Fractional MLRO | Hire a Fractional MLRO

15 minutes · video or phone

Book 15 minutes to hire a fractional MLRO

Tell us the scope and the days a week. We come back with MLRO candidates, their day rates and availability.

0115 minutes, video or phone
02We scope the role and the days a week
03A shortlist of 3–5 after the call
04Fractional, interim and permanent briefs

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On the board · last 3 months

Fractional MLRO jobs on the board

0 Fractional MLRO · 1 legal and compliance

No Fractional MLRO roles on the board in the last three months. Showing legal and compliance roles instead.

FractionalSyndicated
Fractional General Counsel
Ffern · London
est £1,000/day1 d/wk

Browse every role on the board →

Fractional MLRO roles on the board

Fractional Quest is a fractional recruitment agency: send a MLRO brief and we come back with a shortlist of three to five vetted candidates.

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01/ the role

What is a fractional MLRO?

A fractional MLRO provides Money Laundering Reporting Officer services on a part-time basis, typically 1–2 days per week (FD Capital).

FD Capital puts a fractional MLRO at £400–£650/day for SME/start-up environments, and an experienced practitioner holding SMF17 for several firms at £400–£600/day.

Its sector bands, from £450–£700/day in consumer credit to £1,000–£1,500/day at Tier 1 institutions, are interim day rates for full-time cover.

See fractional MLRO salary for the full picture.

They bring senior-level AML compliance expertise to regulated financial services companies requiring dedicated MLRO oversight without full-time regulatory overhead.

Critical regulatory note: The MLRO (SMF17) is a named, FCA-approved, personally-accountable role that cannot be fully outsourced.

Fractional means a qualified individual holds the role part-time, or a specialist retainer wraps around an internal MLRO.

This ensures proper regulatory accountability while providing cost-effective compliance expertise.

Fractional MLROs often work with smaller banks, fintech companies, payment institutions, and investment firms that need qualified regulatory leadership but operate below the threshold requiring full-time MLRO presence.

They establish compliance frameworks, manage regulatory relationships, and ensure ongoing AML obligations are met.

02/ scope

Core fractional MLRO responsibilities

AML compliance oversight

Developing and maintaining anti-money laundering policies, procedures, and controls.

Conducting risk assessments, implementing customer due diligence frameworks, and ensuring compliance with UK MLRs, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, and FCA regulations.

A firm's own risk assessment has to take account of HM Treasury's national risk assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing.

Industry practice follows the JMLSG guidance, which HM Treasury approves.

Regulatory reporting and liaison

Managing suspicious activity reporting (SARs), regulatory correspondence, and examinations.

Acting as primary contact with FCA, NCA, and other regulatory bodies while maintaining comprehensive compliance records and audit trails.

Staff training and governance

Designing and delivering AML training programmes, establishing compliance monitoring, and implementing governance frameworks.

Building compliance culture and ensuring staff understand their obligations under money laundering regulations.

Systems and process implementation

Implementing AML monitoring systems, transaction screening tools, and compliance reporting platforms.

Establishing automated controls, alert management processes, and integration with existing financial crime prevention systems.

Sanctions screening sits alongside AML: the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation publishes the guidance firms follow to comply with UK financial sanctions.

How to hire a fractional MLRO

To hire a fractional MLRO, remember the regulatory constraint: SMF17 is a named, FCA-approved, personally-accountable role, so you're appointing a qualified individual to hold it part-time — not outsourcing it.

Match sector experience to your permissions (payments, e-money, consumer credit, crypto or banking), agree days per week (typically 1–2, per FD Capital) and rate in writing, and plan for an engagement that carries you through regulatory examinations.

Our five-stage vetting process checks FCA qualification before any candidate reaches you.

03/ the week

How a week divides.

Part of a week is the point of the model: the days you buy are yours, the rest of the week goes to other clients. Move the days a week and the week redraws.

Days a week for your company2 days

Your companyAnother clientA third client

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Illustration only: one way a fractional MLRO’s week can divide at 2 days a week for you. Each block is half a day.

04/ the board

What the board holds.

A read of the roles on the board on this page, counted as they stand: how each is engaged, whether the posting gives the days and the rate, and where the work happens.

On this board, last 90 days · 1 role · legal and compliance

Engagement

Fractional1

Days a week

Stated in the posting1
Not stated0

Day rate

Verified rate0
Estimated (est)1
Rate not stated0

Work arrangement (as the job feed classifies it)

Remote0
Hybrid1
On-site0

Newest posting on the board: 3 Oct 2026.

05/ the route

Fractional, interim or permanent?

Four taps. The answer names the route for the seat and the page that covers it.

How much of the week does the work fill?

Is there a fixed end or a programme?

Does the seat sit on the board for years?

Is the need now, or can it wait for a search?

The route · Fractional

A fractional MLRO.

The work fills part of the week, so buy the days it needs.

A fractional MLRO holds the seat on agreed days for as long as the seat is needed, and works for other clients on the rest.

The fractional MLRO roles on this page Talk it through

06/ rates by stage

Rates by regulatory complexity

FD Capital's published MLRO day rates, 2026. Only the SME/start-up row is a fractional rate; FD Capital heads its sector column 'Interim Day Rate', so the sector rows are interim rates for full-time cover, shown for comparison.

Regulatory ComplexityDay RateFocus

Fractional, SME/Start-up£400–£650/day (FD Capital)Basic AML framework, SMF17 designation

Interim, Payment/E-money£500–£800/day interim (FD Capital)Transaction monitoring, payment compliance

Interim, Consumer Credit/Crypto£450–£700 consumer credit · £600–£900 crypto /day interim (FD Capital)Enhanced risk management, sector compliance

Interim, Tier 1/Complex£1,000–£1,500/day interim (FD Capital)Advanced AML programmes, regulatory complexity

07/ timing

When to hire a fractional MLRO

Common scenarios where fractional MLRO expertise delivers maximum compliance value with optimal regulatory cost efficiency

Scenario 01

FCA Authorisation

Licensing application

— you need qualified MLRO designation for regulatory approval without full-time commitment

Scenario 02

Compliance Gap

Regulatory upgrade

— establish professional AML framework for growing financial services business

Scenario 03

Regulatory Visit

FCA examination

— experienced MLRO guidance through regulatory scrutiny and remediation

Scenario 04

System Implementation

AML technology upgrade

— transition to professional monitoring systems with regulatory expertise

08/ vetting

How vetting and shortlisting work

What we undertake on every brief: five-stage vetting as described on /vetting, and a shortlist of 3–5 with day rate, availability and IR35 position set out.

01
Qualification screen
Verify MLRO tenure, sector context and stage fit.
SOURCING
02
Mandate fit
Match to your situation — stage, board dynamics, timing.
MATCHING
03
Reference deep-dive
We take references ourselves, from recent past clients — real outcomes, not titles.
VERIFY
04
Shortlist
Three to five candidates with day rate, availability and IR35 position set out.
SHORTLIST OF 3–5

09/ the appointment

Appointing a part-time MLRO — SMF17, FCA approval and the nominated officer

Before you appoint a part-time MLRO, check which regime your firm sits under, because it changes what the appointment involves.

In firms covered by the Senior Managers and Certification Regime, the Money Laundering Reporting Officer is a Senior Management Function — SMF17 — and SMF holders need FCA or PRA approval before they start.

The FCA notes that SMF16 (Compliance Oversight) and SMF17 are often held by people who are not members of the governing body, and its guide for solo-regulated firms confirms that one person can hold more than one SMF, with approval sought for each.

Not every AML-regulated business is in the SM&CR: the FCA's approved persons pages note that a firm only registered for payment services or issuing e-money does not fall under it.

The Money Laundering Regulations 2017 still apply their own internal controls — a nominated officer to receive internal disclosures, the supervisor told who holds the role, and, for e-money issuers and payment service providers, a named individual monitoring AML compliance.

Reports that leave the business go to the NCA as suspicious activity reports.

Part-time works when the days match the firm's risk and its volume of alerts, and when cover is agreed for absences.

If you also need someone to own the wider compliance function, see part-time compliance jobs or a part-time chief compliance officer.

10/ questions

Fractional MLRO FAQ

The questions people ask before bringing in a fractional MLRO.

To hire a Money Laundering Reporting Officer part-time, start from the regulatory requirement: the MLRO (SMF17) is a named, FCA-approved, personally-accountable role, so you're appointing a qualified individual to hold it rather than outsourcing the function. Match sector experience to your permissions — payments, e-money, consumer credit, crypto or banking — then agree days per week (typically 1–2, per FD Capital) and rate in writing. Engagements often extend through regulatory examinations and compliance programme implementations.

FD Capital puts a fractional MLRO at £400–£650 a day in SME and start-up environments, or £30,000–£60,000 a year pro rata at 1–2 days a week. Its interim day rates by sector run from £450–£700 in consumer credit to £1,000–£1,500 at Tier 1 institutions, and its permanent salaries from £70,000 to £350,000+ by firm type. See fractional MLRO salary, interim MLRO salary and MLRO salary.

Typically 1–2 days per week (FD Capital), often more intensively during regulatory deadlines, examination periods, compliance reviews and implementation phases, then lighter for ongoing monitoring and regulatory maintenance.

Typically smaller banks, fintech companies, payment institutions, and investment firms with regulatory obligations but limited transaction volumes, that need qualified MLRO designation without full-time regulatory overhead.

Yes, they design and oversee compliance monitoring systems, review suspicious activity, and manage alert investigations. They work with existing operations teams to ensure consistent AML procedures and regulatory obligations are met.

The initial AML risk assessment comes first, then the policy framework, then the full compliance programme. How long each takes depends on the firm's permissions, size and starting point — agree the milestones in the engagement letter.

In firms covered by the Senior Managers and Certification Regime, yes: the MLRO holds SMF17, and SMF holders need FCA or PRA approval before they start, whether they work full-time or part-time. A firm only registered for payment services or e-money is outside the SM&CR, but the Money Laundering Regulations still require it to appoint a nominated officer and tell its supervisor who that is.

Fractional MLROs are an ongoing part-time resource, typically 1–2 days a week (FD Capital). Interim MLROs are temporary full-time coverage, usually during MLRO recruitment or major regulatory remediation programmes.

Many specialise in particular sectors - banking, payment services, investment management, or cryptocurrency. This specialisation allows them to bring proven AML frameworks, sector-specific risk knowledge, and regulatory relationships relevant to your business type.