Anti Money Laundering Manager

Kotak Mahindra Bank; Mumbai; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Kotak Mahindra Bank seeks an experienced AML Operations Leader to oversee end-to-end alert monitoring and investigations. You will supervise L1/L2 review teams, manage complex high-risk cases, and ensure timely escalation with complete Grounds of Suspicion and robust audit trails.

The role requires strong data analysis, stakeholder management, and compliance with RBI/IND norms, along with driving process improvements, training and governance across the function.

Qualifications

• Experience with AML monitoring and case management.
• Ability to manage high-volume reviews with accuracy.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge of RBI/IND AML expectations is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end AML alert monitoring across L1/L2 review teams.
• Provide supervisory oversight on investigations, profiling and red flags.
• Review and approve complex high-risk cases (examples listed).
• Escalate potentially suspicious cases with complete Grounds of Suspicion.
• Monitor productivity, TAT, backlog; report issues to senior management.
• Implement maker-checker controls for high-risk alerts.
• Coordinate with branches, Fraud Risk, Legal, IT, Data/Analytics for due diligence.
• Support scenario reviews, alert tuning, UAT and data-quality remediation.
• Identify emerging ML/TF typologies and regulatory developments.
• Lead RBI/FIU-IND inspections responses and remediate.
• Develop team capability via coaching and training.
• Maintain SOPs and governance dashboards; provide insights on risk trends.

Skills

AML alert investigation

Customer risk assessment

Enhanced due diligence

STR escalation

Data analysis

Excel

Stakeholder management

Decision making

Tools

Compass

Actimize

AMLOCK

Jocata

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end transaction monitoring operations across L1 and L2 review teams, ensuring effective allocation, review, escalation and closure of AML alerts within prescribed TAT.
• Provide supervisory oversight on alert investigations, customer and transaction profiling, linked-account analysis, counterparty review, adverse information, red flags and documented conclusions.
• Review and approve complex or high-risk cases, including money mule, cybercrime/I4C, shell entity, layering, trade-based money laundering, cash-intensive, digital-channel, virtual-asset and cross-border transaction typologies.
• Ensure potentially suspicious cases are escalated promptly, Grounds of Suspicion are complete and factually accurate, and STR recommendations are supported by adequate evidence and audit trails.
• Monitor daily productivity, ageing, TAT breaches, branch referrals, reverts, STR pipeline, quality observations and backlog; initiate corrective actions and report material issues to senior management.
• Implement prioritisation and maker-checker controls for high-risk alerts and ensure consistent decision-making across analysts, reviewers and supervisors.
• Coordinate with branches, business units, Fraud Risk, Operations, Legal, IT, Data/Analytics and other stakeholders for enhanced due diligence, information gathering and case resolution.
• Support AML scenario reviews, threshold tuning, alert optimisation, UAT, system enhancements and data-quality remediation while ensuring that control effectiveness is not diluted.
• Identify emerging ML/TF typologies, regulatory developments and operational gaps; translate them into alerts, advisories, process changes, training inputs and targeted reviews.
• Lead responses for RBI/FIU-IND inspections, internal audits, compliance testing and quality reviews, including timely closure of observations and sustainable remediation.
• Develop team capability through coaching, case discussions, calibration sessions, quality feedback, succession planning and structured training.
• Maintain SOPs, process notes, governance trackers, dashboards and management MIS; provide clear insights on risk trends, control performance and required interventions.

Key Skills & Knowledge

• Deep hands-on experience in AML alert investigation, customer risk assessment, enhanced due diligence, suspicious activity identification, GOS drafting and STR escalation.
• Ability to lead sizable operational teams, manage competing priorities, enforce TAT and quality standards, and handle escalations with sound risk judgement.
• Experience with AML monitoring platforms such as Compass, Actimize, AMLOCK, Jocata or equivalent solutions, along with core banking and case-management systems.
• Strong analytical skills, understanding of data flows and reconciliations, and proficiency in Excel, dashboards and management reporting.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, stakeholder management, decision-making, problem-solving and presentation skills.