FinCrime Operations Analyst - AML Investigations

Job description

Role & Job Purpose As a FinCrime Operations Analyst in Sanctions or AML, you will play a role in safeguarding Wise from financial crime. Your primary responsibility will involve conducting reviews and making accurate decisions to escalate or discount alerts related to potential sanctions matches and suspicious activity. This includes, but is not limited to, analyzing transactions, customer data and account activity. By ensuring adherence to global sanctions regulations and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance, you will directly contribute to making our platform and services safer.

This role offers an excellent opportunity for individuals looking to develop foundational expertise in the dynamic fields of sanctions and AML compliance.

Job Responsibilities

Sanctions Screening & Investigation: Review system-generated sanctions matches, conduct due diligence, and promptly escalate potential breaches via established channels.

Monitoring

Analyze transaction data to identify patterns indicating money laundering, terrorist financing, or sanctions evasion. Triage actionable alerts and proactively spot red flags requiring further review.

Regulatory Compliance

Stay updated on global AML and sanctions regulations (e.g., OFAC, EU, UK). Help implement procedure changes, flag inaccuracies, and strictly adhere to updated guidelines.

Documentation & Record Keeping

Maintain accurate records of investigations, decisions, and rationale. Ensure compliance with data privacy protocols and timely internal escalations.

Risk Assessment & Escalation

Perform and document AML/sanctions risk assessments. Escalate high-risk cases, suspicious activities, and material breaches to leadership following protocols.

Collaboration

Work closely with teams like KYC, Compliance, and Engineering to enhance controls, actively participating in team meetings and fostering a collaborative environment.

Communication

Communicate clearly and empathetically with customers to obtain necessary details, avoiding unnecessary contact to ensure swift case resolution.

KPIs

Consistently achieve individual and team targets (KPIs, SLAs, QA) by balancing quality, speed, and reliable deadline management.

Trainings

Diligently complete all mandatory and ad hoc training on time.

Other

Perform additional tasks assigned by your lead and participate in internal events to support broader company goals.

Qualifications

Requirements

Fluent English (written and verbal) for clear reporting and customer communication; additional languages are a plus. 1+ years of Operations experience, preferably in AML, sanctions compliance, or due diligence. Detail-oriented with a commitment to high-quality output and strict process adherence, even under high workloads. Proactive, inquisitive, and able to work independently to make risk-based decisions. Strong analytical and organizational skills to meet strict KPIs in a fast-paced environment.

Ability to identify policy gaps and provide actionable feedback. Flexible to work shifts, including mornings, evenings, weekends, and public holidays based on business needs.

Nice to have

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, Law, or related field Certifications: ICA, CAMS, or equivalent certification (Sanctions/AML focused). Experience with sanctions screening and transaction monitoring systems.