Financial Crimes Analytics & Modeling Lead

Mercury; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 166,600 - 208,300; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity compensation

Job summary

Mercury is seeking a Financial Crimes Compliance Modeling & Analytics Manager in the San Francisco Bay Area to drive enhancements to transaction monitoring and sanctions models. Lead data-driven FCC analytics, tune rules, and partner with Compliance, Product, and Data teams to translate regulatory requirements into effective analytical frameworks.

You will own model performance, reduce false positives, and communicate findings to stakeholders while shaping Mercury's FCC program in a fast-moving

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a quantitative field with 8+ years of data analytics experience, ideally in FCC or AML/Sanctions roles.
• Deep understanding of AML and Sanctions fundamentals and regulations.
• Strong SQL skills; Python and modern ML tooling familiarity a plus.

Responsibilities

• Use SQL and analytical tools to analyze customers, transactions, alerts, TM rules, risk ratings, and more.
• Develop and tune FCC models, including transaction monitoring and sanctions screening.
• Create data-driven rules and logic to address AML and sanctions risk.
• Collaborate with Compliance, Product, and Data leads to translate regulatory requirements into analytic frameworks.
• Communicate analytics outputs clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Document FCC model configurations, thresholds, tuning, and changes over time.
• Tune detection models to reduce false positives while maintaining regulatory rigor.
• Identify emerging typologies and risks with data-driven methods.
• Support Model Risk Management with validation and performance monitoring.

Skills

SQL

Python

Data analytics

Machine Learning

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in a quantitative field

Tools

scikit-learn

XGBoost

Job description

Mercury is building a complete finance stack for startups. We work hard to create the easiest and safest banking* experience possible to simplify entrepreneurs' and business owners' financial lives. The challenge is to do so while ensuring we protect Mercury, customers, and the broader financial ecosystem from bad actors and harmful, illegal, or unauthorized activities.

Mercury builds banking* for ambitious entrepreneurs. While we’re not a bank ourselves, our work sits within the broader U.S. financial system — and with that comes a responsibility to help keep it safe. That means building thoughtful systems and processes that root out bad actors, prevent abuse, and protect access for the founders and companies we’re here to serve.

The BSA/AML & Sanctions compliance team serves as the oversight function for Mercury's overall AML & Sanctions program. As Financial Crimes Compliance Modeling & Analytics Manager, you'll help drive enhancements to Mercury's financial crimes compliance (FCC) detection and screening models and improve the overall FCC framework. You'll play a key role in developing, tuning, and maintaining Mercury's transaction monitoring (TM) and Sanctions models, and in building the analytics and metrics that track the health of FCC programs. This technical role requires a strong analytical background and FCC subject-matter expertise, and will collaborate closely with risk strategy, engineering, and compliance teams.

*Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC.

As part of the journey, we would expect you to:

• Use SQL and other analytical tools to conduct in-depth analysis of Mercury's customers, transactions, alerts, TM rules, risk ratings, and more
• Use data-driven methods to improve, design, implement, and maintain Mercury's FCC models, including transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, and relevant models
• Develop bespoke transaction monitoring rules and sanctions screening logic designed to address Mercury's specific AML and sanctions risk
• Partner with Compliance, Product, and Data leaders to translate regulatory requirements into effective analytical frameworks
• Know how to tell stories with data, enabling people to understand the output and meaning of analytics activities in a clear, compelling manner
• Interpret analytics outputs to pinpoint which alerts, patterns, or anomalies signal genuine risk, and articulate why they matter to compliance and business stakeholders
• Develop and maintain detailed documentation on the configuration of FCC models including scenarios, thresholds, segments, tuning, false positive rules, etc., and any changes made to those configurations over time
• Evaluate and tune existing detection models and rules to reduce false positives while maintaining regulatory rigor
• Develop data-driven methods to identify new typologies, emerging risks, and evolving financial crime trends
• Partner with Model Risk Management to support validation and performance monitoring of models to ensure compliance with internal and regulatory standards

There are lots of paths that could lead you to be successful in a role like this; we think the strongest candidates will have some combination of the following:

• Bachelor's degree in a quantitative field (e.g. Computer Science, Engineering, Statistics, Mathematics, or related) with 8+ years of experience conducting in-depth data analytics, ideally with 5+ years in FCC or AML/Sanctions related analytics roles
• Deep understanding of AML and Sanctions fundamentals, including both principles and regulations
• Outstanding skills with standard analytical tools; top-notch SQL skills required, experience with Python or similar preferred, and familiarity with modern ML tooling (e.g. scikit-learn, XGBoost) a plus
• Experience developing, tuning, and maintaining machine learning or rule-based detection models, with an understanding of how to rigorously challenge model performance and limitations
• Experience identifying ways to improve both data-related and operational efficiencies
• A healthy dose of skepticism combined with a constructive, solution-oriented approach
• Comfort operating with ambiguity and capable of synthesizing fragmented technical, operational, and business context into a clear understanding of how models actually work, even without a complete playbook
• High agency and adaptability, able to find the highest-leverage work in a fast-moving environment with evolving priorities
• Curiosity about how AI/ML is being applied to financial crime detection, and openness to modern tooling as the function evolves
• Exceptional attention to detail across documentation, testing artifacts, and quantitative analysis
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; you can explain model risk and analytics findings to both technical and non-technical stakeholders

The total rewards package at Mercury includes base salary, equity (stock options/RSUs), and benefits.

Our salary and equity ranges are highly competitive within the SaaS and fintech industry and are updated regularly using the most reliable compensation survey data for our industry. New hire offers are made based on a candidate’s experience, expertise, geographic location, and internal pay equity relative to peers.

Our target new hire base salary ranges for this role are the following:

• US employees in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, or the San Francisco Bay Area: $166,600 - $208,300
• US employees outside of the New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, or the San Francisco Bay Area: $149,900 - $187,500
• Canadian employees (any location): CAD $157,400 - $196,800

Mercury values diversity & belonging and is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All individuals seeking employment at Mercury are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristic. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process for applicants with disabilities or special needs. If you need assistance, or an accommodation, please let your recruiter know once you are contacted about a role.

#LI-MZ1