Compliance Operations Director

Visa is a world leader in payments and technology, with over 259 billion payments transactions flowing safely between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities in more than 200 countries and territories each year. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable, and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive while driven by a common purpose – to uplift everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.

Make an impact with a purpose-driven industry leader. Join us today and experience Life at Visa.

What’s it all about?

Visa Cross-Border Solutions (offers deep money movement capabilities to organisations across the globe. Powered by Currencycloud technology, Visa Cross-Border Solutions enhances, streamlines and simplifies integrating the cross-border financial tools of tomorrow. Clients can embed cross-border finance into the heart of their business and create sophisticated and user-friendly app-based experiences, connecting consumers and businesses around the world. Since 2012, the technology behind Visa Cross-Border Solutions has been used to process more than 250bn to over 180 countries, partnering with banks, businesses and fintech’s all over the world.

Job Purpose 

As the Senior Director Operational Compliance, you’ll have a significant role in the implementation of the different regulatory and legal frameworks across our different licensed entities.  Ensuring that we build customer centric processes whilst maintaining the highest standards of compliance. Helping to enable sustainable growth in the business.

What we expect of you, day to day:

• Lead our Group Operational Compliance function. Including managing
  • transaction monitoring & screening,
  • new business onboarding,
• Responsible for identifying, assessing, and escalating potential money laundering and reputational risk issues associated with higher risk clients.
• Supervise and participate in internal assurance processes such as internal audit, monitoring and testing, external audit.
• Drafting and updating procedures and desktop guidance related to the client onboarding process. Leading, key projects and initiatives related to assessing and mitigating the firm's exposure to money laundering and reputational risk-relevant activities
• Provide strategic direction and leadership to the AML and KYC team, ensuring they have the necessary resources and support to effectively carry out their duties.
• Conduct regular risk assessments to identify potential areas of vulnerability and implement measures to mitigate risks associated with money laundering and other financial crimes in collaboration with the MLROs.
• Guide the team to enhance the Transaction Monitoring framework, to increase effectiveness and efficiency amongst the diverse set of products and customers.
• Lead a team of sanctions and screening advisors as they support the implementation of sanctions compliance and list screening strategies and initiatives
• Work closely with Global head of sanctions to ensure alignment on sanctions controls (e.g. list management)
• Develop and improve the operational processes required to ensure the business is compliant with relevant regulation, is managing its risk and creating fantastic customer experiences.
• Ensure that the key operational metrics are defined, and made available to the business.
• Collaborate closely with colleagues in the 2nd line financial crime teams to ensure global policies and standards effectively mitigate financial crime risk and deliver a best-in-class experience for our clients.
• lead the design and improvement of financial crime systems and controls. 
• Actively identify, measure, control and remediate money laundering and reputational risk issues with partners in Global Financial Crimes, Compliance and the Business Units.
• Own and lead on the delivery of key financial crime improvement projects.
• Stay up to date on relevant industry best practices, guidance, and regulatory landscape, including but not limited to USA PATRIOT Act, Bank Secrecy Act, FATF, 5th Money Laundering Directive.
• Master customer due diligence (CDD) requirements and guide clients as needed to comply

This is a remote position, however the candidate must live and have the rights to work in the UK. 

To apply for this role, we are looking for someone that has at least 10-15 years within Financial Crime Prevention within the financial services industry. We will also require the following:

• Strong knowledge of global financial crime regulations with deep expertise in one or more jurisdictions.
• Deep Knowledge of AML CDD policy and standards, industry practices in AML CDD, including legal entities in global jurisdictions
• Experience of designing and implementing effective financial crime control frameworks.
• Comfortable working with data
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including teams outside of the compliance function.
• Excellent negotiator with the ability to bring teams and people with diverse ways of thinking together.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and time sensitive environment and handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Preferred: Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) or equivalent
• Initiative: Identify process improvements, demonstrate a self-starter behaviour and a willingness to help others, and show potential to require minimal supervision.

Visa is an EEO Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Visa will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with EEOC guidelines and applicable local law.