Global Financial Crimes Digital Assets Sanctions Screening Director (AVP)

We're seeking someone to join our team as a Director in Global Financial Crimes (GFC) Sanctions Screening Controls Team.

In the Legal & Compliance division, we assist the Firm in achieving its business objectives by facilitating and overseeing the Firm's management of legal, regulatory and franchise risk. This is a Director level position within the Global Financial Crimes Sanctions Screening Controls team which is responsible for the design, implementation, and ongoing governance of the Firm's sanctions screening control framework across reference data and transaction activity.

Since 1935, Morgan Stanley is known as a global leader in financial services, always evolving and innovating to better serve our clients and our communities in more than 40 countries around the world.

In Global Financial Crimes you will play a critical role in identifying potentially suspicious activity, protecting vulnerable individuals, and safeguarding the integrity of the financial system. GFC coordinates day-to-day implementation of the Firm's financial crime prevention efforts. Including governance, oversight and execution of the Firm's Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Sanctions, Anti-Corruption and Government and Political Activities Compliance programs.

What you'll do in the role:

• Execute and enhance the digital assets sanctions screening program through requirements definition, analytics, control tuning, and cross functional delivery.
• Elicit, document, and translate regulatory and 2LoD control requirements into clear user stories, acceptance criteria, process maps, and testable Technology deliverables.
• Support program roadmap planning and delivery, including prioritization, milestone tracking, risk and dependency management, and remediation through closure.
• Perform data analysis to drive screening optimization (e.g., tuning thresholds, segmentation, hop depth, suppression rules, and coverage expansion) and improve alert quality.
• Create and execute test plans and validation scripts for screening changes; coordinate UAT, operational readiness with 1LoD, and implementation traceability.
• Maintain audit ready documentation for control and tuning changes, and support Model Risk Management and regulatory/audit requests with end to end traceability.
• Serve as a day to day liaison across Compliance, Technology, Operations, and vendors; support governance forums, MI/KPI reporting, vendor oversight, and new product approval activities.

What you'll bring to the role:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline
• 5+ years of experience in sanctions, AML/financial crime risk, compliance controls, or risk management within a regulated financial institution or digital asset firm.
• Strong business analysis and execution skills, including requirements definition, process mapping, functional specifications, and cross functional delivery within Agile/SDLC environments. Demonstrated analytical capability (advanced Excel required; SQL and/or Python preferred) with experience building dashboards/MI and translating data into actionable insights.
• Working knowledge of global sanctions concepts (e.g., OFAC) and their application to digital asset activity, including exposure to blockchain analytics, sanctions screening, and case management platforms.
• Experience supporting control tuning, testing, and validation (e.g., thresholds, segmentation, suppression rules), with clear pre/post impact analysis and audit ready documentation.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to coordinate across Compliance, Technology, Operations, and vendors and document outcomes for governance and audit audiences.
• Demonstrated ownership, structured problem solving, and continuous improvement mindset, with attention to control rigor, documentation quality, and delivery in complex, evolving environments.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years. Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.

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Please note that the location listed for this role is temporary. The position’s work location will transition to 1445 Ross Ave, Dallas, TX 75202 at a future date . In-Person interviews will be required for the role. 

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background. Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents.

Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences.

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