AML Models, Monitoring & Testing Manager 

Location
Strong San Francisco Bay Area Preference (hybrid), United States

About the Company
Our client is a rapidly growing global payments and merchant services platform operating at the intersection of financial technology, commerce, and compliance. The firm enables cross-border payments and merchant acquiring for a diverse global client base, backed by an international infrastructure and a deep commitment to regulatory excellence. As the company expands its U.S. operations, it is investing heavily in strengthening its financial crime compliance capabilities to meet the highest standards of oversight and trust across jurisdictions.

The Opportunity
The AML Models Monitoring & Testing Manager will play a pivotal role in the ongoing evolution of the company’s U.S. Financial Crime program; designing and leading comprehensive testing, validation, and assurance activities across AML systems, rule engines, and compliance technology platforms.

This position serves as a key control point in ensuring that the firm’s transaction monitoring, screening, and customer risk rating models perform effectively, operate with integrity, and meet both regulatory and internal governance expectations. The successful candidate will combine strong technical acumen with regulatory insight, ensuring AML systems are accurate, data-driven, and resilient against emerging risks.

This is an opportunity for an analytical, intellectually curious professional to help shape a global compliance function from the ground up—challenging assumptions, identifying control gaps, and driving sustainable improvements in model governance and effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and execute end-to-end testing frameworks to evaluate the accuracy, reliability, and effectiveness of AML transaction monitoring and customer risk-rating models.
• Validate system logic, parameters, thresholds, and rule configurations against approved documentation and business requirements.
• Review data integrity throughout ingestion, transformation (ETL), and output stages to ensure traceability and completeness.
• Conduct ongoing assurance reviews to assess model performance, including alert quality, false-positive/negative ratios, and model drift.
• Identify and document deficiencies in data, logic, model configuration, or control design; escalate findings and lead remediation planning.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant U.S. regulatory expectations, including the BSA, USA PATRIOT Act, FinCEN guidance, and NYDFS Part 504 requirements.
• Produce high-quality, audit-ready documentation and testing reports that clearly articulate methodologies, results, and conclusions.
• Communicate technical findings and recommendations effectively to senior stakeholders across Compliance, Technology, and Operations.
• Partner with global model developers, IT teams, and business leaders to enhance system performance, data quality, and control design.
• Contribute to the continuous evolution of the firm’s model risk and oversight framework, improving testing methodologies, governance processes, and reporting standards.

The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will be a disciplined and detail-oriented professional with a deep understanding of AML systems and model governance within a regulated financial institution. They will bring both technical and analytical expertise, balancing precision with strategic vision, to ensure the firm’s AML platforms meet the highest standards of performance and regulatory readiness.

This individual thrives in complex, fast-moving environments and possesses the intellectual curiosity to dig into data, the confidence to challenge assumptions, and the communication skills to translate technical insights into actionable business decisions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in AML model testing, validation, assurance, or model risk management within banking, payments, or fintech.
• Strong knowledge of AML/BSA regulations, typologies, and model governance standards.
• Proven analytical and critical-thinking skills with the ability to evaluate technical and regulatory implications of model performance.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including experience producing clear, evidence-based documentation and reporting.
• Exposure to regulatory examinations, audits, or independent validation exercises preferred.
• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in a quantitative or related discipline (ex: Statistics, Data Science, Finance, or Compliance).