Manager, Advanced Financial Crimes Investigations, BSA/AML & Sanctions Operations

We are a hybrid, remote-office company dedicated to growing our talent anywhere!

We have onsite locations in: Sioux Falls, SD,  Scottsdale, AZ,  Louisville, KY,  Troy, MI,  Franklin, TN,  Easton, PA.

At Pathward, we take tremendous pride in our purpose to create financial inclusion for all™. We are a financial empowerment company that works with innovators to increase financial availability, choice, and opportunity for all.  We strive to remove barriers that traditional institutions put in the way of financial access, and promote economic mobility by providing responsible, secure, high quality financial products.

We are a team of problem solvers and innovators who celebrate our differences and know that our unique perspectives make us stronger and well-positioned for success.  We celebrate, and embrace, our team members through our *HUMBLE*HUNGRY*SMART approach, and we believe that we are strongest when we embrace the voices of our employees, customers, partners, and the communities we serve. 

About the Role:

The Manager, Advanced Financial Crimes Investigations (AFCI) leads the review, investigation, and resolution of complex, high‑risk financial crime matters that exceed standard alert and case workflows. This role is responsible for managing escalations involving sophisticated typologies, multi‑account and multi‑product activity, repeat SAR subjects, examiner‑referred matters, and issues requiring heightened investigative judgment. This role directly manages a team of investigators, providing day‑to‑day leadership, performance management, workload assignment, quality oversight, and professional development to ensure consistent, regulator‑ready investigative outcomes.

The AFCI Manager serves as a subject‑matter expert and escalation point, providing second‑level investigative support, ensuring high‑quality, regulator‑ready outcomes, and strengthening investigative consistency across product‑aligned teams.

What You Will Do:

Investigation & Escalation Management

• Own and manage complex investigative escalations, including:
• Multi‑account and multi‑entity investigations
• Layering and structuring typologies
• Repeat SAR subjects and continuing activity matters
• Examiner‑, audit‑, or enforcement‑referred cases
• Serve as the central escalation point for urgent or high‑severity matters requiring senior leadership awareness or immediate action.
• Ensure appropriate identification of subjects, activity scope, and risk exposure across cases.

People Leadership & Team Management

• Own hiring and staffing for the AFCI team (requisitions, interviews, selection) in partnership with People & Culture.
• Set performance expectations, assign work, and manage capacity/coverage for escalations.
• Conduct 1:1s, performance reviews, coaching, and development plans; address performance issues with timely documentation and escalation as needed.
• Build team capability through onboarding, ongoing coaching, and targeted training on typologies, investigative methods, and narrative quality.
• Establish and monitor quality standards; ensure staff follow procedures and documentation requirements.
• Promote a strong control culture and accountability consistent with regulatory expectations.

Investigative Oversight & Quality

• Review and challenge investigative analyses, conclusions, and SAR determinations to ensure they are sound, defensible, and well‑documented.
• Ensure SAR narratives and decisioning meet regulatory expectations and withstand examiner, audit, and law enforcement scrutiny.
• Partner with QA and Governance teams to identify systemic issues, trends, or control gaps emerging from complex investigations.

Coaching & Expertise

• Provide investigative support and coaching to product‑aligned SAM, Fraud, and Sanctions teams.
• Serve as a subject‑matter expert on advanced typologies, investigative techniques, and analyst judgment.
• Support skill development through case feedback, targeted coaching, and participation in training initiatives.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with:
• Sanctions Operations on cross‑domain matters (AML, sanctions, fraud intersections)
• Fraud Operations on escalated fraud‑driven SAR matters
• Compliance Advisory and Legal on sensitive, high‑risk issues
• Support responses to regulatory inquiries, exams, and enforcement‑related follow‑ups as needed.

What You Will Need:

• Bachelor’s degree required (Finance, Criminal Justice, Accountin