BSA Investigations Team Lead

BB Americas Bank; Miami (FL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

BB Americas Bank in Miami seeks a BSA Investigations Team Lead to guide a team of analysts performing BSA/AML investigations. You will ensure thorough, timely, well-documented cases aligned with regulatory standards and internal policies.

You will partner with the BSA Officer, Risk, Legal and Fraud teams to identify risks, coach staff, and drive high-quality investigations and SAR submissions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree plus 5+ years in BSA/AML compliance.
• ACAMS or CRCM certification preferred.
• Experience with SARs and complex investigations.
• Ability to lead and mentor teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop a team of BSA/AML analysts.
• Develops, maintains and revises policies and procedures regarding BSA investigations.
• Provide proactive guidance on BSA AML OFAC compliance matters.
• Oversee review of transaction monitoring alerts and suspicious referrals.
• Direct deep-dive investigations into complex financial crimes and money laundering.
• Ensure accurate and timely filing of SARs with FinCEN.
• Maintain compliance with federal banking laws and regulatory standards.
• Conduct performance reviews, training, and mentoring for team members.
• Partner with legal, risk, and law enforcement teams as needed.
• Lead investigations with appropriate evidence and risk-based rationale.
• Escalate significant risks to senior Compliance leadership.
• Support regulatory examinations and internal audits.

Skills

Team leadership

BSA/AML knowledge

Regulatory compliance

Investigative research

Financial crime risk

Communications

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

ACAMS or CRCM certification preferred

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

The BSA Investigations Team Lead is responsible for leading and overseeing a team of analysts conducting Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), Anti-Money Laundering (AML), and financial crime investigations. This role ensures investigations are thorough, timely, well-documented, and consistent with applicable regulatory requirements, internal policies, and risk standards.

The BSA Investigations Team Lead serves as a subject-matter resource for complex investigations, provides quality assurance and coaching, monitors team performance, and partners with the BSA Officer and Deputy BSA Officer, Risk, Legal, Fraud, and other stakeholders to identify and mitigate financial crime risks.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead, coach and develop a team of BSA/AML analysts.
• Develops, maintains and revises policies and procedures with regards to BSA investigations.
• Provide proactive advice and guidance to the front and back-office personnel on BSA AML OFAC compliance matters.
• Oversee the review of transaction monitoring alerts and suspicious referrals.
• Direct deep-dive investigations into complex financial crimes and money laundering.
• Ensure accurate and timely filing of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) with FinCEN.
• Maintain compliance with federal banking laws and regulatory standards.
• Conduct performance reviews, training, and mentoring for team members.
• Partner with legal, risk, and law enforcement teams as needed.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of BSA/AML investigators, including setting performance expectations and providing ongoing feedback.
• Oversee the investigation of transaction monitoring alerts, suspicious activity referrals, escalations, and other financial crime cases.
• Review complex and high-risk investigations and provide guidance on investigative strategy, documentation, and disposition.
• Ensure investigations are completed accurately, thoroughly, and within established service-level and regulatory timeframes.
• Identify trends, typologies, emerging risks, and patterns of suspicious activity and communicate findings to senior management.
• Oversee the preparation and quality of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), including ensuring appropriate supporting documentation and clear investigative narratives.
• Ensure investigative decisions are supported by appropriate evidence, analysis, and risk-based rationale.
• Escalate significant or potentially systemic risks to senior Compliance leadership and other appropriate stakeholders.
• Partner with BSA/AML Compliance, Fraud, Sanctions, Legal, Risk, and Operations teams on complex investigations and emerging financial crime risks.
• Support regulatory examinations, internal audits, independent testing, and other compliance reviews related to BSA/AML investigations.
• Develop and maintain investigation procedures, quality-control processes, and performance metrics.
• Conduct quality assurance reviews and identify opportunities to improve investigative consistency, efficiency, and effectiveness.
• Monitor team workloads and case inventories to ensure appropriate resource allocation and timely case resolution.
• Stay current on regulatory developments, enforcement trends, emerging financial crime typologies, and industry best practices.
• Participate in the development and enhancement of transaction monitoring and investigative processes and systems.
• Provide management reporting and analysis regarding investigation volumes, trends, aging, outcomes, and risk indicators.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and update internal logs or reports as needed.
• Responsible for monitoring analysts productions with regards to BSA investigations, request for information, etc.
• Assists with OFAC related issues as appropriate.
• Makes decisions based on Bank standards, policies and established procedures as well as compliance with the regulatory agencies.
• Decisions are also based on risk associated with the bank’s activities, to promote a safe and sound banking environment.
• Communicate effectively with other Departments
• Perform other related duties as required to accomplish the objectives of the position

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Bachelor's degree (B.A) from qualified college or university preferred plus a minimum of 5 plus years of BSA AML compliance experience and preferably with at least two or three years of BSA management or BSA team-lead experience; ACAMS or CRCM certification preferred.

OTHER SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in business, criminal Justice, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 5+ years of experience in BSA/AML, financial crimes compliance, investigations, fraud, or a related field.
• 2+ years of management or team-lead experience overseeing investigators or compliance professionals.
• Strong knowledge of AML/CFT OFAC and FinCEN requirements, suspicious activity investigations, and financial crime risk management.
• Experience with transaction monitoring, case management, fraud detection, sanctions screening, or AML investigative platforms.
• Experience responding to regulatory examinations or audits.
• Familiarity with current financial crime typologies and regulatory expectations.
• Experience reviewing and/or approving SARs and complex investigations.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex financial activity and identify potentially suspicious patterns and behaviors.
• Strong understanding of investigative methodologies, documentation standards, and risk-based decision-making.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly articulate investigative findings to senior stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage competing priorities in a deadline-driven environment.
• High degree of integrity, discretion, and sound professional judgment.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from employees and managers.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet Departmental deadlines in a timely manner.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to communicate in both English and Portuguese highly desirable; Spanish useful.
• Ability to ensure confidentiality, security and safekeeping of bank and customer information
• In depth knowledge of all bank policies, procedures and compliance requirements
• Is consistently at work and on time; Ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent
• Takes responsibility for own actions; Commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; ability to multitask; takes initiative; highly motivated
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail; focused
• Displays behavioral and daily habits to accomplish Goals as assigned
• Displays original thinking and creativity; Generates suggestions for improving work, setting goals
• Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position.
• Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness in all reports produced
• Must be accustomed to professional, business office environment in manner and dress
• Must demonstrate excellent human relations skills with bank associates
• Must be willing to participate and work effectively as a team member and eager to tackle new assignments
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel
• Strong Analytical and critical thinking skills
• Leadership and team development
• Strong risk-based decision making
• Strong case and workload management skills
• Strong cross-functional collaboration
• Team player
• Strong Leadership skills
• Experience with complex investigations involving businesses, correspondent banking, cryptocurrency, international transactions, or other higher-risk activity.
• Experience preparing or reviewing SAR narratives.
• Familiarity with regulatory expectations and examination processes.