Strategic Manager, Complex Investigations

Pathward, National Association; 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, National Association is seeking a Manager, Complex Investigations Unit to lead a team of investigators across AML, sanctions, and fraud. You will ensure escalation, quality, and documentation standards are met, review SARs, and manage workload and training to maintain defensible outcomes.

You will guide investigators, partner with recruiting for staffing, and drive process improvements while upholding regulatory expectations and a strong control culture.

Qualifications

• 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 (Actimize, FCRM) and watchlist/screening tools (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.

Responsibilities

• Manage intake, assignment, and resolution of complex and high-risk investigations across products and customer types.
• Serve as day-to-day escalation point for urgent or high-severity matters.
• Apply and enforce established escalation and routing criteria.
• Ensure proper identification of subjects, activity scope, and risk exposure.
• Identify emerging typologies and potential control gaps, and elevate with analysis and recommendations.
• Directly manage a team of Complex Investigations Analysts; assign work and manage capacity.
• Partner with People & Culture on hiring and staffing for the unit.
• Set performance expectations, conduct 1:1s and performance reviews, and deliver coaching.
• Build team capability through onboarding, coaching, and training on typologies and narratives.
• Promote a strong control culture and adherence to procedures.
• Review and challenge SAR analyses, narratives, and determinations.
• Ensure SAR narratives and reports meet regulatory expectations.
• Ensure documentation meets five-element baseline and internal standards.
• Oversee QC/QA remediation and calibrate standards.
• Support 314(a)/314(b), OFAC, and PEP-related activity.
• Execute standards and governance frameworks; provide feedback to strengthen them.
• Monitor unit metrics and report to leadership.
• Support root cause analysis and remediation activities.
• Maintain examiner-ready case artifacts and update procedures.
• Partner with product teams to drive enterprise consistency.
• Provide investigative support and coaching to product-aligned teams.

Skills

AML investigations

Leadership

Regulatory writing

Communication

SAR knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Actimize

FCRM

Bridger

Job description

Pathward, National Association is seeking a Manager, Complex Investigations Unit to lead a team of investigators across AML, sanctions, and fraud. You will ensure escalation, quality, and documentation standards are met, review SARs, and manage workload and training to maintain defensible outcomes.

You will guide investigators, partner with recruiting for staffing, and drive process improvements while upholding regulatory expectations and a strong control culture.