Senior Director, Global Head of AML and Sanctions Model Analytics

Company Description

Visa is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating more than 215 billion payments transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across 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.

When you join Visa, you join a culture of purpose and belonging – where your growth is priority, your identity is embraced, and the work you do matters. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere. Your work will have a direct impact on billions of people around the world – helping unlock financial access to enable the future of money movement.

Join Visa: A Network Working for Everyone.

Job Description

The Sr. Director, Global Head of AML and Sanctions Model Analytics will be responsible developing and enhancing Visa’s global AML and Sanctions model standards, methodologies, procedures, governance, tuning and validation activities to strengthen and unify financial crimes model risk practices across Visa companies.  You will function as an integral member of the global AML and Sanctions organization and be responsible for all aspects of the AML and Sanctions model risk program. The successful candidate will lead efforts across Visa companies to ensure that AML and Sanctions models are appropriately designed, implemented, and managed including but not limited to conceptual soundness, model implementation and use, model documentation, model performance monitoring, governance, tuning and optimization.

Additionally, you will:

• Act as a strategic partner for initiatives and changes across Visa companies, including working with business, compliance or technology partners to understand requirements and provide solutions while ensuring appropriate risk mitigation
• Understand AML and Sanctions model related requirements, industry trends and company framework designed to detect and prevent money laundering, terrorist financing and sanctions breaches.
• Ensure appropriate documentation in model development, tuning, and appropriate independent validation coverage and documentation of independent review.
• Oversee and execute statistical analysis and effective challenge of financial crime models, including conceptual soundness, data inputs, governance, outcomes, ongoing monitoring and documentation in accordance with applicable supervisory requirements or guidance.
• Direct and maintain tuning schedules for applicable models, including analyzing outputs, documenting results, and presenting recommended changes along with impact analysis to AML and Sanctions leadership
• Assist with ongoing KRI review of model output to identify model drift/breaches and ensure appropriate periodic or event-based tuning, with focus on both efficiencies and effectiveness.
• Lead efforts to develop and maintain model governance documentation and performance monitoring, including periodically presenting results to AML and Sanctions Leadership
• Act as the global point-of-contact for Visa Model Risk Management and responding to regulatory exam inquiries, including representing Visa’s global approach and execution, facilitating walkthroughs and requisition of document/data requests, actively engaging in status meetings, and providing updates to AML and Sanctions leadership
• Build relationships across Visa model owners, data scientists, Model Risk Management, Audit, and third-party vendors.
• Use subject matter expertise and analytics to proactively identify and address gaps, and identify emerging risks
• Lead remediation efforts for model-related issues identified through exams, audits, and model validations
• Other projects as assigned.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• 12 or more years of work experience with a bachelor’s degree or at least 10 years of work experience with an Advanced degree (e.g., Masters/MBA /JD/MD); or a minimum of 5 years of work experience with a PhD
• 10 years of implementing AML/ATF, Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), USA PATRIOT Act, and Sanctions programs at a Bank FI or MSB; in the payments industry a plus (but not essential)

Preferred Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or 12 years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, or MD); PhD with 9+ years of experience
• 12+ years of compliance or risk and control experience, preferably with a financial institution, payments company, or other financial services company
• Bachelors or equivalent combination of education and experience in statistics, mathematics, financial crime, data an