What You’ll Do
- Lead, coach, and scale a high-performing team of AML investigators and operators supporting transaction monitoring alerts, case investigations, sanctions and PEP escalations, EDD reviews, partner reporting, and KYC/B escalations.
- Own day-to-day AML operations, ensuring timely alert disposition, high-quality investigative decisions, complete documentation, and adherence to SLAs, internal policies, and regulatory expectations.
- Develop, maintain, and continuously improve AML operational playbooks, SOPs, quality assurance frameworks, and escalation pathways across all workflows.
- Partner closely with Compliance leadership to operate a risk-based, scalable AML program aligned with company policy, partner requirements, and federal and state regulatory obligations.
- Collaborate with Engineering and Product teams to enhance alert workflows, improve internal tooling, drive automation initiatives, and reduce false positives while maintaining strong risk coverage.
- Analyze operational metrics to identify trends, emerging risks, quality gaps, and training opportunities; prepare regular reporting for Compliance leadership and Risk Committees.
- Conduct or support deep-dive reviews of complex or high-risk AML investigations, sanctions alerts, and EDD determinations as required.
- Support audits, examinations, and partner reviews by preparing documentation, walkthroughs, case samples, and operational performance reporting.
- Partner with transaction monitoring and sanctions program owners to share investigative insights, support rule tuning, and improve detection logic.
- Support workforce planning initiatives, including staffing models, capacity forecasting, onboarding and training programs, and vendor oversight where applicable.
What You Bring
- 6+ years of experience in AML/BSA compliance, financial crime investigations, or compliance operations, ideally within fintech or a fast-paced financial services environment.
- Proven experience managing, mentoring, or leading AML investigators or operations teams, including quality oversight and performance management.
- Strong knowledge of BSA/AML regulatory requirements, industry best practices, and the full lifecycle of transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, KYC, and EDD processes.
- Hands-on investigative experience, including alert review, case investigations, SAR drafting, EDD reviews, and sanctions/PEP evaluations.
- Familiarity with AML and fraud monitoring tools, case management systems, alerting platforms, and workflow management solutions.
- Ability to analyze data, generate actionable insights, and define meaningful operational metrics; experience with SQL or dashboarding tools is a plus.
- Strong process design, documentation, and communication skills, with the ability to create clear, scalable procedures and training materials.
- Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with Compliance, Engineering, Product, and Risk teams to improve workflows and support audits and partner examinations.
- Excellent judgment and discretion, with the ability to independently manage sensitive or complex investigations.
- AI fluency: Experience working with AI-assisted workflows, assessing model outputs, identifying limitations or failure modes, and partnering with technical teams to safely integrate automation into AML operations—recognizing where AI can augment human review and where human judgment is essential.
Nice to Have
- ACAMS, CFCS, or other relevant financial crime, AML, or risk management certifications.
- Experience supporting monitoring model tuning, detection logic design, or data-driven alert optimization.
- Prior ownership of audit responses, regulatory examinations, partner due diligence, or remediation initiatives.
- Experience implementing compliance systems, building internal tools, or leading automation efforts.