testing, exception analysis, dashboards and risk profiling solutions.
• Contribute to the development of innovative methodologies, tools, templates and approaches supporting financial crime and forensic engagements.

Relationship Management, Business Development & People Leadership

• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior executives, boards, regulators and other key stakeholders across the market.
• Identify business opportunities and contribute to proposals, pursuits, credentials, thought leadership and client presentations.
• Support the growth of KPMG's forensic and financial crime risk management portfolio across East Africa.
• Coach, Lead engagement planning, resourcing, budgeting, quality management and delivery oversight activities.
• Mentor and develop team members across forensic, fraud risk, AML/CFT/PF and related advisory engagements.
• Promote collaboration across service lines, sectors and KPMG member firms. 

Academic/ Professional qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, Commerce, Law, Criminology, Risk Management, Statistics, Mathematics, Actuarial Science, Computer Science, Data Analytics or a related discipline.
• Professional certification in AML/CFT/PF or financial crime risk management, preferably CAMS/ACAMS or an equivalent recognised qualification.
• Additional qualifications such as CFE, CPA(K), ACCA, CIA, CISA, CFCS, ICA financial crime qualifications, sanctions compliance certifications, forensic accounting qualifications or related credentials will be an added advantage.
• A Law degree or legal/regulatory background will be an added advantage, particularly where combined with AML/CFT/PF, investigations, compliance or regulatory advisory experience.
• Master's degree will be an added advantage.
• Minimum of 9 years experience working in within consulting, forensic services, financial crime compliance, banking, insurance, fintech, internal audit, investigations, regulatory institutions, law enforcement or professional services environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading teams and managing complex client engagements.
• Practical experience in AML/CFT/PF reviews, fraud risk assessments, compliance reviews, investigations, regulatory remediation and control assessments. 

Technical competencies & Personal attributes:

• AML/CFT/PF frameworks, laws, regulations and risk-based approach principles.
• FATF standards, ESAAMLG expectations and financial crime compliance frameworks.
• CDD, EDD, beneficial ownership, PEP screening, sanctions screening, transaction monitoring and suspicious transaction reporting.
• AML/CFT/PF independent audits, maturity assessments and compliance programme reviews.
• Fraud risk governance, prevention, detection and response frameworks.
• Internal controls, compliance testing, audit methodology and evidence documentation.
• Forensic accounting, financial analysis and report writing.
• Data analytics, anomaly detection and technology-enabled forensic reviews.
• Strong project management and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong commercial and business development acumen.
• Ability to build trusted advisor relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Excellent leadership and people development skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Clear and concise report-writing, communication and presentation skills.
• High levels of integrity, professional judgement, discretion and professional scepticism.
• Curiosity, resilience and the ability to manage multiple priorities within a fast-paced professional services environment.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to identify and pursue growth opportunities.

We offer:

• An exciting opportunity to work with a Big 4 firm on cutting edge clients across Africa.
• Continuous learning and development.
• Exposure to multi-disciplinary client service teams.
• Unrivalled space to grow and be innovative.
• Opportunity for international travel.

If your career aspirations match this exciting opportunity, please use the link below to apply:

Forensic and Financial Crime Risk Management Lead  – Candidate’s Summary. Filling the link is mandatory for consideration alongside your application to talentrecruit@kpmg.co.ke quoting ‘Forensic and Financial Crime Risk Management Lead’. The role will be shortlisted on a rolling basis.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.