Senior VP, Head of the Operational Excellence Team, Group Compliance

About UOB

United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB) is a leading bank in Asia with a global network of more than 500 branches and offices in 19 countries and territories in Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. In Asia, we operate through our head office in Singapore and banking subsidiaries in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, as well as branches and offices. Our history spans more than 80 years. Over this time, we have been guided by our values – Honorable, Enterprising, United and Committed. This means we always strive to do what is right, build for the future, work as one team and pursue long-term success. It is how we work, consistently, be it towards the company, our colleagues or our customers.

Job Description

Anti-Financial Crime – Investigation and Intelligence is responsible to (a) investigate into cases arising from designated AFC surveillance solutions, at the instruction of relevant senior(s), and from other approved channel(s); (b) receive, retrieve, process and make sense of information and intelligence for AFC purpose; and (c) own policies, procedures, guidelines, processes and controls to ensure that the above operate at an adequate level as prescribed by the Bank. 

A key objective of AFC I&I is to drive an effective framework for the Bank to identify and investigate into complex, unusually large or unusual patterns of transactions and/or behaviors. It is responsible for discharging regulatory requirement on the Bank to disclose suspicious behavior, and to work with relevant stakeholders on risk management, at both customer, portfolio and Bank level as a result of its outputs and relevant environmental scanning.

Role Overview

The Head of the Operational Excellence Team (OET) is responsible for leading a team that provides independent assurance that processes within the Anti-Financial Crime – Investigation & Intelligence (AFC I&I) division operate effectively and as intended.

Reporting to the Head of AFC - I&I, this role functions as a central “control tower” to support and enhance oversight responsibilities across the division. The role oversees the work carried out by both onshore and offshore OET teams and plays a critical part in driving process optimisation, ensuring timely identification and escalation of risks, and strengthening overall control effectiveness.

This is a senior position suited for experienced AFC practitioners, requiring regular engagement with regulators and senior internal stakeholders, while ensuring the Bank meets its regulatory obligations under applicable MAS Notices and internal Group standards.

Key Responsibilities

1. Governance & Operational Excellence

• Review and maintain key operating procedures to ensure accuracy, completeness, and alignment with required standards.
• Monitor exception reports indicating process breaks and ensure timely resolution, including root cause analysis, remediation, and implementation of interim controls where required.
• Identify process gaps and drive continuous improvement and streamlining initiatives across AFC I&I teams.
• Coordinate internal and external audits, as well as regulatory inspections.
• Oversee delivery of AFC I&I AML uplift initiatives (e.g., AML Uplift programmes), including:
  • Business requirements gathering
  • User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
  • Delivery tracking against established timelines
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration among key stakeholders, including business units, technology teams, and compliance functions.

2. Quality Assurance & Review

• Oversee the quality review framework for transaction monitoring (TM) alerts to ensure:
  • Investigations meet required standards
  • Clear, well-supported rationale for alert disposition
  • Proper documentation in accordance with procedures
• Ensure timely remediation of cases with inadequate or incomplete investigations, providing expert guidance and direction where required.
• Conduct periodic thematic reviews to identify emerging risks and recommend enhancements to controls, processes, and training programmes.
• Maintain oversight of offshore teams (e.g., Kuala Lumpur) to ensure consistency in quality standards and adherence to established controls.

3. Management Information & Reporting

• Perform trend analysis on key AFC I&I performance indicators and deliver timely, actionable management reports.
• Provide data-driven insights to support senior management decision-making and proactive risk management.
• Track and report key metrics to identify emerging financial crime risks and operational inefficiencies.

4. Leadership & Team Development

• Lead and manage a team of analysts, setting clear performance objectives and ensuring delivery of team outcomes.
• Provide coaching, mentorship, and guidance to build a high-performing and resilient team.
• Identify capability gaps and drive continuous learning and upskilling initiatives.
• Foster a positive team culture focused on engagement, collaboration, and retention.

Job Requirements

• Degree or professional qualification in Business, Banking, Finance, or a related discipline.
• 12 - 15 years of relevant experience in:
  • Transaction Monitoring (TM)
  • Customer Risk Intelligence / Financial Crime Investigations
  • Audit or Assurance within financial services
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Good understanding of:
  • Banking and financial services regulations (including MAS requirements)
  • AML/CFT frameworks and compliance best practices
  • Financial products and banking systems
• Proven ability to engage effectively with regulators and senior stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated leadership and people management experience.
• Experience in project or programme management will be an advantage.

Additional Requirements

Be a Part of the UOB Family

UOB is an equal opportunity employer. UOB does not discriminate on the basis of a candidate's age, race, gender, color, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or other non-merit factors. All employment decisions at UOB are based on business needs, job requirements and qualifications. If you require any assistance or accommodations to be made for the recruitment process, please inform us when you submit your online application.

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