Vice President, BSA/AML Operations

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Vice President, BSA/AML Operations – Cases based in United States.

• Provide senior-level oversight of managers and investigative teams responsible for suspicious activity monitoring (SAM) cases, enhanced due diligence, and escalations.
• Oversee investigations generated through transaction monitoring systems and manual referrals, ensuring cases are appropriately investigated, documented, and dispositioned according to internal policies and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain accountability for suspicious activity identification, SAR referrals, CTR accuracy and timeliness, and investigations requiring enhanced due diligence.
• Ensure complete, timely, and defensible responses to 314(a) information requests, law enforcement inquiries, subpoenas, regulatory requests, audits, and related examinations.
• Monitor operational performance across case volumes, aging, investigation quality, productivity, SLAs, and regulatory responsiveness, identifying exceptions and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop and maintain KPIs and KRIs covering investigation trends, case aging, SLA performance, staffing capacity, productivity, SAR outcomes, emerging typologies, and other relevant risk indicators.
• Translate operational data and trends into clear, risk-focused reporting for senior management, committees, and Board-level oversight.
• Lead root cause analysis for operational issues, trends, control weaknesses, and findings, recommending sustainable, risk-based remediation actions aligned with enterprise risk management practices.
• Partner with program management, data analytics, and technology teams to optimize transaction monitoring rules and scenarios, evaluate alert quality and false positives, and strengthen risk coverage.
• Ensure technology changes, rule tuning, and system enhancements are appropriately governed, tested, documented, and implemented.
• Develop and maintain BSA/AML policies, procedures, investigation standards, and operational controls in alignment with regulatory guidance and evolving business needs.
• Establish strong training, quality assurance, mentorship, and continuous improvement frameworks for managers and analysts.
• Work cross-functionally and provide strategic direction across multiple areas of the financial crime compliance program, including customer due diligence, sanctions screening, suspicious activity reporting, and risk assessments where applicable.
• Collaborate with senior leadership on strategic initiatives designed to enhance the effectiveness, sustainability, and regulatory readiness of the BSA/AML program.

• Bachelor’s degree required; an advanced degree or professional certification such as CAMS is preferred.
• Extensive experience in BSA/AML operations, financial crime investigations, and suspicious activity monitoring within a regulated financial institution.
• Significant leadership experience managing managers and large investigative or financial crime operations teams.
• Strong working knowledge of Actimize, FCRM, and enterprise transaction monitoring platforms.
• Demonstrated understanding of BSA/AML regulations, suspicious activity investigations, SAR processes, CTR requirements, enhanced due diligence, and related regulatory expectations.
• Proven ability to work effectively with regulators, auditors, senior executives, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to identify trends, evaluate control effectiveness, and develop practical remediation strategies.
• Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to present complex financial crime risks and operational data clearly to senior management and Board-level audiences.
• Strong organizational and decision-making skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a complex, highly regulated environment.
• Demonstrated ability to influence across Compliance, Technology, Data Analytics, Program Management, Assurance, and other functions.
• Strong people leadership skills, with a focus on accountability, coaching, quality, consistency, and continuous improvement.

• Salary: $125,000–$208,000 per year, with individual compensation determined by experience, qualifications, skills, and location.
• Performance incentive: Eligibility for an annual performance-based incentive opportunity.
• Remote work: Hybrid/remote-office environment with the flexibility to work remotely.
• Health coverage: Comprehensive health insurance benefits.
• Retirement: 401(k) retirement benefits.
• Insurance: Life insurance and disability benefits.
• Paid time off: PTO provided to eligible employees.
• Additional benefits: Comprehensive benefits package with additional programs and resources available to eligible employees.