Services Business Sanctions Risk - Vice President

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Job Overview

The Financial Crimes Risk team is part of the first line Risk & Controls function and is responsible for ensuring proactive, effective, and sustainable financial crimes risk management within the Services business which is one of Citi’s five interconnected businesses lines.

This is a first line role responsible for supporting Services businesses in managing and mitigating sanctions risks. The individual in this role will work with the global and regional Products, Business Risk, Operations, Technology and Compliance teams to identify and assess emerging and existing sanctions risks, evaluate the effectiveness of existing sanctions processes and controls, and participate in, and oversee, control enhancements where needed. The individual is required to provide governance, and oversight to ensure that implementation of controls is effective and consistent with Citi standards and applicable law. Further, the individual will ensure that control issues are promptly identified and appropriately escalated, and are being addressed in a robust, consistent, and timely manner. The individual will also work with counterparts across other Citi lines of business to share control best practices and support management of sanctions risk holistically across the firm.

This role reports to the Services Global Business Sanctions Risk Head, and forms part of the Financial Crimes Risk function within Services Global Financial Crime Risk. The goal of the Services Financial Crime Risk team is to help establish and maintain a robust Financial Crime control environment and culture across the Services businesses globally. 

Responsibilities:

• Understand business-owned products, and services, as well as corresponding sanctions-related controls, and sanctions processes (e.g., customer, relationship, and transactional screening).
• Provide subject matter expertise to the Services businesses to ensure effective control design both at product and process level aligning to sanctions laws & regulations.
• Monitor and track Sanctions risk issues across Services businesses. Assist in effective management and reporting of control issues.
• Assess complex Sanctions risk issues as needed, structure potential solutions, and drive effective resolution with other senior stakeholders.
• Drive execution, always mindful of the firm's reputation, its clients and compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations.
• Ensure adherence to Policy at all times and identify any potential gaps.
• Supervise robust execution of Sanctions controls.
• Drive a consistent and holistic approach to sanctions and wider Financial Crimes risk management across Services.
• Work collaboratively with Product teams, Operations, and Technology to assess sanctions risks on a client and product basis and evaluate sanctions controls. Support design and implementation of control enhancements, where needed.
• Conduct reviews of sanctions processes and procedures to ensure policy requirements are fit for purpose and have been implemented consistently, with appropriate supporting documentation.
• Maintain current knowledge and understanding of new and changing sanctions requirements and continuously reassess the impact on the TTS clients, products, and services.
• Serve as an escalation point for issues or emerging risks to work with the business, Operations, and others to remediate.
• Maintain oversight through review of metrics, monitoring of activity, and tracking of corrective action plans.
• Work with other Financial Crime Risk teams to ensure a consistent holistic approach to sanctions risk management.

Qualifications & skills:

• Bachelor’s/University degree required, Master’s degree desirable.
• 10+ years’ experience in sanctions risks frameworks, including trade sanctions and export controls (either first or second line of defense).
• Financial Crime certification preferred (ACAMS, ACSS etc.).
• Strong professional experience in Financial Services, in AML/Sanctions Compliance or Business/Product Operations and/or Risk & Controls with focus on Financial Crimes Risks.
• Knowledge and understanding of Custody, Payments, Correspondent Banking, Trade Finance, Working Capital, and Liquidity Management products.
• Strong interpersonal skills. Ability to build effective relationships with key stakeholders.
• Able to work independently and deliver according to strict timelines and quality standards.
• Demonstrated ability and confidence to challenge business management, escalate issues and press for change.
• Good oral and written communications skills; must be articulate and persuasive with the judgement and authority to provide insightful commentary to senior stakeholders.