Associate Director

Job Family:

Travel Required:

Clearance Required:

What You Will Do:

Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Provide leadership and governance across multiple AML/Financial Crime operations, including Transaction Monitoring, Investigations, Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD), Quality Control, and related compliance functions.
• Develop and execute operational strategies to support client objectives, business growth, scalability, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Drive operational excellence through effective resource planning, performance management, risk mitigation, and governance frameworks.

Transaction Monitoring & Financial Crime Oversight

• Oversee end-to-end Transaction Monitoring operations, ensuring investigations are completed accurately, consistently, and within defined SLA/TAT commitments.
• Ensure appropriate risk assessment, alert disposition, escalation standards, case documentation, and regulatory requirements are consistently maintained across teams.
• Provide governance over high-risk investigations, complex escalations, suspicious activity recommendations, and client-sensitive matters.

Client & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary leadership contact for client stakeholders and executive sponsors.
• Lead governance discussions, business reviews, operational performance updates, and strategic planning sessions.
• Build strong partnerships with Compliance, Risk, Quality, Training, Workforce Management, Talent Acquisition, and Operations leadership teams.
• Manage client escalations and ensure timely resolution of operational, compliance, and service-related concerns.

Operational Performance & Delivery Governance

• Own overall delivery performance across quality, productivity, utilization, accuracy, SLA/TAT adherence, backlog management, and customer experience metrics.
• Review performance trends and develop action plans to address operational risks, capacity challenges, quality concerns, and productivity gaps.
• Lead business reviews using data-driven insights and operational analytics.

Risk, Compliance & Governance

• Ensure operational adherence to client policies, AML regulations, internal controls, audit requirements, and compliance frameworks.
• Drive strong governance around regulatory expectations, quality standards, investigation consistency, and escalation management.
• Lead Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Corrective Action Plans (CAPA), risk assessments, and remediation activities.

People Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead Managers, Supervisors, Team Leads, Quality leaders, and support functions across multiple operational teams.
• Create leadership succession plans and develop future people leaders through coaching, mentoring, and structured development programs.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, employee engagement, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with HR and Talent Acquisition to support hiring, workforce planning, retention, and leadership development initiatives.

Transformation & Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities for process optimization, automation, productivity enhancement, and operating model improvements.
• Drive Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, quality, and customer outcomes.
• Support transitions, migrations, new client implementations, and business expansion programs.

Reporting & Executive Governance

• Develop and present executive-level dashboards, business reviews, operational scorecards, risk assessments, staffing plans, and strategic recommendations.
• Provide regular updates to senior leadership on performance, risks, growth opportunities, and operational health.
• Drive governance forums, steering committee discussions, and leadership reviews.

What You Will Need:

• Bachelor's Degree required.
• MBA, Master's Degree in Business, Finance, Risk Management, Compliance, or related discipline preferred.
• 15+ years of overall experience in AML, Financial Crime, Compliance Operations, Risk Operations, or Transaction Monitoring.
• Minimum 5+ years of experience leading large-scale operations in a senior leadership capacity.
• Proven experience managing multiple operational functions and large teams
• Extensive experience in Transaction Monitoring, Financial Crime Investigations, AML Compliance, or related risk operations.
• Demonstrated success in client relationship management, operational governance, and performance improvement programs.
• Strong experience managing global stakeholders across Operations, Compliance, Risk, Legal, and executive leadership teams.
• Experience leading transitions, scaling operations, organizational change initiatives, and business growth programs.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Strong leadership and organizational management capabilities.
• Executive-level stakeholder and client management skills.
• Deep understanding of AML, Transaction Monitoring, Financial Crime Investigations, and Compliance Operations.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to balance compliance, operational performance, and commercial objectives.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities with a data-driven leadership approach.
• Proven ability to drive operational transformation and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, and influencing skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, highly regulated environment.
• Experience working within global delivery models and cross-functional operational structures.

ADDED ADVANTAGE

• Prior experience supporting Crypto Exchanges, Digital Asset Platforms, FinTechs, Payments, or Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs).
• Strong understanding of crypto-related financial crime typologies and blockchain ecosystem risks.
• Familiarity with blockchain investigation tools such as Chainalysis, TRM Labs, Elliptic, Merkle Science, or similar platforms.
• Experience supporting Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) recommendations, Enhanced Due Diligence, High-Risk Reviews, and Regulatory Reporting programs.
• Exposure to regulatory expectations from FinCEN, FCA, MAS, DFSA, EU AML frameworks, or equivalent global regulators.

Certifications

Preferred Certifications:

• ACAMS (CAMS)
• Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
• ICA Advanced Certification in AML
• Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGSS)
• Crypto Compliance or Blockchain Investigation Certifications
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt/Black Belt (Added Advantage)

About Guidehouse India

At Guidehouse India, we’re redefining what’s possible by creating opportunities that change lives. Guidehouse is a global professional services firm that delivers advisory, technology, and managed services to clients across both the commercial and public sectors. Our teams turn bold ideas into solutions that transform industries, strengthen communities, and drive meaningful impact worldwide.

Across our Chennai, Trivandrum, and Gurugram locations, you’ll find opportunities where your passion and curiosity help shape what comes next. With cutting edge benefits, innovative learning and development programs, and a people first culture, we empower our people to lead with purpose.

We continue to expand our teams and capabilities across India, investing in state-of-the-art offices and high impact work. Here, you’ll collaborate with experts from around the world, build deep expertise, explore new domains, and accelerate your professional growth while making a real impact.

What We Offer

At Guidehouse India, we are committed to supporting the well-being of our people and their families at every stage of life. We offer competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package designed to help you thrive both inside and outside the workplace.

Our benefits include resources such as in house physician consultations, nutritious food options at the workplace, and confidential counseling through our Employee Assistance Program, along with other wellness focused offerings that support your overall well being.

Our comprehensive learning and development programs ensure you’re continuously upskilled and ready to tackle what’s next, so you can shape your own career path while contributing to meaningful, purpose driven work.

Important Fraud Notice

All official recruitment communications from Guidehouse will come from email addresses ending in @guidehouse.com or @myworkday.com. Guidehouse never charges fees, requests money transfers, or collects payments from educational institutions for recruitment events. Please do not share banking or personal financial information with anyone claiming to represent Guidehouse for hiring purposes.

Contact Us

If you have visited our website to explore career opportunities or to apply for a position and have questions, please contact the Guidehouse Recruiting team at [email protected]. All information you provide will be kept confidential and used only as required to support the recruitment process.

To learn more about Guidehouse in India, visit www.guidehouse.com/india.

Guidehouse does not accept unsolicited resumes through or from search firms or staffing agencies. All unsolicited resumes will be considered the property of Guidehouse and Guidehouse will not be obligated to pay a placement fee.