Compliance Senior Lead Associate - Sanctions Operations

Role overview Kraken is hiring a Senior Compliance Associate Lead for Sanctions Operations, reporting directly to the Chief Sanctions Officer, to work escalations generated by sanctions controls and by the first line of defence, focusing on the complex sanctions risks that matter most. The role is fully remote in the United States, and the posting gives a compensation range of $72.6K to $145.2K. Responsibilities Perform sanctions reviews in response to escalations generated across Kraken, from blockchain monitoring, name screening and transaction screening to anti-circumvention controls and account sign-up and maintenance rules Review name screening alerts and transaction screening alerts escalated to the Sanctions team, applying sound judgment to resolve them accurately and on time Review blockchain monitoring alerts for direct and indirect sanctions exposure Analyse Kraken accounts for potential sanctions circumvention risk Review account opening documentation escalated by Kraken's first line of defence (1LOD) Review large data sets to support proactive and ad-hoc risk analyses Communicate with Regional Compliance Officers and other Compliance teams, ensuring regional perspectives are reflected while maintaining sanctions programme integrity Coordinate with teammates to establish streamlined processes, using automation and AI-assisted tools where they make the work faster and better, with appropriate human oversight Prepare regulatory reports in response to investigations as needed Prepare and deliver presentations as needed Qualifications 5+ years of experience in compliance, sanctions or financial crime compliance, including hands-on sanctions investigations, ideally gained within financial services such as banking, crypto or fintech Working knowledge of the major sanctions regimes: US OFAC, EU, UK and UN programmes Experience writing sanctions reviews or investigation narratives Strong analytical and writing skills, sound judgment, and a detail-oriented, problem-solving approach Knowledge of crypto, banking or payment processes, procedures and systems Experience working with case management systems such as Hummingbird, Zendesk or equivalent Hands-on experience using automation and AI tools, such as Claude or ChatGPT, to make the team faster and the work better Effective verbal and written communication, with the ability to convey complex issues and manage stakeholders across global and regional compliance partners Ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues across functions Ownership of work product, and a record of delivering results in a fast-paced environment High degree of integrity, discretion and ability to handle confidential and sensitive information A bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience Application conditions Listed location is remote in the United States; remote does not mean worldwide eligibility, so check residency and work authorization requirements on the original posting Unless a specific application deadline is stated in the job posting, applications are accepted on an ongoing basis; do not assume a deadline The posting states that applicants are permitted to redact or remove information on their resume that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution The posting gives a compensation range of $72.6K to $145.2K Preferred qualifications ACAMS (CAMS) or ACSS sanctions certification Prior regulatory experience or blockchain analytics vendor experience, such as attributing sanctions risk Experience supporting regulatory exams, audits or enforcement-related inquiries Compensation and benefits Compensation range of $72.6K to $145.2K as stated in the posting No further specific benefits figures are stated in the posting What this role focuses on The core of this role is judgment on hard cases: the escalations that reach this team are the complex sanctions risks, not routine alerts The work spans screening, blockchain monitoring, and account analysis, and must end in defensible review conclusions and regulatory reports Efficiency has a guardrail: automation and AI-assisted tools are welcome only with appropriate human oversight Source job listing. Remote does not imply worldwide eligibility; confirm residency, time zone, language and work authorization on the original page. Building the Future of Open Finance Payward - the parent company behind Kraken, NinjaTrader, Breakout, xStocks, Payward Services and CF Benchmarks - has spent the last 15 years building one of the most modern and globally accessible financial infrastructure platforms in the industry, built to advance an open, global financial system. The team Founded in 2011, Kraken is one of the world's longest-standing crypto platforms, trusted by over 10 million individuals and institutions across the globe. It offers spot trading, margin, futures, staking, and OTC services, with products built for both individual investors and institutional clients. At Kraken, compliance is not a checkbox. It's a core expression of who we are and how we operate. Our Global Sanctions Compliance function sits at the intersection of regulatory accountability and technology, building processes that don't just meet the standard but set it. We're looking for people who bring both sharp regulatory judgment and a builder's mindset to the table. We're looking for a Sr. Compliance Associate Lead, Sanctions Operations to join us fully remote. This role reports directly to Kraken's Chief Sanctions Officer and sits at the heart of how we review, elevate and resolve sanctions risk across Kraken's global footprint. You'll work the escalations generated by our sanctions controls and by our first line of defence, focusing on the complex sanctions risks that matter most, and you'll help us make the operation faster and more scalable as volumes grow. The opportunity Perform sanctions reviews in response to escalations generated across Kraken, from blockchain monitoring, name screening and transaction screening to anti-circumvention controls and account sign-up and maintenance rules Review name screening alerts and transaction screening alerts escalated to the Sanctions team, applying sound judgment to resolve them accurately and on time Review blockchain monitoring alerts for direct and indirect sanctions exposure. Analyse Kraken accounts for potential sanctions circumvention risk Review account opening documentation escalated by Kraken's first line of defence (1LOD). Review large data sets to support proactive and ad-hoc risk analyses Communicate with Regional Compliance Officers and other Compliance teams, ensuring regional perspectives are reflected while maintaining sanctions programme integrity Coordinate with teammates to establish streamlined processes, using automation and AI-assisted tools where they make the work faster and better, with appropriate human oversight Prepare regulatory reports in response to investigations as needed Prepare and deliver presentations as needed What you bring 5+ years of experience in compliance, sanctions or financial crime compliance, including hands-on sanctions investigations, ideally gained within financial services such as banking, crypto or fintech Working knowledge of the major sanctions regimes: US OFAC, EU, UK and UN programmes. Experience writing sanctions reviews or investigation narratives Strong analytical and writing skills, sound judgment, and a detail-oriented, problem-solving approach Knowledge of crypto, banking or payment processes, procedures and systems Experience working with case management systems such as Hummingbird, Zendesk or equivalent Hands-on experience using automation and AI tools, such as Claude or ChatGPT, to make the team faster and the work better Effective verbal and written communication, with the ability to convey complex issues and manage stakeholders across global and regional compliance partners Ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues across functions Ownership of your work product, and a record of delivering results in a fast-paced environment High degree of integrity, discretion and ability to handle confidential and sensitive information A bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience Nice to haves ACAMS (CAMS) or ACSS sanctions certification Prior regulatory experience or blockchain analytics vendor experience, such as attributing sanctions risk Experience supporting regulatory exams, audits or enforcement-related inquiries Unless a specific application deadline is stated in the job posting, applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Please note, applicants are permitted to redact or remove information on their resume that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution. We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment on our team, assessing candidates in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. As an equal opportunity employer, we don't tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind, whether based on race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, citizenship, religion, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. Compensation Range: $72.6K - $145.2K #J-18808-Ljbffr