Screening Adjudication Expert

Klarna; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Klarna seeks a Screening Adjudication Expert to lead end-to-end sanctions, PEP, and adverse media screening with a focus on quality and automation. You will own vendor performance, handle the most complex cases, and drive improvements across disciplines.

You’ll stay ahead of regulatory changes, maintain SOPs, and onboard new colleagues while using AI tools to improve throughput and decision accuracy. This is a UK-based role with significant impact on operations.

Qualifications

• 5+ years hands-on experience in sanctions screening, PEP, or adverse media within fintech or banking.
• Breadth across at least two screening disciplines with fast expertise growth.
• Interest in AI and automation; experience with AI-assisted tools or rapid tech adoption.
• Strong energy, initiative, and ability to drive improvements and change.
• Ability to document decisions clearly and maintain audit trails.
• Experience supporting audit or regulatory examinations is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own operational health of sanctions, PEP, and adverse media screening processes.
• Conduct alert reviews, investigations, and adverse media assessments for complex cases.
• Review vendor output, challenge decisions, and escalate as needed.
• Design improvements with vendor, Product, and Tech teams; enable AI/automation.
• Test and implement AI solutions to improve throughput and consistency.
• Maintain up-to-date SOPs reflecting regulatory changes.
• Track screening performance against SLAs and flag risks early.
• Stay current on EU/UN/UK regimes; feed changes into processes.
• Support blocking, freezing, or reporting actions; assist audits.
• Onboard/train new team members on processes and escalation frameworks.

Skills

Sanctions screening

PEP investigations

Adverse media investigations

Regulatory knowledge

Audit support

Fast learner

Change leadership

Analytical thinking

Vendor management

Education

CAMS / CGSS / ICA (certification)

Tools

World-Check

LexisNexis

Fircosoft

Job description

As a Screening Adjudication Expert, you are Klarna's global centre of excellence for sanctions, PEP, and adverse media screening. You own the end-to-end process across all three disciplines, ensuring the outsourced vendor operates to the highest standard, personally handling the most complex or sensitive cases, and continuously raising the bar on quality, consistency, and efficiency.
This role suits someone who combines deep subject-matter expertise with a genuine appetite for change. Someone who does not wait to be asked to improve things, picks up new tools and technology at speed, and brings the intellectual rigour to challenge decisions, including their own.

What You'll Do

• Own the operational health of sanctions, PEP, and adverse media screening processes, act as the single point of contact for vendor performance and internal escalations across all three disciplines
• Personally conduct alert reviews, PEP and high-risk case investigations, and adverse media assessments to maintain end-to-end expertise and step in during volume spikes or vendor disruptions
• Review vendor output with a critical eye across sanctions, PEP, and adverse media, challenge decisions where warranted, elevate confirmed matches and sensitive cases appropriately, and drive accountability
• Identify friction points and inefficiencies across all screening processes; design and implement improvements in collaboration with the vendor, Product, and Tech teams, including leveraging AI and automation
• Actively explore, test, and implement AI and automation solutions to improve screening throughput, decision consistency, and alert quality, working with Product and Tech to move from idea to production
• Own and maintain up-to-date Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), ensuring they reflect current regulatory requirements and internal standards
• Track and report on screening performance against SLA targets across all disciplines, flagging risks and deviations early
• Stay current on developments across EU, UN, UK, and other applicable sanctions regimes, AML/CTF regulation, and adverse media best practice, feeding changes back into process and procedure
• Support blocking, freezing, or reporting actions as required under applicable sanctions regimes
• Support audit and regulatory examination readiness, including producing documentation and responding to internal and external enquiries
• Onboard and train new team members on screening processes, tools, and escalation frameworks across all three disciplines

What You Bring

• A minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience across sanctions screening, PEP or adverse media investigations, within a fintech or banking environment
• Demonstrable breadth across at least two of the three screening disciplines (sanctions, PEP, adverse media), with a track record of quickly building expertise in new areas
• Genuine curiosity about AI and automation, hands-on experience using or implementing AI-assisted tools in a compliance or operational context, or a clear track record of proactively adopting technology to solve real problems
• Exceptional energy, drive, and agency: you have a clear trajectory and are looking for the environment to accelerate it; your record shows you get there faster than anyone expects
• A senior specialist who unlocks capabilities the team does not have today, your experience materially changes what is possible, whether through deep technical knowledge, a new approach to automation, or expertise in a discipline we are building from scratch
• Strong knowledge of EU, UN, and UK sanctions regimes, AML/CTF regulatory requirements, and customer lifecycle risk frameworks
• Proven ability to drive meaningful change, you have led or materially contributed to process improvements, not just flagged them
• Fast learner who absorbs new tools, regulatory developments, and process changes at pace, comfortable working in an environment that evolves quickly
• Familiarity with screening and case management tools such as World-Check, LexisNexis, Fircosoft, or equivalent, including name-matching methodology
• Analytical sharpness and the ability to make well-reasoned, clearly documented decisions under time pressure and in ambiguous situations
• Strong written communication skills and disciplined documentation practices - you elevate clearly and leave a complete audit trail
• Self-starter who takes ownership without waiting to be prompted, and who energises others around improvement
• Experience supporting audit or regulatory examinations is an advantage
• A relevant certification such as CAMS, CGSS, ICA, or equivalent is a plus

Klarna is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects our global customer base and to fostering a culture where everyone belongs. We provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, parental status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and identities. We consider qualified applicants with criminal history for employment in accordance with state and local laws and “fair chance” ordinances. If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact [e-mail].
In accordance with applicable law, the salary range for this position is provided in the job posting. The salary offered will be determined by the candidate's location, qualifications, experience, and education. The salary range posted in the job advertisement refers to the base pay. Base pay is part of a total compensation package, which may also include equity rewards, monthly stipends for health and wellness, and benefits such as life insurance, medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents.