VP, BSA/AML Governance

Job Description:

Role Summary/Purpose:

The VP, BSA/AML Governance is responsible for the rigorous oversight and continual improvement of Synchrony’s Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), Anti-Money Laundering (AML), and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) governance framework. Reporting directly to the SVP, BSA/AML/OFAC Officer, this leader manages the execution, monitoring, and enhancement of second line of defense (2LOD) compliance processes and provides enterprise governance oversight across the first and second lines of defense. The VP will drive the design and implementation of robust risk assessment and quality methodologies, deliver critical program reporting, manage training, support change management initiatives, and ensure formal interaction and information-sharing with the 1LOD to assess program health, identify emerging risks, and maintain compliance in a dynamic regulatory landscape. 

Our Way of Working

We’re proud to offer you flexibility. At Synchrony, our way of working allows you to have the option to work from home, near one of our Hubs or come into one of our offices. Occasionally you may be required to commute or travel for in person engagement activities such as business or team meetings, training and culture events.

Essential Responsibilities:

Oversight of 1LOD and 2LOD Processes 

• Set standards for the execution and monitoring of BSA/AML/OFAC processes within the second line of defense (2LOD), maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements and the Bank’s enterprise risk management framework. 

• Serve as an internal subject matter expert on BSA/AML/OFAC risk assessment methodology, guiding the development, enhancement, and execution of effective risk assessment strategies and controls. 

• Partner with risk and business leaders to ensure appropriate risk oversight and escalation processes. 

• Maintain an enterprise BSA/AML/OFAC control inventory, providing 2LOD line-of-sight into key controls across both 1LOD and 2LOD, including ownership, control design intent, and linkage to applicable risks and regulatory requirements. 

• Establish and maintain criteria for identifying “key” BSA/AML/OFAC controls and confirm appropriate testing/monitoring coverage is performed by the designated testing/monitoring functions; track and escalate gaps in coverage and recurring control themes. 

• Serve as an internal subject matter expert on BSA/AML/OFAC risk assessment methodology, guiding the development, enhancement, and execution of effective risk assessment strategies and controls.

• Partner with risk and business leaders to ensure appropriate risk oversight and escalation processes.

• Implement and maintain a formal engagement and information-sharing model with 1LOD stakeholders (cadence, required management information, standard readouts, and escalation pathways) to assess ongoing program health, identify emerging risks, and ensure consistent governance across lines of business. 

Program Reporting Leadership

• Direct the creation and delivery of timely, accurate, and comprehensive BSA/AML/OFAC program reports, including:

• Quarterly report preparation for the Compliance Committee

• Semi-annual report preparation for the Enterprise Risk Management Committee (ERMC)

• Annual report preparation for the Risk Committee 

• Ensure precise and actionable reporting of Risk Appetite Statement (RAS) metrics, with particular emphasis on timely SAR filing rates and trends

• Synthesize complex program data for executive audiences, highlighting key risks, remediation status, and program effectiveness.

• Provide regular feedback to process owners on QA/QC results, supporting continuous improvement. 

• In partnership with the AML Model, Data, and Technology Lead, ensure governance practices are in place for AML monitoring models/ scenarios and related analytics, including inventory management, documentation standards, change/tuning governance (e.g., thresholds/segmentation), performance monitoring and outcomes analysis, approvals, and coordination with Model Risk Management and Technology partners as applicable. 

• In partnership with the Sanctions lead/SME, ensure sanctions governance practices are established and effective (forums, standards, reporting, issue escalation), while recognizing the Sanctions function’s ownership for sanctions-specific governance content and execution.