Associate Director

Guidehouse Inc.; Hyderabad; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 7,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Guidehouse Inc. in India seeks a strategic and operational leader to govern AML/Financial Crime operations, including Transaction Monitoring, Investigations, EDD, QC, and related compliance functions.

You will set and drive operational strategies to support client objectives, growth, scalability, and continuous improvement. You will own delivery performance, manage risk and governance, mentor managers and team leads, and partner with HR for workforce planning.

Qualifications

• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• Oversee end-to-end Transaction Monitoring operations, ensuring investigations are completed accurately, consistently, and within 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Skills

Strategic leadership

AML / Financial Crime

Operations management

Stakeholder management

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor's Degree

MBA or related master's

Job description

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,