Vice President, BSA/AML Operations – Cases

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.

This is a senior leadership opportunity overseeing suspicious activity monitoring and financial crime investigation operations within a regulated financial institution.

You will lead the teams responsible for investigating, documenting, escalating, and dispositioning complex BSA/AML cases.

The role combines operational leadership with risk management, regulatory oversight, governance, and continuous improvement.

You will work closely with Compliance, Technology, Data Analytics, Assurance, and senior leadership to strengthen the broader financial crime compliance program.

Your expertise will help ensure investigations are timely, well governed, defensible, and aligned with regulatory expectations.

You will also translate operational trends and risk indicators into clear insights for management committees and Board-level stakeholders.

This remote opportunity is designed for an experienced financial crime leader who can build strong teams, improve processes, and confidently navigate complex regulatory environments.

Accountabilities:

• 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.

Requirements:

• 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.

Benefits:

• 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.
• Inclusive environment: Commitment to equal employment opportunity and a workplace that values diverse perspectives and backgrounds.
• Career impact: Opportunity to lead a critical financial crime operations function and contribute to a strong, sustainable BSA/AML compliance program.