Compliance & Surveillance Analyst

At Mako, we believe in the power of collaboration to drive innovation in pursuit of our collective ambition; excellence in trading. Our diverse community is connected through a commitment to being the best we can be with the highest standards of integrity.

The Compliance & Surveillance Analyst is a key member of the firm's Compliance function, joining a high-performing team with significant individual responsibility. The role combines specialist responsibility for trade surveillance with broader compliance responsibilities across the Mako Group.

The Analyst will act as the firm's primary trade surveillance specialist within Compliance, overseeing the surveillance framework, reviewing and enhancing its methodology and procedures, performing quality assurance, investigating escalations and ensuring the firm's trading activity remains appropriately monitored as the business develops.

Alongside surveillance, the role will take ownership of a broad range of compliance responsibilities across the Group, providing practical support to the business and ensuring key compliance processes are effective and well controlled. This is a hands-on role requiring sound judgment, independence and a continuous-improvement mindset. The successful candidate will be expected to understand the processes they own, challenge how they operate and identify opportunities to strengthen, streamline or automate them. An interest in AI and new technology, together with a willingness to learn and apply new tools, is important.

What you’ll be involved in:

Trade Surveillance

Act as the primary point of expertise within Compliance for the firm's trade surveillance framework, including: 

• Oversee the effectiveness of the firm's trade surveillance arrangements, working closely with Middle Office to ensure alerts are generated, reviewed and closed appropriately and that issues are identified and addressed promptly.
• Act as the primary Compliance contact for surveillance-related issues, including unexpected alert volumes, missing or incomplete alerts, data or system issues.
• Perform monthly, risk-based QA of surveillance alerts, identifying weaknesses, control gaps and opportunities for improvement.
• Investigate escalated surveillance matters through to a conclusion and make a reasoned STOR or no-STOR recommendation to the Head of Compliance.
• Lead the annual Market Abuse Risk Assessment (MARA) review from a surveillance perspective, keeping the firm's arrangements aligned with its trading activities, products, markets and relevant market-abuse risks.
• Lead the annual review of surveillance alert parameters, assessing scenarios and thresholds and recommending changes where appropriate.
• Ensure new markets, instruments and trading venues are appropriately considered and incorporated into the surveillance framework as the firm's trading activity develops.
• Maintain and improve trade surveillance policies, procedures and supporting documentation.
• Lead the implementation, migration or material enhancement of trade surveillance systems where required, including requirements gathering, configuration, testing, data validation, parallel running and go-live.

General Compliance Responsibilities

Take ownership of a range of recurring and ad hoc compliance responsibilities across the Mako Group, including:

• Manage the Compliance inbox: respond to internal and external routine queries and requests, identify underlying issues, and escalate matters requiring more senior judgment.
• Provide practical compliance support to the business, including day-to-day questions from traders and other employees through established channels.
• Own the day-to-day operation of personal account dealing and related controls, applying judgment to requests and identifying and escalating unusual or higher-risk activity.
• Manage KYC-related compliance requests and ensure they are completed accurately and in line with the firm's requirements.
• Execute the Compliance Monitoring Programme (CMP): complete monthly and periodic tests accurately and on time and identify opportunities to improve test scope or methodology.
• Coordinate and deliver compliance inductions for new joiners, keeping content current and delivering sessions where appropriate.
• Support the annual compliance training programme, including updating content, coordinating completion and following up outstanding training.
• Manage the operational aspects of the annual SM&CR attestation process.
• Oversee the completion of routine daily and periodic compliance reporting and submissions, ensuring required processes are completed accurately and on time.
• Handle routine regulatory enquiries, questionnaires and errors & omissions notifications across the firm's regulators and jurisdictions internationally, escalating substantive or significant matters appropriately.
• Maintain accurate records and evidence of compliance activities so that processes are sufficiently documented to support oversight and auditability.

Process Improvement, Automation and Technology

A key expectation of the role is to improve the way compliance operates as the firm's business develops:

• Review existing compliance processes critically and identify opportunities to improve their effectiveness, efficiency and control; challenge manual or repetitive processes where there may be a better way of working.
• Contribute to the firm's programme of compliance automation and modernisation, helping identify suitable use cases and translate compliance requirements into practical solutions.
• Take ownership of process-improvement initiatives and drive them through to implementation, ensuring changes are documented, tested and embedded into sustainable processes.

Advisory and Projects

• Provide practical compliance input to the Compliance Manager and the business within areas of responsibility.
• Support the Compliance Manager on defined compliance projects and regulatory initiatives, and independently lead smaller projects or workstreams, coordinating internal stakeholders and external providers as required.
• Maintain an up-to-date understanding of the firm's activities and relevant compliance requirements and provide informed day-to-day guidance as the business, products, markets and regulatory obligations evolve.

What we need from you:

Qualifications — essential

• Educated to degree level, preferably in law, finance, economics or a related discipline.
• Other relevant compliance qualifications, such as an ICA certificate or diploma (or equivalent).

Experience and Knowledge — essential

• At least 4–5 years' relevant compliance experience within a trading firm, market maker, investment firm or another regulated financial services environment.
• Practical trade surveillance experience, including reviewing or overseeing surveillance arrangements, and a good understanding of market-abuse risks and surveillance methodologies.
• Hands-on experience of surveillance processes — alert review, quality assurance, alert scenarios or parameters, surveillance procedures and escalation handling.
• A good working knowledge of the UK market abuse regime, including UK MAR and the FCA's expectations on market conduct and surveillance.
• The ability to operate independently within a compliance function and exercise sound judgment on compliance issues, across multiple jurisdictions.
• A track record of managing recurring compliance processes and completing work accurately, consistently and on time.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to give practical compliance advice clearly to traders and other stakeholders.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities in a small Compliance team.

Experience and Knowledge — desirable

• Experience contributing to a trade surveillance system implementation, migration or significant system change (requirements gathering, configuration, parameterisation, testing, data validation or parallel running).
• Experience conducting or contributing to a Market Abuse Risk Assessment or reviewing surveillance coverage against market-abuse typologies.
• Experience investigating surveillance escalations and preparing STOR recommendations.
• Experience with communications monitoring or other market-conduct monitoring.
• Exposure to derivatives, proprietary trading and/or market-making activity.
• Experience working across multiple regulatory jurisdictions in an international financial services environment.
• Familiarity with the regulatory framework applicable to investment firms, including MiFID/MIFIDPRU and SM&CR.
• Experience using automation, workflow or AI tools to improve compliance processes.

This is an opportunity for someone with a solid foundation in compliance and trade surveillance who wants to take greater ownership of their work — someone comfortable asking questions, solving problems and improving how things are done, not simply following an existing process.

We are Mako

At Mako, we are welcoming, inclusive and collaborative. We work fast and smart in a supportive and dress-down environment that allows colleagues to be themselves and achieve great things. We uphold the principles of a flat structure that offers unrivalled engagement with senior leadership and career development opportunities. We have a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Flexible leave and hybrid working policies
• Private health and dental insurance
• Generous pension scheme
• Free access to the Mako gym
• Employee wellbeing guidance and support
• Opportunity to become involved in the rewarding work of the Mako Foundation

About Mako

Mako is a leading options market maker with a global trading footprint. It has been at the forefront of options market making since 1999, from the open outcry trading pits to screen trading and automated algorithmic execution strategies that are driving the future of the industry.

From offices in London, Dublin, Amsterdam, Singapore, Sydney, Brisbane and Chengdu, Mako offers the best-in-class liquidity solutions across Equities, Fixed Income, Commodities and FX derivatives markets and prides itself in its entrepreneurial, collaborative and philanthropic culture.

If you require any reasonable adjustments or assistance during the recruitment process, please email hr@mako.com and we will arrange this.

For further information on the Mako Group please refer to our website: www.mako.com.

Mako does not accept unsolicited CVs or candidate details from recruiters or search firms and will not pay any fees to such firms without a signed agreement.