Associate, Business Control & Risk Management (AML/KYC)

Associate, Business Control & Risk Management (AML/KYC)

Country: United States of America

It Starts Here:

Santander is a global leader and innovator in the financial services industry and is evolving from a high-impact brand into a technology-driven organization. Our people are at the heart of this journey and together, we are driving a customer-centric transformation that values bold thinking, innovation, and the courage to challenge what’s possible.  This is more than a strategic shift.  It’s a chance for driven professionals to grow, learn, and make a real difference.

If you are interested in exploring the possibilities We Want to Talk to You!

The Difference You Make:
 

The Associate, Business Control & Risk Management operates within the First Line of Defense and is accountable to assist the Business Control & Risk Management team in driving effective and consistent business line execution against the Enterprise Risk Management Framework. Specifically, the Associate will be supporting and advising Relationship Managers (RMs), Relationship Officers (ROs) and Business Lines by providing overall BSA/AML guidance and direction on KYC requirements. This role plays a critical part in ensuring compliance with regulatory standards while enhancing customer experience through efficient onboarding, periodic reviews, and quality assurance processes.  The Associate must be able to effectively partner with various stakeholders.

• Drive Risk Culture: Ensure awareness in the Business Line of risk frameworks, policies and standards.
• Perform Customer Due Diligence (CDD) by gathering, entering, and verifying information via the One Commercial onboarding process.
• Proactively complete KYC Refresh for existing customers to maintain up-to-date and accurate data.
• Support timely completion of KYC Questionnaires (KYCQs) and ensure customer data remains current.
• Ensure all KYC obligations are met for various banking scenarios including new deposit accounts, new loans, cash management product additions, loan modifications, trade finance activities, changes in ownership or AML risk ratings, and periodic KYC refreshes.
• Provide Subject Matter Expert (SME) guidance to enhance RM/RO and customer experience. 
• Participate in maintaining First Line AML procedures, guides, checklists, and key customer forms.
• Ensure compliance is right the first time by effectively mitigating AML risk at the outset and ensuring adherence to BSA/AML and OFAC requirements.
• Perform Adverse Media Screening and/or Transaction Monitoring for certain customers.
• Act in a quality assurance capacity to validate completed work, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and compliance with policy.
• Identify and address control deficiencies, escalating issues as appropriate to prevent recurrence.
• Support internal control testing and control effectiveness monitoring to ensure adherence to internal and regulatory expectations.
• Support risk identification, assessment, and control effectiveness across business lines, aligning with the Enterprise Risk Management Framework.
• Continuously monitors all sources of risk existing within the Business Line and externally. Engage in research, peer networking, and experience to anticipate critical risk issues impacting the Business Line. Understand where operational, strategic, reputational, compliance, and model risks exist in the Business Line and continually assess and improve controls to mitigate those risks. Monitor risk profile to maintain tolerance within Risk Appetite.

What You Bring:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience: Accounting, Business, Statistics, Risk Management, Information Systems, Finance, Economics or equivalent field. - Required.
• Master's Degree: Accounting, Business, Statistics, Risk Management, Information Systems, Finance, Economics or equivalent field. - Preferred.

• 5+ Years of experience in AML/KYC, Risk Management, Internal Controls, Regulatory Compliance, including direct engagement with customers to gather due diligence information and resolve complex compliance requirements.  – Required.

• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills.
• Ability to constructively work both independently and in collaborative environments involving all levels of management and employees.
• Strong understanding of BSA/AML and OFAC regulations, regulatory expectations and rela