Compliance Analyst - Trade Surveillance

williamblair; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

In-office 3 days a week

Job summary

William Blair is seeking a detail-oriented Compliance Analyst to support trade surveillance, AML programs, and regulatory reporting across broker-dealer operations. You will monitor trading activity, investigate suspicious behavior, and escalate potential violations to Compliance and Legal.

The role emphasizes independence, strong judgment, and collaboration with Trading, Operations, Risk, and Legal teams. Hybrid work with three days in the office is required; ideal candidates hold a 3–6 year

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in finance, business, economics, or a related field is required.
• 3–6 years of relevant experience in compliance, trade surveillance, AML, or broker-dealer operations.
• Strong knowledge of securities trading, equity market structure, and market-making activities.
• Experience reviewing and investigating surveillance alerts and regulatory reporting is preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and sound judgment in escalating issues.
• Advanced Excel skills; familiarity with Power BI or other data visualization tools is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Support the firm’s Equity Capital Markets, equities, and AML compliance programs.
• Perform compliance testing, surveillance, and monitoring for the ECM and equities business lines.
• Conduct surveillance reviews of equity and market-making activity for potential market abuse.
• Review surveillance alerts and investigate potential market-conduct concerns and trading irregularities.
• Analyze trading patterns using surveillance platforms, order management systems, CAT data, and market data.
• Document reviews, investigations, and findings, and escalate regulatory violations to Compliance and Legal.
• Help enhance surveillance scenarios to improve effectiveness and reduce false positives.
• Review customer transactions, cash movements, wire transfers, and account behavior for AML risks.
• Conduct AML investigations using customer due diligence and external research; prepare case files.
• Draft clear SAR narratives when warranted and track reporting deadlines.
• Prepare surveillance and AML metrics for Compliance management and leadership.
• Identify regulatory risks and recommend policy improvements.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in finance, business, economics, or related field

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Abel Noser

Trading Technologies

Job description

Solutions for Today's Challenges. Vision for Tomorrow's Opportunities.

Join William Blair, the Premier Global Partnership.

William Blair is seeking a detail-oriented and highly motivated Compliance Analyst to support the firm's trade surveillance and anti-money laundering (AML) programs across its broker-dealer and market-making operations. This role is responsible for monitoring trading activity, conducting investigations, regulatory reporting, and escalating potential violations of securities laws, FINRA and SEC rules, AML requirements, and internal policies.

This position operates with a high degree of independence and is expected to exercise sound judgment in identifying and escalating issues, recommend enhancements to controls and surveillance processes, and serve as a key resource to Trading, Operations, Risk Management, Legal, and Compliance. The team currently operates in a hybrid working model, with three days a week required to be in the office.

Responsibilities

• Support key requirements of the firm's Equity Capital Markets, equities, and AML compliance programs.
• Perform compliance testing, surveillance, and monitoring for the ECM and equities business lines.
• Conduct surveillance reviews of equity and market-making activity for potential market abuse, including spoofing, layering, wash trading, marking the open or close, front-running, excessive trading, insider trading, short-sale violations, market-access, and best-execution concerns.
• Review surveillance alerts and investigate potential market-conduct concerns and trading irregularities.
• Analyze trading patterns using surveillance platforms, order management systems, CAT data, and market data.
• Document reviews, investigations, and findings, and escalation potential regulatory violations to Compliance management and legal.
• Help enhance and calibrate surveillance scenarios to improve effectiveness and reduce false positives.
• Review customer transactions, cash movements, wire transfers, account behavior, and exception reports for indicators of money laundering, fraud, suspicious activity, or other financial crime risks.
• Conduct AML investigations using customer due diligence, transactional analysis, and external research, and prepare well-supported case files.
• Determine whether activity warrants possible SAR filing, draft clear and fact-based SAR narratives, and track reporting deadlines.
• Prepare surveillance and AML metrics for Compliance management and senior leadership.
• Identify emerging regulatory risks and control gaps, and recommend enhancements to policies, controls, and monitoring processes.
• Provide guidance to front-office and Operations teams on surveillance, AML requirements, and firm procedures.
• Help develop and deliver compliance training on applicable regulatory obligations.
• Assist with regulatory examinations, inquiries, audits, and remediation efforts.
• Support updates to Written Supervisory Procedures, AML policies, and surveillance procedures.
• Additional responsibilities as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in finance, business, economics, or a related field.
• 3-6 years of relevant experience in compliance, trade surveillance, AML, or broker-dealer operations.
• Strong knowledge of securities trading, equity market structure, and market-making activities.
• Strong understanding of applicable FINRA and SEC trading regulations.
• Experience reviewing and investigating surveillance alerts.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with sound judgment in identifying and escalating issues.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Advanced Excel skills; familiarity with Power BI or other data visualization tools is a plus.
• Experience in an institutional broker-dealer, market-making, and Equity Capital Markets trading environment.
• Experience with trade surveillance and AML monitoring platforms preferred; familiarity with Abel Noser or Trading Technologies is a plus.
• Experience supporting SEC or FINRA examinations.
• FINRA Series 7, 24, or 99 registrations and CAMS certification are preferred, as applicable.
• Detail-oriented and organized, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.
• Collaborative, proactive, intellectually curious, and comfortable working independently.
• Demonstrated commitment to compliance, integrity, and ownership of assignments.

#LI-CH

#LI-HYBRID

A reasonable estimate of the current base salary range at time of posting is below. Base salary does not include other forms of compensation or benefits. Actual base salary within the specified range is based on several factors, including but not limited to applicant's skills, prior relevant experience, specific degrees and certifications, job responsibilities, market considerations and, if applicable, the location of the position.

This role is eligible for either a discretionary annual bonus (based on company, business unit and individual performance) and/or comm