Job Description
Based in New York, the Head of Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) Investigations is responsible for managing a team of AML/CFT and fraud investigators in monitoring, identifying, analyzing and investigating financial transactions involving the Bank’s customers in order to help minimize the Bank’s associated risks while preparing and reporting effective and thorough Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) with FinCEN in a timely manner.
The Head of FIU serves as a member of the Compliance Department’s management team. The Head of FIU also serves as a voting member of the SAR Committee.
Primary responsibilities include:
- Develop and implement the strategic vision and objectives of the FIU in alignment with the organization’s goals.
- Provide leadership and guidance to the FIU team, ensuring effective collaboration and coordination of efforts.
- Establish and enforce policies, procedures, and best practices to ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulators, and industry standards.
- Serve as a subject matter expert on investigations, suspicious activity reports (SARs), Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs), and alert management in discussions with senior management, regulatory authorities, and external stakeholders.
- Oversee the investigation and analysis of suspicious financial activities, transactions, and patterns as well as associated regulatory reporting (SARs, CTRs, etc.)
- Develop and implement risk mitigation strategies to minimize exposure to financial crime risks.
- Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies, to gather and analyze intelligence related to financial crimes.
- Prepare and present regular reports on the FIU’s activities, findings, and recommendations to senior management and relevant stakeholders.
- Develop and deliver training programs to ensure in depth understanding of financial crime risks among FIU staff.
- Promote a culture of compliance and ethical conduct throughout the organization.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including compliance, legal, risk management, and IT to advance the FIUs strategic goals.
- Establish and maintain strong relationships with FCC management team, internal audit, and compliance monitoring and testing, fostering open communication and ensuring compliance with evolving regulations.
- Keep abreast of changes in regulatory requirements and evolving trends in financial crime to adapt the organization’s practices accordingly.
- Maintain proficient knowledge of the rules and regulations, including but not limited to, the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), USA PATRIOT Act, FFIEC Manual, and evolving banking landscape.
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Qualifications
The individual must have a solid knowledge and experience related to Compliance governance and change management, banking transactions, AML investigative processes and AML reporting requirements within the financial services industry. An Associates or Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience is required. The individual must be able to communicate effectively up to management and down through the FIU team both orally and in writing. The individual must possess strong analytical skills; excellent follow through and attention to detail, consistent sound judgment, strong organizational skills and excellent time management. Individuals must be able to work independently and with minimal supervision while performing multiple tasks and meeting challenging deadlines. Excellent working knowledge of MS Word and Excel.
Desired Qualifications
- Extensive experience (7+ years) in financial crimes compliance, anti-money laundering (AML), and/or counter-terrorist financing (CFT) roles;
- Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field
- Professional certifications such as CAMS (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist) or CFCS (Certified Financial Crime Specialist), or CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner), preferred.
- Experience with Actimize a plus;
- Experience with Microsoft Office suite;
- In-depth knowledge and experience with the US PATRIOT Act, BSA Act and the FFIEC AML manual;
- Ability to excel in a remote, innovative, and fast-paced environment;
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to engage with internal teams, regulators and external stakeholder;
- Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to convey complex ideas in a clear, concise manner to senior leaders
Compensation:
The expected annual salary for this position is between $180,000 - $215,000 at the start of employment. A salary offer is determined on an individualized basis, taking into consideration factors such as an individual’s skills and experience. In addition to base salary, our total rewards package also includes eligibility for an annual bonus, medical, pharmacy, dental, and vision plans, life and disability insurance, employee wellness program, retirement and savings plans with employer contributions, generous holiday and paid time off schedules, parental leave, and tuition reimbursement.