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, Accounting, Business, or related field)
• CAMS or equivalent AML certification strongly preferred
• Advanced certifications (e.g., CFE) a plus
• 7+ years of experience in BSA/AML investigations and SAR decisioning
• 2+ years of direct people management experience, including coaching, performance management, and talent development
• Proven experience handling complex, high‑risk financial crime typologies
• Demonstrated success defending investigative decisions in audit, exam, or regulatory settings
• Experience working across AML, fraud, and sanctions domains preferred
• Prior experience providing oversight, escalation support, or informal leadership strongly preferred
• Excellent communication and writing skills, including the ability to develop and deliver presentations to Board and C-suite audiences.
• Sound judgment and decision-making skills , particularly in ambiguous or time-sensitive situations.
• Collaborative approach with proven ability to build partnerships across functions and influence outcomes without direct authority.

Competencies

• Technical & Analytical
  • Deep knowledge of AML/SAR regulatory requirements and expectations
  • Advanced investigative analysis and risk assessment skills
  • Ability to connect patterns across products, customers, and timeframes
  • Strong narrative writing and documentation discipline
• Judgment & Decision‑Making
  • Ability to apply sound judgment in ambiguous or high‑risk situations
  • Comfortable making and defending difficult determinations
  • Understands regulatory risk, reputational risk, and operational impact
• Leadership & Influence
  • Credible escalation authority and presence
  • Ability to coach investigators and elevate standards without formal reporting lines
  • Clear, concise communication with leadership, partners, and regulators
• Organizational & Execution
  • Strong prioritization and time management in high‑pressure environments
  • Ability to balance urgency with thoroughness and quality
  • Detail‑oriented with a strong audit and examiner readiness mindset
• People Leadership
  • Talent selection and team building
  • Coaching and feedback; performance management
  • Delegation and workload planning
  • Culture building and accountability
• Operational Leadership
  • Ability to set priorities across competing escalations
  • Decision quality under pressure
  • Stakeholder management and escalation communication

The responsibilities listed above are not all inclusive and may be changed at any time.

Salary range:  $72,000 – $120,000

 
The salary range reflects the minimum and maximum target for a new hire in this role. Individual pay within the range will be determined by multiple factors which can include but are not limited to a candidate’s experience, qualifications, skills, and location. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary for your location during the hiring process. Ranges may be modified in the future.
This role is also eligible for an annual performance-based incentive opportunity.  Pathward offers a comprehensive benefits package for eligible employees, including health insurance, 401(k) retirement benefits, life insurance, disability benefits, paid time off, and more.

#LI-Remote

Don’t have everything listed under qualifications? If you’re excited about this role but your experiences don’t match exactly to everything in the posting, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other Pathward roles. Pathward is an equal employment opportunity employer and considers candidates for roles without regard to their race, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability or any other category protected by law.

Who we are: 

Our commitment to inclusion is woven into our DNA. We believe that we are strongest when we embrace the voices of our employees, customers, partners, and the communities we serve. 

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, pregnancy, national origin, age (age 40 and over), disability, genetic information, marital status, hair texture or hairstyle, ancestry, service in the uniformed services, protected veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence or any other class protected by federal, state and local laws.

Please click here to learn more about our benefits and review information about our Privacy Policy, Affirmative Action Plan and other notices. Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. For assistance completing an application, please contact a Pathward People & Culture Representative by emailing – careers@pathward.com

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Applications will be accepted for a minimum of 3 days after posting, and there is no predetermined date by which applications should be submitted.

Knowingly submitting false information will result in disqualification for consideration of future positions, termination of employment and forfeiture of other rights.

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