KYC Analyst Institutional Clients

Who are we?

iBanFirst is a fast-growing European fintech that is revolutionising international payments for SMEs. Founded in 2016, our platform empowers Small & Medium Multinationals (SMMs) to regain control over their payment operations: currency conversion, international transactions and foreign exchange risk management across 140 countries — quickly, transparently and securely.

We make life easier for SMEs through an advanced technology platform — automation, APIs and AI — combined with dedicated expertise. We offer the best of both worlds: the agility of a SaaS solution and the reliability of a trusted partner.

By simplifying complexity, iBanFirst helps thousands of bold companies seize international business opportunities with peace of mind.

Key figures

• 350+ employees across 14 offices in 11 European countries

• 30+ nationalities represented

• 10,000 corporate clients

• €80M in revenue in 2025, with a target of around €100M in 2026

• A profitable and fast-growing company

• Ranked among the fastest-growing European companies in the Financial Times FT1000

• An NPS of 87.5, reflecting strong client satisfaction with the simplicity, speed and quality of our service

A strong culture built around four core values

• Team First: The complexity of our industry demands collective intelligence. We prioritise cooperation, transparency and knowledge sharing. Success is a team effort.

• Tenacity: We are transforming a challenging and highly regulated market. It requires endurance, fast learning and resilience.

• Transformation: Innovation is a necessity in a constantly evolving sector. We innovate with intent and focus on improvements that create real impact.

• Trust: Trust is the foundation of everything we build. It is driven by ownership, autonomy, transparency, rigor and reliability.

Why join us?

• Work in a strategic and highly regulated sector: international payments for SMEs.

• Contribute to a meaningful mission supporting companies operating internationally.

• Develop expertise in institutional client onboarding, KYC, AML and financial crime risk.

• Collaborate with Sales, Compliance, Operations and other control functions.

• Join a profitable, fast-growing fintech where your work has a direct impact on client onboarding and risk management.

• Grow in an international and multicultural environment.

Recruitment Context

As iBanFirst continues to grow its institutional client activity across Europe, we are strengthening our KYC Operations team.

We are looking for a KYC Analyst to assess complex institutional and corporate clients throughout the client lifecycle.

The role covers new client onboarding, enhanced due diligence, periodic reviews, event-driven reviews and the escalation of higher-risk cases.

While the position is based in Paris with a primary focus on Institutional Client onboarding, the scope is expected to include both French GFA and Institutional Clients, as well as exposure to Luxembourg-specific activities. Experience with SPVs, investment funds, and complex ownership structures would therefore be highly valuable.

You will contribute to ensuring that iBanFirst understands how legal entities are owned, controlled and operated, and that proposed client relationships are consistent with the company’s risk appetite and regulatory obligations.

Manager & Team

You will report to Sabin, KYC Team Lead, who is based in Bucharest.

You will join a 24-person Due Diligence team distributed across four offices: Paris, London, Bucharest and Sofia.

You will work in an international and collaborative environment, coordinating with colleagues across locations on client due diligence, complex KYC/AML cases and risk assessments.

What will you do?

As a KYC Analyst — Institutional Clients, you will assess complex institutional and corporate clients across Europe and provide clear, well-supported and audit-ready recommendations.

Client onboarding, due diligence and risk assessment

• Manage KYC and AML reviews for new institutional and corporate clients, from initial assessment through approval, rejection or escalation.

• Understand the client’s business model, legal structure, intended use of the iBanFirst platform and expected transaction activity.

• Identify and verify UBOs, controlling persons, directors, authorised signatories and other relevant stakeholders.

• Analyse complex ownership and control structures across jurisdictions, including layered, indirect and nominee arrangements.

• Assess source of wealth, source of funds, investment rationale, expected activity and relevant counterparties.

• Perform sanctions, PEP, adverse media and reputational screening.

• Assess wider financial crime risks and determine when enhanced due diligence is required.

• Define the evidence required to complete a review.

• Prepare clear recommendations and escalation notes.

• Maintain complete, consistent and audit-ready client files.

Institutional client expertise

You will work on a broad range of institutional structures, including:

• Private equity funds;

• Venture capital funds;

• Real estate and debt funds;

• Alternative investment funds;

• Fund vehicles;

• Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs);

• Holding companies;

• Project finance structures;

• Garantie Financière d’Achèvement (GFA) structures;

• Asset managers;

• Family offices;

• Collection accounts;

• Other multi-layered international structures.

Success in this role requires understanding why a structure exists, how money moves through it, who ultimately controls it and whether the relationship is consistent with its stated purpose and risk profile.

Stakeholder and client management

• Act as a trusted and independent KYC partner to Institutional Clients Sales.

• Provide clear guidance on KYC requirements, potential blockers and expected timelines.

• Explain KYC requirements in a professional and solutions-oriented way.

• Work closely with Compliance, Operations and other control functions on complex cases.

• Manage competing priorities and keep stakeholders informed of progress, decisions and timelines.

• Balance client experience with robust and independent risk management.

Ongoing reviews and process improvement

• Perform periodic and event-driven reviews in line with client risk classification and internal standards.

• Assess changes in ownership, control, business activity, jurisdictions, key persons, counterparties and transaction behaviour.

• Reassess client risk ratings when new information or changed circumstances warrant it.

• Review unusual or inconsistent activity in partnership with relevant Monitoring and Compliance teams.

• Contribute to procedures, risk frameworks, templates, playbooks and quality controls.

• Support remediation exercises, thematic reviews, audit requests, regulatory change projects and quality assurance initiatives.

• Share expertise with the wider KYC team.

• Contribute to strengthening institutional-client onboarding standards.

How you will work

The role combines individual ownership with close collaboration.

You will be expected to:

• Take responsibility for your cases;

• Ask the right questions early;

• Communicate clearly with internal stakeholders;

• Involve the appropriate control functions when a broader view is required;

• Move comfortably between detailed document analysis, structured risk writing and stakeholder discussions;

• Explain complex conclusions simply;

• Support your conclusions with clear and reliable evidence.

What success looks like

• Institutional clients are onboarded and reviewed to a consistently high standard.

• Risk assessments are accurate, proportionate, well-reasoned and fully documented.

• Escalations are timely, structured and supported by clear recommendations.

• Sales and control functions view KYC as a trusted, pragmatic and independent partner.

• Onboarding timelines improve without weakening controls or creating avoidable rework.

• Client files remain complete, current and audit-ready.

• You contribute measurable improvements to processes, guidance and institutional-client standards.

What do you bring?

Required experience

• At least 3 years of relevant experience in KYC, AML, Compliance or financial crime prevention.

• Demonstrated experience assessing complex institutional, investment or corporate client structures.

• Experience working in a regulated financial institution or another environment with formal financial crime controls.

• A track record of making sound, evidence-based decisions and escalating risks appropriately.

Technical knowledge

• AML and counter-terrorist financing frameworks and risk-based approaches.

• Sanctions compliance, PEP screening and adverse media analysis.

• Corporate ownership and control analysis, including UBO identification.

• Enhanced due diligence, source of wealth and source of funds assessments.

• Investment fund structures, asset management ecosystems and institutional operating models.

• Real estate investment vehicles, SPVs, holding companies and cross-border ownership structures.

• Practical application of internal policies, regulatory expectations and documented risk appetite.

Skills and competencies

• Strong analytical, investigative and critical-thinking skills.

• Ability to understand, map and challenge complex ownership structures.

• Sound judgement and professional scepticism.

• Comfort making decisions with incomplete information.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to produce clear case assessments and escalation notes.

• Commercial awareness and the ability to balance client experience with robust risk management.

• High attention to detail and strong documentation discipline.

• Ability to manage deadlines and competing priorities.

• Collaborative mindset and willingness to share expertise.

Languages and qualifications

• Fluent French and English, written and spoken, are mandatory.

• An additional European language is a plus.

• CAMS, ICA, ACAMS or another recognised AML or financial crime qualification is desirable but not mandatory.

What do we offer?

• Permanent contract (CDI)

• Office location: Paris, France

• Hybrid work policy: 1 remote day per week

• €45,000–€50,000 gross annual salary

• Swile meal card

• AXA health insurance

• 50% commuter benefit reimbursement

• RTT — additional paid days off

• Wellpass (Gymlib) subscription

• Company-wide events, team offsites and regular social activities

Recruitment Process

1. Screening call with Malorie Petitjean (Talent Acquisition Specialist)

— 30 minutes – remote via Teams

— Purpose: General fit, motivation, relevant experience, salary expectations and availability.

2. Interview with Sabin Ciocanelli (KYC Operations Manager)

— 30 minutes – remote via Teams

— Purpose: KYC and AML experience, understanding of complex client structures, analytical approach and day-to-day fit.

3. Interview with Sylvain Le François (KYC Team Lead)

— 30 minutes – in person in Paris

— Purpose: Technical knowledge, case ownership, communication skills, collaboration style and team fit.