Director, AML & Regulatory Compliance (Clearing)

Salient Group; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Salient Group seeks a Director of AML & Regulatory Compliance (Clearing) to lead the team monitoring and enforcing the AML program for clearing operations in a broker-dealer. You will own responses to regulatory examinations and investigations, advising senior management and the CCO.

Working with Compliance, Operations, Technology, Risk and Finance, you will identify risk, implement risk-based fixes, and drive improvements in data flows, surveillance, and controls.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of compliance experience in a FINRA-regulated broker-dealer; clearing firm experience preferred.
• Series 7 and CAMS active at hire; Series 24 active, or obtained within 4 months of hire.
• In‑depth knowledge of BSA/AML, USA PATRIOT Act, and FINRA/SEC/state requirements.
• Hands-on transaction monitoring, investigations, SAR filing, sanctions screening and CDD/EDD.
• Experience managing regulatory exams, investigations and large information requests.
• Knowledge of clearing operations, trade surveillance and market conduct.
• Ability to spot control gaps and implement practical, risk-based fixes; strong PM and communication.

Responsibilities

• Provide compliance guidance across clearing operations, including settlement, securities lending, margin, customer accounts and books and records.
• Partner with surveillance on potential trading violations and escalation, and support trading-related regulatory requests.
• Monitor regulatory developments. Maintain WSPs and policies. Join new product reviews, risk assessments and regulatory change projects.
• Build strong relationships with business leaders, affiliates and control functions, and promote a culture of compliance.
• Serve as primary coordinator for exams, audits, investigations and information requests from FINRA, the SEC, state regulators, exchanges and other agencies.
• Maintain exam logs, regulatory correspondence and response tracking. Prepare management responses and remediation plans.
• Conduct internal investigations into potential violations, supervisory concerns and customer complaints.
• Update senior management and the CCO on exam status, findings, risks and remediation.
• Oversee the AML program under the BSA, USA PATRIOT Act and applicable FINRA, SEC and state rules. Act as the SME on CDD/EDD, transaction monitoring, sanctions screening and SARs.
• Manage AML alerts, investigations and escalations, ensuring timely and accurate regulatory filings.
• Improve AML data flows, reporting and surveillance to reduce manual review. Partner on systems and automation (Actimize a strong plus).
• Maintain AML WSPs, risk assessments and controls. Train and guide AML staff.

Skills

AML Compliance

Regulatory Examinations

BSA/AML Knowledge

CDD/EDD

SAR Filing

Sanctions Screening

Project Management

Communication

Finra/SEC Knowledge

Actimize

Tools

Actimize

Job description

Director, AML & Regulatory Compliance (Clearing)

Location: Dallas, TX or New York/New Jersey

About the Team & Role:

You will lead the team that monitors and enforces the AML program for the clearing entity of a broker-dealer, and you will own the response to regulatory examinations and investigations. Working with Compliance, Operations, Technology, Risk, Finance and the business, you will identify and mitigate risk and give risk-based guidance to senior management and the CCO.

Responsibilities:

• Provide compliance guidance across clearing operations, including settlement, securities lending, margin, customer accounts and books and records.
• Partner with surveillance on potential trading violations and escalation, and support trading-related regulatory requests.
• Monitor regulatory developments. Maintain WSPs and policies. Join new product reviews, risk assessments and regulatory change projects.
• Build strong relationships with business leaders, affiliates and control functions, and promote a culture of compliance.

Regulatory Examinations & Investigations

• Serve as primary coordinator and project owner for exams, audits, investigations and information requests from FINRA, the SEC, state regulators, exchanges and other agencies, including cause and cycle exams.
• Maintain exam logs, regulatory correspondence and response tracking. Prepare management responses and remediation plans.
• Conduct internal investigations into potential violations, supervisory concerns and customer complaints.
• Update senior management and the CCO on exam status, findings, risks and remediation.

AML

• Oversee the AML program under the BSA, USA PATRIOT Act and applicable FINRA, SEC and state rules. Act as the subject-matter expert on CDD/EDD, transaction monitoring, sanctions screening and SARs.
• Manage AML alerts, investigations and escalations, ensuring timely and accurate regulatory filings.
• Improve AML data flows, reporting and surveillance to reduce manual review. Partner with Technology, Operations and Data on systems and automation (Actimize a strong plus).
• Maintain AML WSPs, risk assessments and controls. Train and guide AML staff.

Candidate Profile:

Required

• 5+ years of compliance experience in a FINRA-regulated broker-dealer, with significant AML experience. Clearing firm experience strongly preferred.
• Series 7 and CAMS active at hire. Series 24 active, or obtained within 4 months of hire.
• In-depth knowledge of BSA/AML, the USA PATRIOT Act, and FINRA, SEC and state requirements.
• Hands-on transaction monitoring, investigations, SAR filing, sanctions screening and CDD/EDD.
• Experience managing regulatory exams, investigations and large information requests.
• Knowledge of clearing operations, trade surveillance and market conduct.
• Ability to spot control gaps and implement practical, risk-based fixes. Strong project management and clear written and verbal communication.

Strongly Preferred

• Prior work at, or directly supporting, a regulator (FINRA, SEC, OCC, Federal Reserve).
• Trading environment exposure and market abuse monitoring experience (spoofing, layering, wash trades, low-priced securities).
• Background in electronic trading, institutional brokerage, clearing or fintech brokerage.
• Actimize or comparable platform experience, including alert tuning, calibration and automation.
• Multinational firm experience and familiarity with affiliate and omnibus clearing.