SVP BSA/AML/OFAC Office

A regulated financial institution is seeking a senior financial crimes executive to lead its BSA/AML and sanctions compliance program. This individual will hold formal responsibility for the institution s financial crimes framework and provide strategic and operational leadership across AML, customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, investigations, regulatory reporting, and sanctions. This is a senior leadership position requiring significant experience managing complex financial-crime risks within a banking environment. The successful candidate will have the authority and independence necessary to challenge business activities, escape material concerns, and communicate directly with executive leadership and appropriate governing bodies. The position is specifically focused on financial crimes compliance rather than broader consumer or general regulatory compliance.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as the institution s designated senior officer responsible for BSA/AML and sanctions compliance.
• Establish the overall strategy, governance, and operating framework for the financial crimes program.
• Ensure the program remains appropriately designed for the institution s customers, products, transaction activity, geographic exposure, technology, and third‑party relationships.
• Provide independent oversight and challenge to business activities presenting elevated financial‑crime risk.
• Lead responses to regulatory examinations and inquiries and serve as a primary financial‑crimes contact with banking regulators.
• Direct remediation of regulatory findings, audit observations, control deficiencies, and other significant program issues, ensuring corrective actions are sustainable and appropriately documented.
• Oversee enterprise BSA/AML and sanctions risk assessments and ensure risk information remains current and actionable.
• Maintain senior oversight of customer identification, CDD/EDD, beneficial ownership, customer risk rating, high‑risk customer reviews, and correspondent banking controls.
• Direct transaction monitoring and investigations activities, including alert management, escalation, suspicious activity determinations, SAR reporting, and backlog management.
• Oversee sanctions compliance, including customer and transaction screening, list management, alert investigation, escalation, screening methodology, and system optimization.
• Ensure appropriate handling and reporting of blocked or rejected transactions and other applicable sanctions‑related obligations.
• Provide oversight of regulatory reporting and record‑keeping requirements associated with financial‑crime compliance, including currency transaction reporting, information sharing, funds‑transfer requirements, and related records.
• Maintain appropriate controls for domestic and international payment activity, correspondent relationships, and other higher‑risk transaction channels.
• Oversee the technology supporting financial‑crime compliance, including monitoring scenarios, screening filters, thresholds, models, data feeds, system tuning, validation, and case‑management platforms.
• Establish effective quality assurance, quality control, testing, issue‑management, and program‑monitoring practices.
• Coordinate with independent testing and audit functions while maintaining appropriate separation of responsibilities.
• Monitor changes in AML and sanctions requirements and ensure relevant regulatory developments are assessed and incorporated into the program.
• Provide clear reporting to senior leadership and governing committees regarding program effectiveness, emerging risks, material issues, remediation efforts, staffing, technology, and resource requirements.
• Advise on financial‑crime risks associated with new products, strategic initiatives, technology changes, and third‑party relationships.
• Partner with Risk, Legal, Technology, Data, Audit, third‑party oversight teams, and business leadership while maintaining the independence of the financial crimes function.
• Ensure employees, management, and governing bodies receive appropriate BSA/AML and sanctions training.
• Build and develop a strong financial crimes organization with clear accountability, appropriate expertise, succession planning, and performance expectations.

Candidate Profile

• 10+ years of progressive BSA/AML and sanctions compliance experience, including at least 5 years in senior leadership within a regulated financial institution.
• Demonstrated responsibility for administering or providing senior oversight of a bank BSA/AML program.
• Significant experience across transaction monitoring, investigations, suspicious activity reporting, CDD/EDD, sanctions, risk assessments, and regulatory reporting.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. AML and sanctions requirements and regulatory expectations, including BSA, USA PATRIOT Act, FinCEN, OFAC, and FFIEC guidance.
• Proven experience interacting directly with federal and/or state banking regulators.
• Track record managing significant remediation efforts involving regulatory findings, formal actions, audit issues, or material control weaknesses.
• Experience with complex financial activity such as payment processing, fintech partnerships, Banking-as-a-Service, correspondent banking, or cross‑border transactions is strongly preferred.
• Experience overseeing financial‑crimes technology, monitoring or screening systems, data, and associated control frameworks is highly valued.
• Professional certification such as CAMS, CAMS‑Audit, CGSS, CFCS, CFE, or a comparable financial‑crimes credential is strongly preferred.
• Bachelor s degree preferred; substantial directly relevant experience and professional credentials may be considered in lieu of a traditional educational background.
• Ability to satisfy any applicable regulatory review, background, notice, or approval requirements associated with the appointment.