Senior Staff AML First Line of Defense Specialist

The role:
The Senior Staff Anti-Money Laundering Line of Defense Specialist will play a crucial role in safeguarding SoFi by ensuring effective implementation of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Sanctions policies across the business. This dynamic position sits within the Member Business Unit reporting to the AML First Line of Defense Lead, and offers the opportunity to collaborate with teams across SoFi, driving both compliance and innovation to ensure each
business meets regulatory requirements. If you're passionate about protecting financial integrity and building innovative, technology-driven risk management solutions, this role is for you!

What you’ll do:
Program Execution & Risk Mitigation
● Direct the alignment and enhancement of SoFi’s AML program implementation into the first line of defense across SoFi’s businesses, including:
● Owning the AML requirements for building new products and services
● Supporting the effective implementation of customer and transaction monitoring systems and escalation processes.
● Support the creation, iteration, and execution of AML-related policies, making
appropriate risk tradeoffs.
● Lead the response to internal audits, independent compliance testing, regulatory
exams, and risk assessments, ensuring SoFi’s preparedness and regulatory
compliance.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Influence

● Act as a key liaison between Compliance, Risk, Engineering, Product, Design, and
Operations to drive front line AML program enhancements, focusing on accurate and complete capturing of customer data, business strategies to mitigate AML risk, and prioritization of innovative technology-driven compliance solutions.
● Support the development and implementation of AML-related technological and
operational solutions to support business objectives while mitigating risk.
● Drive the prioritization of AML initiatives and support creating decision frameworks on tradeoffs.

Strategic Leadership & Oversight
● Support SoFi’s businesses to effectively implement AML policies, embedding
compliance into business processes and technology.
● Align with stakeholders to develop and implement quarterly and annual objectives, as well as reporting to measure and improve performance.
● Support leadership on emerging AML technology and industry best practices to
proactively shape SoFi’s compliance strategy.
● Foster a strong risk culture by educating senior business leaders and product teams on AML priorities, ensuring adherence to compliance requirements across all business initiatives.
● Contributes to development of company objectives. Solves problems and drives
results related to those objectives in creative and effective ways.
● Run at problems and create mitigation plans prior to them becoming high risk issues.
● Own key AML risk management technology relationships for solutions supporting the first line of defense processes.

What you’ll need:
● Bachelors degree in Business, Economics, Finance, or related field
● 8+ years of experience in risk management, business operations, technology, strategy,
consulting, or similar roles
● Experience working with or within a regulated financial institution, with specific
experience developing and implementing an AML program
● Experience working with technical teams
● Data-driven, able to analyze data with strong attention to detail and accuracy, and
passionate about telling the story behind the numbers
● Strong management, organizational, and evaluative process skills; ability to analyze
complex organizational and technical issues and drive process improvements
● Effective negotiation and influencing skills, including strong written and verbal
communication and presentation skills.
● Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with all levels of the organization,
across different business lines, and with external stakeholders
● Comfort working in a high growth, constantly changing environment
Nice to have:
● MBA or advanced degree
● CAMS/CFE certification preferred (or willingness to become certified within one year of start
date)