Manager, Complex Investigations Unit, BSA/AML & Sanctions Operations

Pathward, N.A.; United States; Hybrid; USD 72,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) retirement benefits

Life insurance

Disability benefits

Paid time off

Job summary

Pathward, N.A. is seeking a Manager of the Complex Investigations Unit to lead investigations across AML, Sanctions, and Fraud, ensuring high-quality SARs and timely outcomes.

You will bridge investigative execution with program ownership, coaching analysts and escalating novel risks to leadership. You will oversee multi-account, multi-entity cases, challenge SAR narratives, and ensure adherence to OCC, FinCEN and internal standards while developing team capabilities and capacity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Criminal Justice, Accounting, Business or related field.
• CAMS or equivalent AML certification strongly preferred.
• 7+ years of BSA/AML, Sanctions, or Fraud investigations experience, including SAR decisioning.
• 2+ years of direct people management experience, coaching and performance management.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of investigators responsible for complex, high-risk financial crime matters across AML, Sanctions, and Fraud.
• Escalate, review, and ensure quality narratives and SAR decisions before disposition.
• Manage workload, capacity, and coaching to develop investigator capabilities.

Skills

Investigations

Leadership

Regulatory reporting

SAR writing

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

CAMS certification

Tools

Actimize

FCRM

Bridger

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 area 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 Manager, Complex Investigations Unit leads a team of investigators responsible for the review, investigation, and resolution of complex and high-risk financial crime matters across AML, Sanctions, and Fraud domains. The role bridges investigative execution and program ownership: the Manager applies the escalation, quality, and documentation frameworks established by the VP, Complex Investigations, and ensures those standards are executed consistently by the Analysts performing the casework. The Manager serves as the day-to-day escalation point for multi-account, multi-entity, and cross-product matters, reviews and challenges SAR decisioning and narratives before final disposition, manages workload assignment and capacity, and develops investigator capability through coaching, calibration, and targeted training. The Manager is accountable for the quality, timeliness, and defensibility of the unit’s investigative outputs under OCC, FinCEN, and internal program standards, and escalates novel typologies, systemic issues, and emerging risks to the VP, Complex Investigations.

What You Will Do:

• Complex Investigations & Escalation Management

What You Will Need:

• Bachelor’s degree required (Finance, Criminal Justice, Accounting, Business, or related field).
• CAMS or equivalent AML certification strongly preferred.
• 7+ years of BSA/AML, Sanctions, or Fraud investigations experience, including SAR decisioning and filing.
• 2+ years of direct people management experience, including coaching, performance management, and talent development.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, high-risk typologies and multi-account or multi-entity investigations.
• Working knowledge of transaction monitoring systems (e.g., Actimize, FCRM) and watchlist/screening tools (e.g., Bridger).
• Demonstrated success defending investigative decisions in audit, exam, or regulatory settings.
• Strong writing and communication skills, including the ability to review and elevate SAR narrative quality and to present results to senior leadership.

Products & Services Knowledge

SAR narratives and investigative conclusions must accurately describe how funds move through each Pathward product, and the unit reviews activity across the full estate. The Manager must hold product-level knowledge of the funds flows, typologies, and party designations across the Bank’s seven product categories and its program-manager model, including:

• Card Issuing / Prepaid — GPR, payroll, corporate disbursement, gift, government-benefit and student cards, and the load/spend typologies (structuring, funnel accounts, bust-out) that drive SAR narratives.
• Tax Products (EPS Financial / Refund Advantage) — refund transfers, taxpayer advances (including Emerald Advance®), and tax-office loans, and the IRS/ERO funds flows behind seasonal SAR/CTR volume.
• Acquiring (Merchant & ATM) — merchant/ISO/payment-facilitator activity, transaction laundering, and ATM cash-access typologies.
• Digital Payments & Faster Payments (Visa Direct / Mastercard Send) — push/pull disbursements, P2P, and cross-border rails.
• Consumer Lending, Commercial Finance, and Commercial Deposits — the CTR, continuing-activity, and 314(a) obligations Pathward retains as lender/bank of record and depository institution.

The Bank-vs-Program-Manager framework

Pathward files all SARs, CTRs, and 314(a) responses, so the Manager and their team must trace activity back through the program-manager escalation model.

The responsibilities listed above are not all inclusive and may be changed at any time.

Salary range: $72,000 – $120,000

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. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary for your location during the hiring process. Ranges may be modified in the future. 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.

Don’t have everything listed under qualifications? If you’re excited about this role but your experiences don’t match exactly to everything in the posting, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other Pathward roles. Pathward is an equal employment opportunity employer and considers candidates for roles without regard to their race, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability or any other category protected by law.

Who we are:

Our commitment to inclusion is woven into our DNA. We believe that we are strongest when we embrace the voices of our employees, customers, partners, and the communities we serve.

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.

Applications will be accepted for a minimum of 3 days after posting, and there is no predetermined date by which applications should be submitted.

Knowingly submitting false information will result in disqualification for consideration of future positions, termination of employment and forfeiture of other rights.