Director, Investigations Operations
Circle is a financial technology company at the epicenter of the emerging internet of money, where value can finally travel like other digital data - globally, nearly instantly and less expensively than legacy settlement systems. This ground-breaking new internet layer opens up previously unimaginable possibilities for payments, commerce and markets that can help raise global economic prosperity and enhance inclusion. Our infrastructure - including USDC, a blockchain-based dollar - helps businesses, institutions and developers harness these breakthroughs and capitalize on this major turning point in the evolution of money and technology.
What you'll be part of:
Circle is committed to visibility and stability in everything we do. As we grow as an organization, we're expanding into some of the world's strongest jurisdictions. Speed and efficiency are motivators for our success and our employees live by our company values: Multistakeholder, Mindfulness, Driven by Excellence and High Integrity. Circlers are consistently evolving in a remote world where strength in numbers fuels team success. We have built a flexible and diverse work environment where new ideas are encouraged and everyone is a stakeholder.
What you'll be responsible for:
Circle is looking for an experienced leader for the Global Investigations Operations team. This individual will be responsible for overseeing all elements of financial crimes investigations operations, including a team of specialist investigators and the respective transaction monitoring workflows and escalations procedures. The team is responsible for reviewing all transaction monitoring and blockchain alerts, conducting investigations on activity, and filing Suspicious Activity Reports (SAR) in the various jurisdictions in which Circle operates.
The role will involve working closely with a range of cross-functional partners including Compliance, Legal, Data Science and Enterprise Risk Management to execute the day to day functioning of the program and ensure that the investigations control environment operates to the highest standards. The right candidate will possess and demonstrate strong investigative capabilities, operational design and execution experience focused on outcomes and change agility abilities.
What you'll work on:
• Driving the strategy, framework and execution of our Investigations Operations program to ensure applicable regulatory requirements and Circle's risk requirements are being met comprehensively.
• Managing alert review, investigation and SAR filing processes for Circle's various global entities.
• Leading teams of alert specialists and investigators performing global investigations to the highest standards.
• Providing investigative analysis, decision support, and appropriate challenge to case recommendations.
• Coordinating closely with the Financial Crimes Compliance team to further develop Circle's FCC programs to ensure consistency across geographies, while balancing local regulatory requirements and customer experience.
• Providing feedback on the performance of transaction monitoring rulesets to ensure coverage of all relevant money laundering and terrorist financing typologies, while also maximizing efficiency of reviews.
• Developing, maintaining and reviewing policies, procedures and processes to ensure compliance with applicable internal, legal and regulatory standards.
• Proactively analyzing trends and patterns in alerts for suspicious behavior and leading any program adjustments to address emerging risks.
• Developing, monitoring and ongoing reporting on a suite of KPIs / KRIs for various internal fora, including Executive Leadership and Board-level reporting.
• Closely following regulatory, compliance, and enforcement developments in the cryptocurrency industry to ensure our control environment keeps pace.
• Promoting a culture of compliance and operational excellence within the investigations teams.
• Presenting to regulators, examiners and auditors performing reviews of the Compliance program.
You will aspire to our four core values:
• Multistakeholder - you have dedication and commitment to our customers, shareholders, employees and families and local communities.
• Mindful - you seek to be respectful, an active listener and to pay attention to detail.
• Driven by Excellence - you are driven by our mission and our passion for customer success which means you relentlessly pursue excellence, that you do not tolerate mediocrity and you work intensely to achieve your goals.
• High Integrity - you seek open and honest communication, and you hold yourself to very high moral and ethical standards. You reject manipulation, dishonesty and intolerance.
What you'll bring to Circle:
• 12+ years of relevant experience in AML/CTF transaction monitoring and/or related investigative roles, including 5+ years of experience managing teams.
• Compliance experience in either banking, consulting, or cryptocurrency required. Experience in RegTech or Fintech companies is preferred.
• First-class investigative capabilities and problem-solving skills, able to bring structure to ambiguous problems, generate hypotheses, coordinate research and analysis, fluently manipulate data, conduct analysis, and synthesize insight.
• Strong operational focus and experience managing large, global teams.
• Deep understanding of payment methods and transaction types, including correspondent banking and merchant acquiring.
• Extensive experience with blockchain analytics tools including TRM Labs, Chainalysis, Elliptic, etc.
• Extensive knowledge of SAR filing requirements in the US and global jurisdictions.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex issues for consumption by technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to structure, manage, and coordinate complex cross-enterprise projects and processes with multiple work streams with multiple stakeholders.
• Broad and deep knowledge and understanding of financial crime typologies and risks, and how detection methods can be developed to mitigate these.
• Experience collaborating cross functionally and driving results while working with a wide variety of stakeholders.
• A get things done mindset, able to think strategically and take initiative to move forward tactically, continually iterate and improve, while anticipating demands of leadership.
• Experience and comfort working in an ever changing industry and the flexibility to quickly react to changing demands.
• CAMS, CFCS or CFE certification is a plus.
• Experience/familiarity with Slack, Apple MacOS and GSuite.
Additional Information:
• This position is eligible for day-one PERM sponsorship for qualified candidates.
Circle is on a mission to create an inclusive financial future, with transparency at our core. We consider a wide variety of elements when crafting our compensation ranges and total compensation packages.
Starting pay is determined by various factors, including but not limited to: relevant experience, skill set, qualifications, and other business and organizational needs. Please note that compensation ranges may differ for candidates in other locations.
Base Pay Range: $190,000-$242,500
Annual Bonus Target: 20%
Also Included: Equity & Benefits (including medical, dental, vision and 401(k)). Circle has a discretionary vacation policy. We also provide 10 days of paid sick leave per year and 11 paid holidays per year in the U.S.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at Circle. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Additionally, Circle participates in the E-Verify Program in certain locations, as required by law.
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