Vertical Head – Sanctions & Screening – Bank Scaleneworks

The Corporate Institute; Hinoba-an; On-site; PHP 1,000,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

The Corporate Institute in the Philippines is seeking an experienced Senior Sanctions Risk Manager to lead risk assessments, thematic reviews, and rapid response to geopolitical and regulatory updates.

You will own the sanctions policy, oversee screening platforms, guide data governance, and mentor a team of analysts to ensure compliant, timely decisions across customers, payments, and trade. This role requires strong collaboration with risk, compliance, and IT leadership.

Qualifications

• Experience leading sanctions risk assessments and regulatory reviews.
• Ability to drive updates to sanctions policies and related SOPs.
• Strong data governance and adverse media screening knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Lead sanctions risk assessments, thematic reviews, and evolving risk evaluations.
• Oversee policy updates and technology roadmaps for screening systems.
• Coordinate with IT, Risk, and compliance on escalations and documentation.
• Mentor analysts and drive KPIs for screening accuracy and timeliness.

Skills

Sanctions risk management

Regulatory compliance

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Accounting/Law

Tools

AMLOCK

Sanctions screening platform

Job description

Description

• – Lead the sanctions risk assessment, periodic thematic reviews, and emerging risk evaluations (e.g., geopolitical triggers).
• – Develop and maintain the Bank-wide, Sanctions Risk Appetite and embed it in products, processes, and customer lifecycle.
• – Establish business continuity and contingency protocols for sanctions screening.
• – Provide strategic direction for rapid response mechanisms during urgent geopolitical/regulatory updates (OFAC, EU, UK-HMT, UN).
• – Oversee technology roadmap for sanctions screening, including model enhancements, AI/ML functionality, tuning strategies, and case prioritization frameworks.
• – Review of Banks sanction and screening SOPs / policy/ Framework at frequent interval and recommend and advise latest development on latest regulation from the statutory bodies.
• – Recommending and advising corrective measures / steps in implementation of latest rule, regulation issued / published by local as well as international statutory bodies (e.g. press release from US treasury, EU, UN, FATF etc.) at BOD to check potential sanction implementation with immediate effect.
• – Review of Negative list and advise the addition / deletion of the respective list basis recent development.
• – Follow-up with the respective IT team / stakeholder for deliverable of enhancement in the respective entity screening product processor.
• – Own and update the Sanctions Policy, Screening Framework, and associated SOPs.
• – Define QC/QA frameworks, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and timeliness of sanctions disposition.
• – Oversee scenario tuning for name, payment, trade, and customer screening models.
• – Ensure robust data-quality governance (lists, attributes, matching logic, phonetic parameters, fuzzy matching thresholds).
• – Strengthen adverse media/negative news workflows and deploy risk segmented screening controls.
• – Ensure all sanction-related escalations follow structured risk-justification and documentation standards.
• – Perform analysis against True / False match received through AMLOCK / entity screening product processor and review and advise the correct disposition.
• – Recommending and advising corrective actions with regards to such customers, wherein customers are dealing money laundering through trade-based transactions or dealing with sanctioned entities, individuals or countries.
• – Conduct internal and external outreach for enhanced due diligence review, adverse media news PEPs, SIE and SIP screening.
• – Ensure Trade transactions and remittance are aligned with customer line of business and are following applicable law, rules, regulations (local and international) and corporate policy.
• – Lead Sanctions screening for customers, transactions, trade flows, wires, Swift/RTGS/NEFT, fintech partners, and correspondent banking relationships.
• – Oversee sanctions list sourcing, enrichment, validation, and governance (UNSC, UAPA, WMD, UN, OFAC, EU, UK-HMT, Ministry of JAPAN, Ministry of Singapore and applicable domestic lists).
• – Manage high-risk escalations to AML Head/PO and provide expert guidance on complex sanction cases.
• – Conduct post-incident reviews (missed matches, delayed alerts, or screening system exceptions).
• – Provide sanctions advisory for new products, APIs, digital channels, and cross-border partnerships.
• – Ensure strong screening controls for UPI, cards, wallets, trade finance, and cross-border payments.
• – Maintain high levels of compliance awareness and knowledge to effectively support enhance due diligence and other related areas of responsibility.
• – Update conclusion to business and involved stakeholders about existing / newly on boarded customers where risk tolerance is exceeded based on analysis.
• – Escalate and recommend customers for closure to senior management, wherein customers are involved with material sanctions.
• – End to End management of Trade Based Money Launder Alert Life cycle.
• – Timely advice on L2 and L3 escalations.
• – Approvals for STR / CBWTR and other regulatory reportings.
• – Lead and mentor a team of sanctions analysts, reviewers, and specialists.
• – Drive resource planning, competency mapping, and skill development for sanctions specialists.
• – Implement performance dashboards, case quality metrics, and productivity KPIs.
• – Drive a culture of compliance-first behavior, documentation discipline, and professional integrity.
• – Provide specialized training on sanctions typologies, global regulatory actions, and geopolitical risk indicators.
• – Build Strong Relationship with Business Head, Risk, compliance and regulatory team and other stakeholders.
• – Act as a bridge between technical team and business leadership to ensure alignment on priorities.