Director, AML/CFT Risk Assessment

Pathward, National Association; United States; Hybrid; USD 86,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) retirement benefits

Paid time off

Job summary

Pathward, National Association is hiring a Director of AML/CFT Risk Assessment to enhance its risk assessment framework and ensure compliance with financial regulations. This role will lead risk assessments, manage programs, and collaborate across departments to mitigate financial crime risks.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in AML/CFT compliance with at least 8 years of experience, including 4 years in a leadership role, and a passion for promoting financial inclusion.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of AML/CFT compliance experience, including 4 years in a risk or leadership role.
• Direct experience in regulated banking environments, especially in fintech.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Bank Secrecy Act and FinCEN regulations.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, execution, and enhancement of risk assessment framework.
• Manage AML/CFT risk assessment programs and translate findings into actions.
• Oversee new product and business initiative AML/CFT reviews.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Leadership

Risk assessment expertise

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree in Finance, Law, or Business Administration

Job description

We are a hybrid, remote-office company dedicated to growing our talent anywhere! We have onsite locations in: Sioux Falls, SD, Scottsdale, AZ, Louisville, KY, Troy, MI, Franklin, TN, Easton, PA.

At Pathward, we take tremendous pride in our purpose to create financial inclusion for all. We are a financial empowerment company that works with innovators to increase financial availability, choice, and opportunity for all. We strive to remove barriers that traditional institutions put in the way of financial access, and promote economic mobility by providing responsible, secure, high quality financial products.

We are a team of problem solvers and innovators who celebrate our differences and know that our unique perspectives make us stronger and well-positioned for success. We celebrate, and embrace, our team members through our*HUMBLE*HUNGRY*SMART approach, and we believe that we are strongest when we embrace the voices of our employees, customers, partners, and the communities we serve.

About the Role

The Director, AML/CFT Risk Assessment and Program Effectiveness role is responsible for leading the design, execution, documentation and continuous enhancement of a dynamic, risk-based AML/CFT risk assessment framework that supports the bank's BaaS and embedded finance activities. The role ensures the framework is effective, reasonably designed, and calibrated to the bank's size, complexity, risk profile, FinCEN AML/CFT priorities, regulatory expectations, and evolving illicit finance risks. This individual serves as a subject matter expert and cross-functional partner, working closely with the first, second, and third lines of defense to identify, assess, document and help mitigate financial crimes risk. The Director plays a central role in evaluating new products, services, partners and business initiatives, ensuring that AML/CFT risk considerations are embedded in strategic decision-making and that appropriate mitigating controls are defined and in place.

Risk Assessment

• Help direct and manage the enterprise-wide AML/CFT risk assessment program, including periodic and event-driven refresh cycles, methodology updates, and governance reporting (ex., board, executive committees, etc.).
• Oversee and execute the risk assessment process to identify and evaluate the bank's AML/CFT risks across customers, products, services, geographies, delivery channels, partners, and transaction activity, translating risk assessment outputs into actionable findings, residual risk ratings, and control gap analyses for senior management and regulatory audiences.
• Incorporate, as appropriate, FinCEN AML/CFT priorities, emerging typologies, law enforcement priorities, regulatory feedback, audit findings, monitoring results, SAR/CTR trends, customer due diligence information, and third-party/partner risk indicators into the risk assessment methodology.

New Product & Business Initiative Review

• Lead the AML/CFT new product, new partner, and business initiative review process, serving as a key second-line risk reviewer/approver within the bank's product governance, third-party risk management, and risk intake framework.
• Conduct comprehensive AML/CFT risk assessments for proposed products, partnerships, distribution channels, and market expansions prior to approval and launch.
• Partner with business development, product management, legal, and compliance teams to identify AML/CFT risk drivers and define required mitigating controls.
• Govern and oversee conditions of approval, compensating controls, risk acceptance criteria, launch readiness requirements, post-launch monitoring expectations, and escalation triggers for higher-risk or novel initiatives.

Cross-Functional Control & Governance

• Collaborate with 1LoD, 2LoD compliance, technology, operations, and internal audit teams to identify control gaps and ensure appropriate remediation.
• Advise business line leaders on AML/CFT obligations and translate regulatory requirements into operational control standards.
• Represent the AML/CFT risk function in enterprise risk committees, new product committees, and other relevant governance forums.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of AML/CFT policies, standards, and procedures.

Regulatory Engagement & Examinations

• Serve as a primary point of contact for AML/CFT risk assessment-related inquiries, along with internal/external reviews.
• Prepare and present risk assessment documentation, program narratives, and control evidence for audit and regulatory exams.
• Monitor regulatory developments and industry guidance to ensure program frameworks remain up to date.

Team Leadership & Development

• Manage, mentor, and develop a team of AML/CFT risk professionals, fostering a culture of analytical rigor, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Establish team priorities, align resources to workload demands, and drive timely execution of risk assessment deliverables.
• Serve as a thought leader within the AML/CFT function and contribute to the broader financial crimes compliance strategy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Advanced degree in Finance, Law, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
• AML/CFT or financial crimes certification preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive AML/CFT compliance experience, with at least 4 years in a risk, program management, or leadership role.
• Direct experience in regulated banking environments; experience within BaaS, fintech partnership banking, or OCC-regulated institutions strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience owning and executing enterprise AML/CFT risk assessments and new product review processes.
• Deep knowledge of the Bank Secrecy Act, USA PATRIOT Act, FinCEN regulations, FFIEC AML/CFT Examination Manual, and OCC supervisory expectations.
• Proficiency in assessing AML risk across diverse product types including prepaid, commercial banking, payments, lending, and deposit products.
• Familiarity with transaction monitoring systems, case management platforms, and risk assessment tooling.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct BaaS or partner bank experience, with knowledge of compliance challenges associated with fintech relationships and program management.
• Experience with prepaid card issuing programs, commercial banking, or lending-related BSA/AML risk assessment.
• Experience leading AML/CFT program transformation or enterprise-scale compliance build-outs.

Competencies

• Exceptional analytical and structured thinking skills, with the ability to distill complex risk landscapes into clear executive narratives.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable presenting to C-suite, board-level, and regulatory audiences.
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and drive outcomes in a matrixed organizational environment.
• Effective people leader with experience developing teams across a range of experience levels and subject matter areas.
• High degree of ownership, intellectual curiosity, and professional integrity; sound judgment in navigating evolving regulatory expectations and emerging risk typologies.

Salary & Benefits

Salary range: $86,000 - $145,000. The salary range reflects the minimum and maximum target for a new hire in this role. Individual pay within the range will be determined by multiple factors which can include but are not limited to a candidate's experience, qualifications, skills, and location. This role is also eligible for an annual performance-based incentive opportunity. Pathward offers a comprehensive benefits package for eligible employees, including health insurance, 401(k) retirement benefits, life insurance, disability benefits, paid time off, and more.

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, pregnancy, national origin, age (age 40 and over), disability, genetic information, marital status, hair texture or hairstyle, ancestry, service in the uniformed services, protected veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence or any other class protected by federal, state and local laws.

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