Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Pathward is a financial empowerment company focused on expanding financial inclusion through secure financial products and services. The Manager, BSA/AML Operations leads alert review, case investigations, SAR/CTR reporting, and partner referral dispositioning across the company’s business lines, with a dedicated focus on Merchant Acquiring. The role manages and develops analysts, oversees operational quality and regulatory compliance, and provides risk intelligence and governance support.
Responsibilities
- Provides direct oversight of analysts responsible for alert review, case investigations, SAR/CTR reporting, and partner referral dispositioning across all BSA/AML business lines, including a dedicated focus on Merchant Acquiring
- Manages operational performance across all assigned workstreams, ensuring adherence to SLAs, quality standards, and production targets
- Serves as a subject-matter expert on BSA/AML financial crime risks across Pathward's business lines, with deep expertise in Merchant Acquiring typologies and card network compliance considerations
- Does not own underwriting, partner onboarding, card network compliance, or first-line product risk management, but coordinates closely with those functions on risk signals and emerging trends
- Escalates high-risk or complex matters, including MATCH list entries, card network monitoring program flags, suspected terrorist financing, undisclosed sub-program activity, structuring, and other systemic concerns
- Maintains current knowledge of BSA/AML and OFAC regulations, FinCEN guidance, card network rules, and evolving fraud and money laundering typologies across all supported business lines
- Collaborates with BSA/AML peers, Sanctions Operations, Fraud Risk Management Operations, Program Risk Management, and FCC Program & Technology Assurance to ensure comprehensive risk coverage
- Ensure alerts and cases across Issuing, Lending, Tax/Refund, Commercial DDA, Merchant Acquiring, BaaS, and Partner-managed programs are reviewed, investigated, documented, and dispositioned in accordance with Pathward procedures and regulatory requirements
- Maintain accountability for the alert-to-SAR lifecycle, including SAR identification, narrative quality review, timely filing, and CTR accuracy across all business lines
- Oversee investigation of business-line-specific typologies, including: Issuing: structuring, rapid cycling, dormant account misuse, prepaid layering, GPR/payroll velocity, trafficking-related red flags; Lending: loan stacking, early payoff with third-party funds, payment activity inconsistent with borrower profile, ERO fraud; Tax/Refund: refund fraud, ERO misuse, inflated withholdings, identity theft indicators; Commercial DDA: flow-through of funds, shell company indicators, wire activity inconsistent with stated business purpose; Merchant Acquiring: transaction laundering, factoring, MCC misclassification, prohibited merchant activity, chargeback misrepresentation, load balancing, BIN attacks, velocity attacks, and MID-cycling; BaaS / Partner Programs: nested account abuse, undisclosed sub-program activity, partner-driven risk deterioration
- Review and disposition partner referrals and escalations across all business lines, including sponsored merchants, sub-merchants, payment facilitators, program managers, and corporate funders
- Ensure timely response to 314(a) requests, 314(b) inquiries, law enforcement inquiries, subpoenas, and grand jury process across all business lines
- Provide investigative insights and trend data across all business lines to inform AML Transaction Monitoring Coverage Assessments, rule-tuning, scenario optimization, and AML Risk Assessment refreshes
- Identify emerging fraud and AML risks based on alert trends, SAR filings, no-file decisions, partner behavior, and external threat intelligence
- Coordinate with the Director, Financial Crime Risk Intelligence on cross-business-line risk narratives and escalation of novel or systemic issues
- Support red flag inventory updates with business-line-specific indicators across Issuing, Lending, Tax/Refund, Commercial DDA, Merchant Acquiring, and BaaS
- Manage, mentor, and develop a team of BSA/AML analysts with coverage across multiple business lines, including onboarding, training, and performance management
- Establish and monitor QC standards across all assigned workstreams; identify themes and implement remediation
- Ensure training materials reflect current typologies, regulatory expectations, card network rules, and Pathward product specifications across all supported business lines
- Support analyst development and specialty queue assignment to build SME depth and operational resilience
- Develop and maintain KPIs/KRIs across all supported workstreams (alert volumes, aging, SAR counts, false-positive rates, chargeback-driven referrals, partner referral throughput)
- Contribute to Board reporting, exam responses, validation submissions, and management action plans
- Partner with Program Risk Management, FCC Program & Technology Assurance, and Compliance on partner oversight, deterioration signals, and regulatory commitments
Skills
- Bachelor's degree required (Finance, Criminal Justice, Accounting, Business, or related field)
- 5–7 years of experience in BSA/AML investigations, financial crimes compliance, or fraud operations, with at least 2 years focused on merchant acquiring, payment facilitation, or card network compliance
- Demonstrated experience managing alert/case production teams and SAR filing processes
- Strong knowledge of merchant acquiring risks: transaction laundering, MCC misclassification, chargeback fraud, prohibited merchant categories, and card network monitoring programs (Visa VFMP, Mastercard BRAM)
- Familiarity with Actimize, FCRM, or similar transaction monitoring and case management platforms
- Working knowledge of BSA/AML regulations, FinCEN guidance, OCC supervisory expectations, and FFIEC BSA/AML Manual
- CAMS or equivalent AML certification strongly preferred
- Advanced certifications (e.g., CFE) a plus
Benefits
- This role is also eligible for an annual performance-based incentive opportunity.
- Health insurance
- 401(k) retirement benefits
- Life insurance
- Disability benefits
- Paid time off
- Hybrid, remote-office work arrangement
Company Overview