Risk Strategist - Screening (Financial Crimes)

Stripe; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 124,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Company bonus or sales commissions

401(k) plan

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

Wellness stipends

Job summary

Stripe is seeking a Risk Strategist to own our global sanctions and AML screening programs within the Financial Crimes Risk Strategy team. You will design controls, drive policy across OFAC/EU/UN, and partner with Product, Engineering, Data Science, Compliance, Legal, and Operations to embed screening in every product and market decision.

You'll innovate with AI and data analytics to stay ahead of regulatory changes.

Qualifications

• Deep knowledge of global sanctions compliance (OFAC, EU, UN)
• Experience designing and implementing screening programs in multi-jurisdiction environments
• Strong AML screening expertise for PEP and negative news
• Familiarity with model governance concepts and monitoring
• Proficiency with SQL for data analysis
• Advanced degree or professional certifications preferred (CAMS/CGSS/CFCS)

Responsibilities

• Lead sanctions and AML screening strategy across OFAC, EU, UN and other regimes
• Design and improve screening controls, coverage, and performance
• Embed screening requirements into product and infrastructure roadmaps
• Own screening infrastructure requirements and define KPIs and KRIs
• Identify gaps and deliver end-to-end enhancements
• Leverage AI, data analytics, and governance best practices in screening

Skills

Global sanctions compliance

Screening program design

AML screening

Model governance

SQL

Education

Advanced degree or professional certifications (CAMS, CGSS, CFCS)

Job description

About Stripe

Stripe is a financial infrastructure platform for businesses. Millions of companies—from the world's largest enterprises to the most ambitious startups—use Stripe to accept payments, grow their revenue, and accelerate new business opportunities. Our mission is to increase the GDP of the internet, and we have a staggering amount of work ahead. That means you have an unprecedented opportunity to put the global economy within everyone's reach while doing the most important work of your career.

Who we are

Stripe is a financial infrastructure platform for businesses. Millions of companies—from the world's largest enterprises to the most ambitious startups—use Stripe to accept payments, grow their revenue, and accelerate new business opportunities. Our mission is to increase the GDP of the internet, and we have a staggering amount of work ahead. That means you have an unprecedented opportunity to put the global economy within everyone's reach while doing the most important work of your career.

About The Team

The Financial Crimes Risk Strategy team owns our first-line AML and sanctions programs globally. We own the end-to-end lifecycle of financial crime controls. We set the global standards that govern how risk is managed across our programs, design and drive the development of controls, infrastructure, and tooling with Engineering, Product, and Data Science, and maintain their effectiveness as our products and the regulatory landscape evolve. We build fast, with data, and with AI integrated into how financial crime risk is detected, managed, and monitored across everything Stripe builds.

What you'll do

As a Risk Strategist on the Financial Crimes Risk Strategy team, you'll own our global screening programs — spanning sanctions, PEP, and negative news — setting the standards that govern how screening risk is managed, designing and driving the controls that operationalize those standards, and ensuring they remain effective as our products and the regulatory landscape evolve. Being effective in this role means going deep on both the domain and the data — we don't separate the two.

You’ll partner closely with Product, Engineering, Data Science, Compliance, Legal, other Risk Strategy functions, and Operations to ensure screening considerations are embedded in every product and market decision. Beyond protecting against risk, you'll drive innovation in how Stripe approaches screening — staying ahead of regulatory change and pushing the boundaries of what effective, scalable financial crime risk management looks like at a global payments company.

Responsibilities

• Lead our global sanctions and AML screening strategy — setting the standards that drive screening control design and infrastructure development, and translating requirements across OFAC, EU, UN, OFSI, and other applicable regimes, PEP screening, and negative news screening into actionable first-line programs and controls
• Own the design and ongoing improvement of financial crime controls — including sanctions screening, PEP screening, negative news screening, and digital asset-related safeguards — while continuously improving detection coverage and control performance as our products and the threat landscape evolve
• Embed screening risk requirements into product and infrastructure roadmaps — ensuring financial crime considerations drive product launches, market expansions, and platform decisions across Product, Engineering, Data Science, Compliance, Legal, and Operations
• Drive screening infrastructure and tooling forward by owning requirements, leading execution, and maintaining effectiveness metrics for screening systems and controls — building with observability by design and ensuring key performance indicators, key risk indicators, and monitoring thresholds are defined from inception
• Continuously assess and improve screening controls and systems — identifying gaps, recommending enhancements that strengthen detection effectiveness and anticipate regulatory or ecosystem changes, and leading delivery of those enhancements end-to-end
• Champion a technology-forward approach to financial crime risk management — leveraging AI tools, self-serve data analytics, and model governance best practices to improve how risk is detected, monitored, and managed at Stripe
• Stay informed on industry practices and regulatory developments and represent our sanctions and AML programs to regulators, bank and network partners, and external auditors

Who you are

We're looking for someone who meets the minimum requirements to be considered for the role. If you meet these requirements, you are encouraged to apply. The preferred qualifications are a bonus, not a requirement.

Minimum Requirements

• 7+ years of professional experience in financial services, payments, or fintech, with at least 5 years in a related role (risk, compliance, or product enablement)
• Deep subject matter expertise in global sanctions compliance, including hands‑on experience with OFAC, EU sanctions regimes, UN Security Council designations, OFSI, and other major global frameworks
• Demonstrated strong understanding of screening program design and control execution
• Strong AML screening expertise — proven ability to design, implement, and operationalize PEP screening and negative news screening programs in complex, multi‑jurisdiction environments
• Proven ability to design, implement, and operationalize financial crime standards and controls in complex, global organizations
• Familiarity with model governance concepts — including model documentation, performance monitoring, and validation — and experience leading or contributing to model governance activities

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading transformative AML, Sanctions, or Transaction Monitoring initiatives, including global screening program design or transformations (e.g., vendor selection, watchlist management, false positive tuning)
• Proficiency with SQL and ability to independently mine and analyze data to develop risk insights and inform strategy
• Experience with crypto or digital asset products and their associated financial crime risk and regulatory considerations
• Advanced degree or professional certifications (e.g., CAMS, CGSS, CFCS)

Hybrid work at Stripe

This role is available either in an office or a remote location (35+ miles or 56+ km from a Stripe office).

In-office expectations

Office-assigned Stripes spend at least 50% of the time in a given month in their local office or with users. This hits a balance between bringing people together for in‑person collaboration and learning from each other, while supporting flexibility about how to do this in a way that makes sense for individuals and their teams.

Working remotely at Stripe

A remote location is defined as being 35 miles (56 kilometers) or more from one of our offices. While you would be welcome to come into the office for team/business meetings, on‑sites, meet‑ups, and events, our expectation is you would regularly work from home rather than a Stripe office. Stripe does not cover the cost of relocating to a remote location. We encourage you to apply for roles that match the location where you currently live or plan to live.

Pay and benefits

The annual US base salary range for this role is $123,600 - $185,400. For sales roles, the range provided is the role’s On Target Earnings ("OTE") range, meaning that the range includes both the sales commissions/sales bonuses target and annual base salary for the role. This salary range may be inclusive of several career levels at Stripe and will be narrowed during the interview process based on a number of factors, including the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and location. Applicants interested in this role and who are not located in the US may request the annual salary range for their location during the interview process.

• equity
• company bonus or sales commissions/bonuses
• 401(k) plan
• medical, dental, and vision benefits
• wellness stipends

At Stripe, we're looking for people with passion, grit, and integrity. You're encouraged to apply even if your experience doesn't precisely match the job description. Your skills and passion will stand out—and set you apart—especially if your career has taken some extraordinary twists and turns. At Stripe, we welcome diverse perspectives and people who think rigorously and aren't afraid to challenge assumptions. Join us.