Associate Director

Guidehouse; Hyderabad; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Guidehouse in Hyderabad is seeking an Associate Director to lead AML/Financial Crime operations, spanning transaction monitoring, investigations and EDD. You will drive governance, performance metrics, and client engagement at the executive level from India, delivering scalable, compliant operations across multiple client programs.

The role requires 15+ years in AML/Financial Crime with senior leadership experience, strong stakeholder management, and a track record of delivering process

Qualifications

• 15+ years in AML/Financial Crime or related operations.
• 5+ years leading large-scale operations in a senior role.
• Proven client relationship management and governance.
• Experience with global stakeholders across Operations, Compliance and Risk.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and governance across AML/Financial Crime operations.
• Oversee Transaction Monitoring, investigations, and EDD processes.
• Drive operational excellence through planning, performance management, and governance.
• Lead client and executive sponsorship discussions and reviews.
• Own delivery performance, SLA/TAT adherence, and risk management.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

AML

Financial Crime

Client management

Data-driven

Problem solving

Communication

Cross-functional

Global delivery

Education

MBA

Master’s in Business/Finance/Compliance

Tools

Chainalysis

TRM Labs

Elliptic

Merkle Science

Job description

## Associate DirectorApply: IN - Hyderabad: Full time: Posted Today: 45001**Job Family:**GIC Process (India)**Travel Required:**None**Clearance Required:**None**What You Will Do:****Strategic & Operational Leadership*** Provide leadership and governance across multiple AML/Financial Crime operations, including Transaction Monitoring, Investigations, Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD), Quality Control, and related compliance functions.* Develop and execute operational strategies to support client objectives, business growth, scalability, and continuous improvement initiatives.* Drive operational excellence through effective resource planning, performance management, risk mitigation, and governance frameworks.**Transaction Monitoring & Financial Crime Oversight*** Oversee end-to-end Transaction Monitoring operations, ensuring investigations are completed accurately, consistently, and within defined SLA/TAT commitments.* Ensure appropriate risk assessment, alert disposition, escalation standards, case documentation, and regulatory requirements are consistently maintained across teams.* Provide governance over high-risk investigations, complex escalations, suspicious activity recommendations, and client-sensitive matters.**Client & Stakeholder Management*** Serve as the primary leadership contact for client stakeholders and executive sponsors.* Lead governance discussions, business reviews, operational performance updates, and strategic planning sessions.* Build strong partnerships with Compliance, Risk, Quality, Training, Workforce Management, Talent Acquisition, and Operations leadership teams.* Manage client escalations and ensure timely resolution of operational, compliance, and service-related concerns.**Operational Performance & Delivery Governance*** Own overall delivery performance across quality, productivity, utilization, accuracy, SLA/TAT adherence, backlog management, and customer experience metrics.* Review performance trends and develop action plans to address operational risks, capacity challenges, quality concerns, and productivity gaps.* Lead business reviews using data-driven insights and operational analytics.**Risk, Compliance & Governance*** Ensure operational adherence to client policies, AML regulations, internal controls, audit requirements, and compliance frameworks.* Drive strong governance around regulatory expectations, quality standards, investigation consistency, and escalation management.* Lead Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Corrective Action Plans (CAPA), risk assessments, and remediation activities.**People Leadership & Talent Development*** Lead Managers, Supervisors, Team Leads, Quality leaders, and support functions across multiple operational teams.* Create leadership succession plans and develop future people leaders through coaching, mentoring, and structured development programs.* Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, employee engagement, inclusion, and continuous improvement.* Partner with HR and Talent Acquisition to support hiring, workforce planning, retention, and leadership development initiatives.**Transformation & Continuous Improvement*** Identify opportunities for process optimization, automation, productivity enhancement, and operating model improvements.* Drive Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, quality, and customer outcomes.* Support transitions, migrations, new client implementations, and business expansion programs.**Reporting & Executive Governance*** Develop and present executive-level dashboards, business reviews, operational scorecards, risk assessments, staffing plans, and strategic recommendations.* Provide regular updates to senior leadership on performance, risks, growth opportunities, and operational health.* Drive governance forums, steering committee discussions, and leadership reviews. **What You Will Need:*** Bachelor's Degree required.* MBA, Master's Degree in Business, Finance, Risk Management, Compliance, or related discipline preferred.* 15+ years of overall experience in AML, Financial Crime, Compliance Operations, Risk Operations, or Transaction Monitoring.* Minimum 5+ years of experience leading large-scale operations in a senior leadership capacity.* Proven experience managing multiple operational functions and large teams* Extensive experience in Transaction Monitoring, Financial Crime Investigations, AML Compliance, or related risk operations.* Demonstrated success in client relationship management, operational governance, and performance improvement programs.* Strong experience managing global stakeholders across Operations, Compliance, Risk, Legal, and executive leadership teams.* Experience leading transitions, scaling operations, organizational change initiatives, and business growth programs.# **SKILLS & COMPETENCIES*** Strong leadership and organizational management capabilities.* Executive-level stakeholder and client management skills.* Deep understanding of AML, Transaction Monitoring, Financial Crime Investigations, and Compliance Operations.* Strong business acumen with the ability to balance compliance, operational performance, and commercial objectives.* Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities with a data-driven leadership approach.* Proven ability to drive operational transformation and continuous improvement initiatives.* Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, and influencing skills.* Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, highly regulated environment.* Experience working within global delivery models and cross-functional operational structures. # **ADDED ADVANTAGE*** Prior experience supporting Crypto Exchanges, Digital Asset Platforms, FinTechs, Payments, or Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs).* Strong understanding of crypto-related financial crime typologies and blockchain ecosystem risks.* Familiarity with blockchain investigation tools such as Chainalysis, TRM Labs, Elliptic, Merkle Science, or similar platforms.* Experience supporting Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) recommendations, Enhanced Due Diligence, High-Risk Reviews, and Regulatory Reporting programs.* Exposure to regulatory expectations from FinCEN, FCA, MAS, DFSA, EU AML frameworks, or equivalent global regulators. **Certifications****Preferred Certifications:*** ACAMS (CAMS)* Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)* ICA Advanced Certification in AML* Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGSS)* Crypto Compliance or Blockchain Investigation Certifications* Lean Six Sigma Green Belt/Black Belt (Added Advantage)