Global Head of Sanctions

Alexander Barnes Ltd; Greater London; Sur place; GBP 180 000 - 240 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Alexander Barnes Ltd. is seeking a Global Head of Sanctions to define and execute the group’s sanctions strategy across all markets. The role requires senior leadership to build a scalable sanctions framework that aligns regulatory precision with product speed.

You’ll shape how sanctions controls support growth, working across policy, risk, product, and operations to translate regulatory expectations into practical, data‑driven execution.

Qualifications

• 6+ years leading sanctions and financial crime programs within fintech, payments, or digital banking.
• Strong technical understanding of sanctions regimes and screening systems.
• Experience in risk assessment, control testing, and assurance across multi-market environments.

Responsabilités

• Define and maintain the global sanctions framework, ensuring consistency across markets.
• Lead sanctions risk identification, assessment, and mitigation across products, geographies, and partners.
• Oversee screening model validation, tuning, and reporting to management and the Board.
• Embed sanctions compliance in new product design through partnership with Product, Engineering, and Operations.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex sanctions matters and regulatory engagement.
• Monitor global regulatory developments (OFAC, EU, UK, UN and others) and drive implementation of required changes.
• Promote automation, data accuracy, and continuous improvement across sanctions operations.

Connaissances

Sanctions leadership

Regulatory frameworks

Cross-functional collaboration

Automation of controls

Description du poste

Alexander Barnes has been engaged by a high-growth global digital bank to appoint a Global Head of Sanctions.

A senior compliance leader to define and execute the group’s sanctions strategy across all markets. To build a sanctions framework that can scale with the business.

You’ll balance regulatory precision with product speed, shaping how sanctions controls support growth.

The role sits across policy, risk, product, and operations - translating regulatory expectation into practical, data-driven execution.

Key responsibilities

• Define and maintain the global sanctions framework, ensuring consistency and proportionality across markets
• Lead sanctions risk identification, assessment, and mitigation across products, geographies, and partners
• Oversee screening model validation, tuning, and reporting to management and the Board
• Embed sanctions compliance in new product design through close partnership with Product, Engineering, and Operations
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex sanctions matters and regulatory engagement
• Monitor global regulatory developments (OFAC, EU, UK, UN and others) and drive implementation of required changes
• Promote automation, data accuracy, and continuous improvement across sanctions operations

Skills and experience

• 6+ years experience leading sanctions and financial crime programs within fintech, payments, or digital banking
• Strong technical understanding of sanctions regimes and related screening systems - list management, model calibration, and workflow design
• Experienced in risk assessment, control testing, and assurance within multi-market environments
• Skilled at turning regulation into design - working with engineers to automate and improve control effectiveness
• Direct exposure to regulators and senior management, with proven ability to brief and influence
• Track record of modernising frameworks, closing audit findings, and driving measurable control uplift
• Operates with urgency, precision, and accountability - a builder, not an observer