Skip to main content

?
Helpdesk
Click here to connect with our resourcing helpdesk team

Senior Sanctions Escalations Manager

London, United Kingdom

Apply for job

Date live: 10/07/2025

Business Area: Compliance

Area of Expertise: Compliance

Contract: Permanent

Reference Code: JR-0000058691

hero image
Apply for job

Barclays Compliance

Compliance is a broad, multidisciplinary function at Barclays that oversees our global business operations. We ensure the bank lives its values, meets regulatory requirements, and follows our codes of conduct. Compliance helps manage financial affairs safely, prevents crime, and eliminates bad practices, acting as guardians for customers, colleagues, assets, shareholders, and reputation. This vital, challenging, and rewarding role protects customers, defends our reputation, and defines our business practices. Without Compliance, Barclays could not operate.

See your commute

Explore location

As a Senior Sanctions Escalations Manager, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and maintaining Barclays’ sanctions framework. You will act as a central escalation point for complex sanctions queries, providing specialist guidance to internal teams and ensuring alignment with both Barclays’ internal standards and evolving international regulatory expectations. A key part of your role will involve maintaining sanctions policy documentation drafting, reviewing, and refreshing policies to ensure they remain robust, compliant, and fit for purpose.

You will also support governance processes and regulatory reporting, ensuring the bank meets its obligations with precision and integrity.

In this high-profile position, you will support the Head of Sanctions for the Investment Bank Advisory Team by advising on technically complex business initiatives and contributing to the design and effectiveness of the sanctions risk management framework. You will engage with industry bodies, monitor regulatory developments, and help shape responses to changes in the sanctions landscape. Your ability to build partnerships across Compliance, Risk, and Financial Crime teams will be essential, as will your experience in policy development and regulatory interpretation. This is a unique opportunity to influence the strategic direction of sanctions compliance within a global financial institution.

To be successful as a Senior Sanctions Escalations Manager, you should have experience with:

  • Sanctions Expertise – experience in sanctions advisory within a large financial institution.

  • Policy Development – ability to draft, review, and update regulatory and policy documents.

  • Regulatory Knowledge – Deep understanding of UK and international sanctions regimes.

  • Experience in regulatory reporting and governance processes.

You may be assessed on the key critical skills relevant for success in role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen strategic thinking and digital and technology, as well as job-specific technical skills

Your role will be located form our London office.

Purpose of the role

To identify and conduct the appropriate analysis and due diligence on Sanctions alerts to ensure the appropriate action is taken against customers and payment activity as defined by the Sanctions Standards and Restricted Activity Matrix, ensuring that the organisation adheres to all applicable sanction’s laws and regulations and internal governance, such that client accounts are not held and transactions are not processed in breach of application laws and regulations. 

Accountabilities

  • Understanding the objectives of the Global Sanctions Function and the control frameworks and embed a culture of compliance with sanctions.
  • Revision of escalated cases and confirm a True Match in line with regulations/policy accurately and in a timely manner, feeding back on instances of incorrect escalation.
  • Management and provision of guidance in the completion of complex sanctions investigations, ensuring that matters are correctly managed and follow appropriate escalation routes, while involving the relevant stakeholders early and fully.
  • Due diligence on Payment Screening alerts to determine the appropriate treatment and next steps for the payment in line with documented procedures following the defined governance process and approvals as required.
  • Escalation of Customer Screening True Matches to appropriate Business Aligned Sanctions Team for assessment.
  • Identification of opportunities to drive efficiencies in the alert management process and feed these back to the appropriate team(s) to implement.

Vice President Expectations

  • To contribute or set strategy, drive requirements and make recommendations for change. Plan resources, budgets, and policies; manage and maintain policies/ processes; deliver continuous improvements and escalate breaches of policies/procedures..
  • If managing a team, they define jobs and responsibilities, planning for the department’s future needs and operations, counselling employees on performance and contributing to employee pay decisions/changes. They may also lead a number of specialists to influence the operations of a department, in alignment with strategic as well as tactical priorities, while balancing short and long term goals and ensuring that budgets and schedules meet corporate requirements..
  • If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others..
  • OR for an individual contributor, they will be a subject matter expert within own discipline and will guide technical direction. They will lead collaborative, multi-year assignments and guide team members through structured assignments, identify the need for the inclusion of other areas of specialisation to complete assignments. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..
  • Advise key stakeholders, including functional leadership teams and senior management on functional and cross functional areas of impact and alignment.
  • Manage and mitigate risks through assessment, in support of the control and governance agenda.
  • Demonstrate leadership and accountability for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work your team does.
  • Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the organisation functions to contribute to achieving the goals of the business.
  • Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategies.
  • Create solutions based on sophisticated analytical thought comparing and selecting complex alternatives. In-depth analysis with interpretative thinking will be required to define problems and develop innovative solutions.
  • Adopt and include the outcomes of extensive research in problem solving processes.
  • Seek out, build and maintain trusting relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders in order to accomplish key business objectives, using influencing and negotiating skills to achieve outcomes.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.

Barclays welcomes applications from all candidates and is committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments (accommodations) are put in place to allow for a fair and inclusive recruitment process. For more information and how to request one, please review Adjustments to the recruitment process.

We’re a global, vital and highly respected financial organisation with an inspiring Purpose. Operating in 39 countries and employing around 100,000 people across the world, we help communities, individuals and businesses thrive. And we’ve created financial solutions and technology that the world now takes for granted. A career with us can offer incredible variety, depth and breadth of experience, and the chance to learn from some of the best minds in technology and finance.

To find out more about Barclays' strategy please click here.

We are an equal opportunity employer and opposed to discrimination on any grounds. It is the policy of Barclays to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, colour, creed, religion, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law.

Barclays is required by law to confirm that you have the Legal Right to Work in any role that you apply for. If you currently hold a work visa sponsored by Barclays, or you would require sponsorship from Barclays, you must declare this as part of your application. Sponsored visas are role and entity specific and any changes must be reviewed. It is important that you ensure you are working on the correct visa at all times. Failure to accurately disclose your visa status or Legal Right to Work may result in your application or any employment offer being withdrawn at any time.

This is Barclays London

Our global HQ is in Canary Wharf, at the heart of London’s financial district. There are over 10,000 colleagues here – a hugely diverse workforce made up of the world’s best financial and tech talent. If you love the buzz of city life, this is the place to be.

Cycle or run to work? We’ve got everything you need – from cycle hire and parking areas to new showering and changing facilities.

CoSpace is our drop-in co-working space, where networks are built, problems are solved collectively and our community is strengthened.

Our Wellness Suite includes a well-equipped gym and exercise studios, and provides personal training sessions and massage therapy.

Our new trading floors enhance communication, integrate sustainability, and support health and wellbeing through innovative design and British-sourced furniture.

This is Barclays London

Our global HQ is in Canary Wharf, at the heart of London’s financial district. There are over 10,000 colleagues here – a hugely diverse workforce made up of the world’s best financial and tech talent. If you love the buzz of city life, this is the place to be.

Supporting active commuters

Cycle or run to work? We’ve got everything you need – from cycle hire and parking areas to new showering and changing facilities.

Time to connect

CoSpace is our drop-in co-working space, where networks are built, problems are solved collectively and our community is strengthened.

Wellbeing in focus

Our Wellness Suite includes a well-equipped gym and exercise studios, and provides personal training sessions and massage therapy.

Advanced trading floors

Our new trading floors enhance communication, integrate sustainability, and support health and wellbeing through innovative design and British-sourced furniture.

Multicultural ERGs at Barclays

Be you. Be valued. Belong.

We celebrate the unique perspectives and experiences each individual brings, believing our differences make us stronger and drive success.

You can learn more about our commitment to our colleague on our Inclusion and Opportunities page.

Learn more

Application Process

Your application

We’ll ask for information about you, your CV and cover letter.

1

Your assessment

Covering your behaviours and ability at work.

2

Your interview

Exploring your past experiences and skills.

3

Next step

We’ll request additional information so that you can complete our screening process

4
How to ApplyRead our FAQ's
Barclays

Working flexibly

We’re committed to providing a supportive and inclusive culture and environment for you to work in. This environment recognises and supports your personal needs, alongside the professional needs of our business. If you'd like to explore flexible working arrangements, please discuss this with the hiring manager. Your request will be reviewed in-line with the requirements of the role/business needs of the team.

Hybrid working

We have a structured approach to hybrid working, where colleagues work at an onsite location on fixed, ‘anchor’, days, as set by the business area. Please discuss the working pattern requirements for the role you are applying for with the hiring manager. Please note that working arrangements may be subject to change on reasonable notice to ensure we meet the needs of our business.

Barclays is built on an international scale.

Our geographic reach, our wide variety of functions, businesses, roles and locations reflect the rich diversity of our worldwide customer base. All of which means we offer incredible variety, depth and breadth of experience.
And the chance to learn from a globally diverse mix of colleagues, including some of the very best minds in banking, finance, technology and business. Throughout, we’ll encourage you to embrace mobility, exploring every part of our operations as you build your career.

Find more information

Related content

Related Jobs


Regulatory & Policy Change Manager

London (United Kingdom)

11 Jul
UK Corporate Business Oversight Compliance Lead

London (United Kingdom)

02 Jul
Head of Customer Protection Thematic

London (United Kingdom)

20 Feb
Multicultural ERGs at Barclays

Be you. Be valued. Belong.

We celebrate the unique perspectives and experiences each individual brings, believing our differences make us stronger and drive success.

You can learn more about our commitment to our colleague on our Inclusion and Opportunities page.

Learn more