Director Compliance

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American Express’ Global Financial Crimes Compliance (GFCC) team is responsible for leading the enterprise-wide Anti-Money Laundering, Sanctions, and Anti-Corruption compliance functions. This team has global responsibility for identifying, investigating, and reporting suspicious activity, including money laundering and terrorist financing, and provides broad analytical and operational support for the company’s enterprise-wide AML function. GFCC is part of the broader Global Risk & Compliance organization.

The GFCC Risk Management Office within the GFCC Program Management Office is responsible for risk management, program health monitoring, governance, and enhancements, and facilitates alignment across GFCC and broader stakeholder teams in managing and overseeing the financial crimes compliance programs that it owns, which include the Customer Risk Rating (CRR), Money Laundering Risk Assessment, GFCC metrics and reporting, process risk self-assessments, and business ownership of the platform capabilities that support the CRR and Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) programs.GFCC is standing up end-to-end centralized oversight and ownership of the Enhanced Due Diligence Program (including development of policies / standards / procedures), as well as 2nd line oversight of Know Your Customer Refresh(KYC-R), and will build processes to execute centralized governance, oversight, analytics and monitoring.

How will you make an impact in this role?

Role of Director, EDD / KYC Compliance & Program Oversight

As the expectations of our regulators across the globe continue to grow, we need to ensure that our Financial Crimes program continues to be effective and efficient globally, while also delivering to regulatory expectations at a market level.The successful candidate will be responsible for oversight of the Enhanced Due Diligence program, partnering with GFCC, market compliance, business and product owner colleagues to define and ensure adherence to global standards and drive enhancements to the EDD program, including improvements to process documentation, strengthened process and system controls, defining and establishing oversight processes, and enabling visibility into the health of the program through reporting.The successful candidate with also partner with first line teams to administer second line oversight of the KYC Refresh program.They will have the proven ability to work collaboratively across markets and functions simultaneously and to thrive in a changing environment, as well as experience working on global initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Manage global initiative to develop and implement standards, driving alignment across markets and functions, ensuring key stakeholder engagement and timely risk mitigation.
• Develop subject matter expertise in end-to-end EDD and KYC Refresh programs, including understanding the teams managing the operational processes and technology that supports them.
• Develop centralized governance of EDD program to ensure a well-defined and documented program with effective control and oversight processes in place, ongoing program health, and ability to meet evolving requirements.Develop centralized second line oversight of KYC Refresh program, ensuring coverage, effectiveness, and visibility into first line processes.
• Ensure requirements, roles, and responsibilities are clearly documented to enable ongoing program enhancement.
• Collaborate with business, product, and technology teams to drive new and enhanced EDD program requirements.
• Develop and oversee structure and governance for issue management and change management in area undergoing remediation through MAPs
• Provide updates to leadership on broader program enhancement initiatives as well as ongoing reporting reflecting health of program, tracking and analyzing enhancement progress and adherence to compliance standards, ensuring that issues are clearly identified and escalated, and that various collaborator groups have the relevant information they need to assess progress and understand remaining regulatory risks – at the market, business unit and legal entity level.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of proven experience and track record of success in program governance, project management, product management, strategy development and implementation, with at least 3 years of experience in any of the following: BSA-AML / financial crimes compliance, government agency / regulator, general compliance, risk management, or audit.
• Decisive self-starter with high degree of accountability, solution focused, with ability to successfully balance multiple priorities in a deadline-intensive environment and drive transformational change across the organization.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with ability to assess and synthesize key insights from large amounts of information to resolve strategic opportunities and drive implementation.
• Strategic thought leadership that demonstrates innovation, flexibility, ability to navigate ambiguity, proactively anticipate and address challenges, with willingness to challenge status quo and influence without authority.
• Extensive relationship management, collaboration, organizational, people leadership, and interpersonal skills with ability to motivate and engage team members, including handling and developing a high performing team.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with proven track record to develop impactful communications and presentations to senior leadership, regulators, etc.
• Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills, an extremely positive “can-do” attitude and a personal brand that is known for integrity, work ethic and delivering effective solutions.
• Proven to have a global mindset; able to work well across time zones and work cultures.
• Strong skills with Microsoft Office products including Excel and PowerPoint.
• Bachelor's degree required, any advanced degree preferred.

Please include a statement of interest with your application.

We back our colleagues and their loved ones with benefits and programs that support their holistic well-being. That means we prioritize their physical, financial, and mental health through each stage of life. Benefits include:

• Competitive base salaries 
• Bonus incentives 
• Support for financial-well-being and retirement 
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits (depending on location) 
• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need 
• Generous paid parental leave policies (depending on your location) 
• Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location) 
• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program 
• Career development and training opportunities

American Express is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other status protected by law.  

Offer of employment with American Express is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background verification check, subject to applicable laws and regulations.