Vice President – Financial Crimes Independent Testing, Quality Assurance

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Arizona, +2 more states.

📋 Description

• Lead and manage the enterprise Financial Crimes Independent Testing and Quality Assurance Program encompassing BSA/AML, Sanctions, Fraud, and associated Financial Crimes Compliance activities.

• Establish the strategic vision, governance framework, operating model, standards, and a risk-based testing universe.

• Develop annual and ongoing testing plans that address Financial Crimes processes, risks, controls, and activities across the First and Second Lines of Defense.

• Oversee independent testing related to risk assessment, CDD/EDD, KYC, transaction monitoring, SAR escalation, sanctions screening, fraud detection, customer risk rating, high-risk customer management, reviews, governance, and data quality.

• Establish standards for testing, procedures, documentation requirements, sampling methodologies, scoring frameworks, defect taxonomies, issue severity methodologies, and reporting standards.

• Supervise the execution of the Independent Testing and QA Plan by the QA Manager and their team.

• Review testing outcomes, findings, thematic observations, documentation, progress, resource capacity, and coverage gaps.

• Conduct thematic and horizontal reviews to identify systemic weaknesses, recurring deficiencies, emerging trends, and control blind spots.

• Implement issue management and remediation validation frameworks; approve significant finding severity ratings and escalate high-risk or systemic issues.

• Generate executive-level reporting on testing coverage, QA results, significant findings, systemic issues, control effectiveness, emerging risks, remediation, and program metrics.

• Provide independent and credible challenges to Financial Crimes management and stakeholders.

• Collaborate with Internal Audit, Model Risk Management, Risk Management, Technology, business lines, and Financial Crimes Compliance.

• Assist with regulatory examinations.

• Continuously enhance methodologies, tools, analytics, automation, reporting, training, calibration, and knowledge sharing.

• Lead and mentor the Financial Crimes QA and Independent Testing team, including the QA Manager.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, Risk Management, Compliance, Accounting, or a related field.

• 10–15+ years of progressive experience in Financial Crimes, BSA/AML, Sanctions, Fraud, Risk Management, Compliance, Quality Assurance, Compliance Testing, Internal Audit, or related functions.

• Extensive experience leading Financial Crimes QA, independent testing, compliance testing, audit, or assurance programs.

• Proven experience in evaluating Financial Crimes processes and controls across operational and compliance functions.

• Strong understanding of regulatory requirements, FCRM, internal control frameworks, control design and operating effectiveness testing, QA and independent testing methodologies, three lines of defense frameworks, governance, issue management, and remediation.

• Experience in leading teams and managing complex testing or assurance programs.

• Experience in providing credible challenges to senior management and stakeholders.

• Strong analytical, strategic, and judgment capabilities.

• Preferred: CAMS, CFE, CRCM, CIA, CPA, or similar professional certification.

• Preferred: Experience with Transaction Monitoring, Customer Risk Rating, CDD/KYC, sanctions screening, or Financial Crimes technology platforms.

• Preferred: Experience with NICE Actimize or similar Financial Crimes systems.

• Preferred: Experience in Financial Crimes model governance.

• Preferred: Experience in supporting regulatory examinations and remediation programs.

• Preferred: Experience in developing enterprise-level testing methodologies and risk-based testing plans.

• Preferred: Experience in leveraging data analytics, automation, and reporting tools.

🏝️ Benefits

• Annual performance-based incentive opportunity.

• Health insurance.

• 401(k) retirement benefits.

• Life insurance.

• Disability benefits.

• Paid time off.

• Comprehensive benefits package for eligible employees.