Senior Consultant – Job Description

The Business

Square 4 is a dynamic and ambitious firm that specialises in providing consulting and resourcing services. We provide tailored advisory support to regulated firms on all governance, risk and compliance related matters and temporary resource to support short term operational challenges. Our mission in supporting firms across a complex and challenging regulatory agenda is to provide an unrivalled level of interaction – service and expertise, helping to protect firms and allowing them to ultimately grow and thrive.

At Square 4, we embody a spirit of innovation, dedication, and excellence in everything we do. We take pride in serving a diverse range of clients, spanning from various segments within the financial services industry such as Retail Banks, Consumer Credit, Life and Pensions, Wealth and Asset Managers, Private Equity, to Utilities and Telecommunications firms.

We are a commercial business, but our purpose and values extend beyond top line. We want our business to be a force for good and are committed to making a difference for our people, our clients, and our communities.

We are committed to making a difference for our people, our clients, and our communities and so with a name like Square 4, it was an easy decision to give 4% of our earnings back to charities yearly.

Responsibilities

The primarily responsibility of the Senior Consultant is to support in the delivery of advisory engagements to our clients. Additionally, the role entails contributing to ‘take to market’ initiatives and business development.

Key aspects associated with the role include:

• Acting as an ambassador for Square 4 across the industry.

• Leading the development of bespoke solutions to enable our clients to meet their regulatory and operational obligations.

• Leading on the production of material and activities for all aspects of client delivery such as training, reports, presentations, business gap analysis, project planning, risk management, in-depth case reviews, time management in line with the project budget.

• Providing regulatory and conduct risk-focused subject matter expertise as required to support the delivery of our existing and prospective engagements.

• Supporting in business development activity by providing regulatory and industry insights, contributing to thought leadership content, participating in webinars and roundtables, engaging with stakeholders, supporting sales bids, delivering presentations, and other relevant tasks.

• Providing leadership to a team of consultants, including associate resources and supporting the advisory director's directives.

• Assisting in the recruitment of new team members.

• Actively participating in client account management, developing and fostering close relationships with key stakeholders.

• Working collaboratively across the business to support strategic initiatives, business planning, operations and other activities to support the ongoing growth of the business.

You should relish the opportunity to take on immediate responsibility and gain a wide range of experience from day one as part of a fast-growing company.

Core Values, Behaviours and Requirements

You have, and can demonstrate, the following skills and attributes:

• Alignment with our core values: Entrepreneurial, Collaborative, Relationship Driven and Committed to Delivery Excellence.

• An outstanding work ethic combined with a desire for continuous learning and personal development.

• Exceptional multitasking skills, coupled with fantastic organisation and acute attention to detail.

• Strong analytical and gap analysis ability.

• A can-do attitude and an ability to “get things done” efficiently under tight deadlines, with the ability to prioritise and adapt accordingly.

• Creative problem-solving abilities, maintaining an innovative and solution-orientated approach.

• Proactive and high-energy demeanour, coupled with confidence in your own ability and skillset.

• Outstanding professional communication skills – both written and oral.

• Proficient in communicating effectively and transparently with team members, actively listening to others' perspectives and providing constructive feedback when necessary.

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate seamlessly within cross-functional teams, fostering a culture of trust, respect, and mutual support.

• Knowledge and a practical understanding of the UK financial services sector and FCA regulatory agenda.

• A comprehensive understanding of the regulatory and supervisory landscape.

• A thorough understanding of the ‘nature’ of consulting, with a strong ability to apply a consultancy mindset to everyday tasks (demonstrating conscientious consultancy principles).

Company Benefits

We provide the following benefits to our permanent employees:

• The opportunity to work in a fast-growing company with a well-defined mission and values that are actively practiced each day.

• Option to work remotely or in our London-based office.

• Flexible working arrangements tailored to accommodate business requirements.

• Unlimited holiday to promote work-life balance.

• Corporate away days, including team-building activities.

• Opportunities to take part in volunteer days.

• Investment in personal development and support for career aspirations through provided funding for training and qualifications.

• Pension scheme.

• Private medical insurance provided by BUPA.

If you’re interested in exploring the next stage of your career with Square 4, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Role overview:
A key support role responsible for managing mortgage applications from submission through to completion, ensuring a smooth and timely customer journey.

Key responsibilities:

•    Manage applications through the end-to-end mortgage process
•    Collect, review, and validate documentation
•    Act as a point of contact for brokers and internal stakeholders
•    Support underwriters to ensure cases progress efficiently

Experience:

•    Experience in mortgage administration, case handling, or application processing
•    Familiarity with mortgage products (Equity Release an advantage)
•    Organised, proactive, and customer-focused

Role overview:

We’re looking for an experienced Senior Underwriter to lead complex mortgage and equity release cases, providing high-quality underwriting decisions and supporting best practice across the team.

Key responsibilities:

•    Underwrite complex mortgage and equity release cases in line with policy and regulatory standards
•    Provide technical guidance and mentoring to underwriters
•    Support quality assurance, policy interpretation, and process improvement
•    Act as a senior escalation point for risk and lending decisions

Experience:

•    Significant underwriting experience, ideally including Equity Release
•    Strong knowledge of mortgage regulation and risk assessment
•    Confident decision-maker with excellent stakeholder communication skills

• Deep Subject Matter Expertise:
  We are looking for highly skilled specialists with comprehensive knowledge of AML, CDD/EDD, Sanctions, and Transaction Monitoring. The candidate should be an authority on the subject, able to distinguish between false positives and true risks, and capable of explaining complex typologies to beginners with absolute clarity.
• Training Delivery & Material Optimization:
  The candidate is not expected to build training programs from scratch; they will utilize our existing training materials and curriculum. However, we value an expert eye, and the ideal candidate should be capable of providing feedback and recommendations to improve the content where necessary. The primary focus is on high-quality delivery and facilitation rather than content creation.
• Rapid Technical & Process Ramp-Up (1-2 Months):
  Since the candidate already possesses core AML knowledge, their primary focus will be mastering our specific internal environment. We expect a ramp-up period of 1-2 months, during which they must fully learn our proprietary tools, back-office systems, and workflow processes. They need to achieve a level of proficiency that allows them to not just use the tools, but to teach and demo them to others with confidence.
• Operational "In-the-Trenches" Background:
  We are not looking for academic theorists; we need practitioners. Candidates must have significant hands-on experience working alerts, conducting investigations, or handling SARs. This operational credibility is essential, allowing them to answer "what if" scenarios from new joiners with real-world examples rather than textbook answers. Also, for the to be successful in the mentoring phase of the onboarding itself. 
• Autonomy & "Ready Product" Mindset:
  We seek self-starters who require minimal supervision. The candidate must be able to walk into a new environment, identify learning gaps, absorb internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and start delivering value immediately. They must be comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment where processes may evolve quickly.
• Cross-Jurisdictional Awareness:
  Experience working with diverse markets or knowledge of multiple regulatory frameworks (e.g., EU Directives, UK FCA, US BSA) is highly desirable, as the role involves training teams in various locations to think globally while acting locally. 

Working in the Risk and Compliance Department providing Second line of defense to the business and reporting into the Compliance and Risk Department Manager

Responsibilities will include Compliance Monitoring, Compliance Advisory and Risk Management including providing senior management with timely, accurate and focused information and reporting

Requires working knowledge of the FCA regulatory framework,  be an  effective communicator at all levels with excellent presentation skills

Main Responsibilities:

Responsible for the delivery of high-quality risk-based Compliance monitoring activities across the business.

Activities include regular 2nd line QA and Outcomes testing plus desk-based sample reviews to test both compliance with regulation/legislation to ensure the delivery of good customer outcomes are being achieved

Production of timely management information for submission to monthly Risk and Compliance Committee

Provide guidance to management and other departments on regulatory issues and compliance matters

Advise on and help develop the financial crime framework to ensure it aligns with all legal and regulatory requirements

Conduct Horizon scanning and for Senior Management to identify regulatory announcements and upcoming changes

Compiling briefing notes covering key regulatory updates and announcements for senior management

Maintaining a working knowledge of the regulatory environment to ensure proactive communication, intervention and countermeasures are timely and effective

Location:

Hybrid working of 3 days per week on client site in Bracknell