Director, Financial Crimes Compliance

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Develop, implement, and sustain Upstart’s Enterprise-Wide BSA/AML/OFAC Compliance Program, ensuring alignment with regulatory standards, evolving financial crime threats, and the company’s risk tolerance.

• Lead comprehensive BSA/AML and sanctions risk assessments across the enterprise, identify emerging risks, and establish risk-based controls, monitoring frameworks, and governance processes to reduce financial crime exposure.

• Provide regular updates to the Board of Directors, executive leadership, and risk committees, including findings from risk assessments, metrics on program effectiveness, key risk indicators (KRIs), regulatory changes, and progress on remediation efforts.

• Manage an extensive Customer Identification Program (CIP), Know Your Customer (KYC), Customer Due Diligence (CDD), and Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) framework, overseeing customer risk rating methodologies and ongoing monitoring activities.

• Supervise the assessment and management of high-risk customer relationships, including onboarding decisions, periodic evaluations, escalation processes, and recommendations for customer exits or relationship terminations.

• Offer senior-level oversight and strategic direction for complex investigations concerning unusual activities, suspicious activity reporting (SAR), and regulatory reporting obligations.

• Act as the main contact for regulatory examinations, independent audits, and compliance reviews related to BSA/AML and sanctions compliance, ensuring prompt and effective resolution of identified issues.

• Collaborate with Product, Engineering, Operations, Legal, and Risk teams to create scalable financial crime controls for new products, including consumer deposit and lending offerings.

• Keep abreast of regulatory changes and provide insights on BSA, AML, sanctions, fraud, and related financial crime compliance obligations affecting Upstart’s operations.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Criminal Justice, Law, or a related discipline.

• Over 10 years of experience leading BSA/AML compliance initiatives within banks, credit unions, fintech firms, or other regulated financial entities.

• Extensive knowledge of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), USA PATRIOT Act, OFAC sanctions regulations, FinCEN guidance, Know Your Customer (KYC), Customer Identification Program (CIP), Customer Due Diligence (CDD), Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD), and Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) requirements.

• Proven experience in conducting BSA/AML/OFAC risk assessments and leveraging the findings to build, enhance, and manage BSA/AML compliance programs for consumer deposit and lending products.

• Background in overseeing high-risk customer programs, customer risk rating methodologies, enhanced due diligence assessments, and decisions regarding customer relationship terminations.

• Demonstrated experience in leading regulatory examinations, independent audits, and remediation efforts related to BSA/AML and sanctions compliance.

• Proven ability to present financial crime compliance issues, risk assessments, and program metrics to senior executives, risk committees, and Boards of Directors.

• Familiarity with consumer banking regulations applicable to deposit and lending products.

🏝️ Benefits

• Competitive compensation package, including base salary, bonus opportunities, and annual equity grants that vest quarterly.

• Retirement benefits to support your future planning, including a 401(k) or Group Retirement Savings Plan with a company match of $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 annually (USD in the US, CAD in Canada).

• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with discounted stock purchase options for eligible employees (US only).

• Comprehensive health coverage designed to support you and your family, encompassing medical, dental, vision, and wellness resources for US employees and supplemental health coverage for Canadian employees.

• Contributions to Health Savings Accounts from Upstart for eligible plans (US only).

• Income protection benefits, including life insurance and disability coverage for enhanced financial security.

• Paid time off, sick leave, and company holidays, in accordance with local regulations.

• Paid family and parental leave to assist with caregiving and significant life events (duration varies by country).

• Family-focused benefits to support fertility, parenthood, and caregiving needs.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) providing mental health support and life-centered resources.

• Financial wellness resources, including access to financial planning tools and a financial concierge service (US Only).

• Annual wellness allowance to enhance your physical and emotional well-being and personal development, tailored to your individual needs.

• Annual productivity allowance to invest in the necessary tools and resources to excel in your work, regardless of your location.

• Opportunities for connection and community through team events, all-company updates, and employee resource groups (ERGs).

• Onsite perks, such as catered lunches and fully stocked micro-kitchens when working from our offices in the Bay Area, Austin, Columbus, and New York City (opening Summer 2026!).