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Citi

Runs banking and payments for global clients

Global Head of Sanctions Operations & NAM Payments Operations

Financial Crime & AMLConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeNew York, NY, USAHybrid

About the Job

Requirements

  • Extensive senior leadership experience across Payments Operations, Sanctions, Financial Crimes, Anti-Money Laundering, Compliance Operations, Operational Risk, or related financial services functions is required; significant direct experience in payments operations is strongly preferred.
  • Significant experience leading large-scale global and/or regional operations organizations within complex financial institutions is required.
  • Deep understanding of the North American payments ecosystem, including U.S. and Canadian clearing and settlement infrastructure, payment processing, settlement risk, exception management, and operational resilience is required.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of major payment rails and standards, including Fedwire, CHIPS, FedACH, RTP, FedNow, Lynx, ACSS, SWIFT, and ISO 20022 is required.
  • Deep knowledge of global sanctions regulations, including OFAC, United Nations, European Union, United Kingdom, and other major sanctions regimes is required.
  • Extensive experience managing sanctions screening, investigations, interdiction processing, and financial crime operations is required.
  • Strong knowledge of sanctions screening technologies, watchlist management, customer screening, payment screening, transaction screening, and case management platforms is required.
  • Strong First Line risk and controls experience, including familiarity with the supervisory expectations of relevant U.S. and Canadian regulatory authorities, is required.
  • A proven track record leading large-scale transformation, automation, digitization, and operational excellence initiatives is required.
  • Demonstrated experience with payment modernization, real-time payments, ISO 20022, operational resilience, and technology-enabled transformation is required.
  • Experience leveraging artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, and workflow technologies to improve operational effectiveness, payment processing, and risk outcomes is required.
  • Strong regulatory engagement and governance experience, including interaction with regulators, auditors, and independent review functions, is required.
  • Exceptional stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills to drive alignment across senior executive audiences are required.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead effectively within highly regulated, global, and matrixed organizations is required.
  • A bachelor's/university degree is required.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the global Sanctions Operations organization, delivering operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and strong client outcomes.
  • Provide senior leadership and oversight for North America Payments Operations, ensuring resilient, timely, and effective execution across critical U.S. and Canadian payment and settlement activities.
  • Define and execute the strategic vision for Sanctions Operations and North America Payments Operations, aligning operational priorities with business, risk, client, and regulatory objectives.
  • Drive transformation initiatives that improve effectiveness, scalability, resilience, productivity, and service quality.
  • Modernize operations through automation, artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, digitization, and workflow optimization.
  • Establish performance metrics and governance frameworks that promote continuous improvement and strong execution.
  • Partner across Operations, Technology, Compliance, Risk, Legal, Audit, Product, and business leadership to deliver strategic priorities and enterprise objectives.
  • Maintain end-to-end accountability for sanctions screening, investigations, alert dispositioning, interdiction processing, and associated operational activities globally.
  • Ensure effective execution of sanctions controls across payments, trade finance, securities, customer onboarding, and other relevant transaction flows.
  • Manage high-volume sanctions screening and investigations operations while maintaining strong quality, timeliness, and regulatory compliance standards.
  • Drive enhancements to screening effectiveness, case management capabilities, data quality, and operational intelligence.
  • Ensure sanctions operations remain responsive to changing regulatory requirements, geopolitical developments, and emerging financial crime risks.
  • Support new products, client implementations, strategic initiatives, and acquisitions through effective sanctions risk assessment and operational readiness.
  • Provide leadership oversight of critical U.S. and Canadian clearing, payment, and settlement activities across Fedwire, CHIPS, FedACH, RTP, FedNow, Lynx, ACSS, and SWIFT ISO 20022, ensuring settlement excellence, operational resilience, and effective risk management.
  • Maintain strong operational governance and First Line of Defence accountability across North America Payments Operations, including effective management of operational, financial crime, sanctions, settlement, and resilience risks.
  • Maintain readiness for regulatory supervision and engagement across relevant U.S. and Canadian authorities, including the Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Bank of Canada, and Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions.
  • Drive continued modernization of the North America payments environment, including the evolution of real-time payment rails, ISO 20022 adoption, automation and artificial intelligence across repairs and reconciliations, and technology co-design.
  • Partner closely with Technology, Product, Risk, Compliance, and business teams to ensure payment platforms and operating processes are scalable, resilient, well controlled, and positioned for future industry developments.
  • Maintain a strong focus on payment execution and client outcomes, including service quality, settlement performance, exception management, operational resilience, and management of material payment incidents.
  • Represent Citi, as appropriate, with key payments industry organizations and forums, including The Clearing House, NACHA, Payments Canada, and Federal Reserve industry committees, while maintaining strong engagement with institutional clients.
  • Maintain robust operational controls, procedures, and governance frameworks consistent with Citi policy, regulatory expectations, and enterprise risk standards.
  • Partner closely with Financial Crimes Compliance to ensure effective implementation of sanctions policies, standards, and regulatory commitments.
  • Maintain strong First Line ownership of operational and control risks across Sanctions Operations and North America Payments Operations.
  • Represent the organization during regulatory examinations, audits, independent reviews, and risk assessments.
  • Ensure timely remediation of audit findings, regulatory issues, and control weaknesses.
  • Promote consistency in controls, governance, and risk management practices across regions and businesses.
  • Ensure operational resilience and appropriate contingency capabilities for critical sanctions and payment-processing services.
  • Exercise sound judgment and reinforce a culture of accountability, compliance, and ethical decision-making.
  • Deliver a client-centric operating model that balances robust sanctions and payment controls with efficient and predictable client experiences.
  • Champion modernization of sanctions screening, investigations, alert management, interdiction, payment processing, repairs, reconciliation, and exception-management workflows.
  • Drive innovation in screening effectiveness, data quality, alert optimization, operational intelligence, payment processing, and workflow management.
  • Advance the use of artificial intelligence and automation in payment repairs and reconciliations, alongside broader opportunities to improve sanctions and payments operational effectiveness.
  • Partner with Technology, Product, and Compliance teams to co-design and implement next-generation solutions supporting financial crime risk management, payment modernization, operational resilience, and improved client outcomes.
  • Lead and develop a high-performing global leadership team across Sanctions Operations and senior North America Payments Operations leadership.
  • Create a culture focused on accountability, inclusion, continuous improvement, employee engagement, and talent development.
  • Maintain accountability for organizational design, workforce strategy, succession planning, budget management, and performance outcomes.
  • Foster operational excellence and strong risk awareness across all levels of the organization.
  • As a member of the Payments Operations leadership team, contribute to the strategic direction of the broader Services Operations organization.
  • Build strong partnerships across internal stakeholders and external industry, regulatory, client, and technology partners.

Desired Qualifications

  • Significant direct experience in payments operations is strongly preferred.
  • Experience representing a major financial institution with payments industry bodies, market infrastructure providers, regulators, and institutional clients is preferred.
  • A master's degree, MBA, JD, or equivalent advanced degree is preferred.
  • CAMS, CGSS, CFE, or other relevant financial crime, sanctions, compliance, or operations certifications are preferred.

About the Company

Citi

Runs banking and payments for global clients

Citi runs banking, investment and payment services for companies, governments and individuals around the world. Its global network connects institutions with local banking systems, while its US consumer business sells credit cards and deposit accounts. Corporate clients use Citi to manage cash, finance trade and raise capital, and investors use its trading, custody and wealth services to hold and manage assets. The bank earns interest on loans and fees from payments, securities transactions, financial advice and account services. Citi traces its banking roots to 1812; the Citigroup holding company was formed in 1998, and its headquarters are in New York City.

Company size
10,001+
Company stage
IPO
Headquarters
New York City, New York
Founded
1812

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