Manager, Sanctions Program — BSA/AML & Sanctions Operations

About the Role:

The Manager, Sanctions Program owns the retained sanctions program work that today sits outside the operational screening queue with no dedicated owner. This role is accountable for remediation, OFAC list and watchlist governance, Bridger model ownership and oversight, sanctions risk-assessment support, and examiner-facing program documentation.

What You Will Do:

• Own the sanctions program workbook including remediation commitments, program support, and OFAC procedure maintenance.
• Serve as business owner of the Bridger screening model — model documentation, periodic reviews, system and watchlist-file testing, and QA of Bridger errors — in partnership with Model Risk.
• Govern OFAC list updates across all cycles, prohibited-countries secondary review and memos, and blocked-property (ARBP) and FBAR filings.
• Lead OFAC-related risk assessments (BSA / OFAC / MLR) and support Internal Audit, independent testing, and OCC examination activities.
• Maintain examiner-ready program artifacts and evidence of control operation; coordinate responses to sanctions-related audit and exam requests.
• Partner with the Manager, Sanctions Operations to ensure program changes are operationalized without disrupting screening SLAs.

What You Will Need:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, Criminal Justice, Accounting, or related field required; advanced degree or JD preferred.
• CAMS required; CGSS (Certified Global Sanctions Specialist) strongly preferred.
• 7–10 years of BSA/AML or sanctions experience within a regulated financial institution.
• 3+ years of people leadership or program-management experience.
• Demonstrated ownership of OFAC/sanctions programs, screening-model governance (Bridger or comparable), and regulatory examination response.
• Experience with MRA/issue remediation and control documentation.
• Deep knowledge of OFAC/sanctions regulations, 314(a), PEP, and screening-model governance.
• Strong program-management, documentation, and issues-management discipline.
• Model-governance and effective-challenge orientation.
• Clear written and verbal communication with examiners, audit, and senior leadership.
• Collaborative across Sanctions Operations, Program Risk Management, Model Risk, and Internal Audit.

Products & Services Knowledge

Sanctions and OFAC risk attaches to every Pathward product and delivery channel. The Manager, Sanctions Program must understand the Bank's product suite and third-party (program manager, ISO, broker/introducer) delivery models to keep list management, watchlist tuning, and prohibited-country controls aligned to actual exposure. Working knowledge is expected in:

• Card Issuing / Prepaid — reloadable and non-reloadable GPR, payroll, corporate expense/disbursement, gift, government and student-support cards issued directly and through program managers; sanctions screening at onboarding and on an ongoing basis.
• Acquiring — merchant acquiring sponsorship and ATM sponsorship through ISOs and payment facilitators, including prohibited-country and cross-border transaction risk.
• Digital Payments & Faster Payments — remittance/disbursement rails and Visa Direct / Mastercard Send (push/pull), where sender/recipient screening and sanctions-nexus risk are highest.
• Tax Products, Consumer Lending, Commercial Finance, and Commercial Deposits — OFAC screening obligations that Pathward retains as bank of record and depository institution.
• The Bank-vs-Program-Manager BSA/AML framework — Pathward performs OFAC screening and sanctions compliance while program managers escalate potential matches for Bank review and disposition.

The responsibilities listed above are not all inclusive and may be changed at any time.

Salary range: $72,000 – $120,000

The salary range reflects the minimum and maximum target for a new hire in this role. Individual pay within the range will be determined by multiple factors which can include but are not limited to a candidate’s experience, qualifications, skills, and location. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary for your location during the hiring process. Ranges may be modified in the future.
This role is also eligible for an annual performance-based incentive opportunity. Pathward offers a comprehensive benefits package for eligible employees, including health insurance, 401(k) retirement benefits, life insurance, disability benefits, paid time off, and more.

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