Manager Financial Crime Operations

About this role

Overview As the Manager Financial Crime Operations Corporate Markets, you will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operational execution of financial crime controls within the First Line of Defence. This includes Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF), Sanctions, Anti-Bribery & Corruption (ABC), and Fraud. You will ensure that financial crime risks are effectively managed through robust processes, systems, and people capability, while enabling business growth and customer outcomes.

Key Accountabilities and main responsibilities

Strategic Focus

• Develop and execute the operational strategy for financial crime controls within 1LOD.
• Align financial crime operations with broader enterprise risk and compliance frameworks.
• Drive continuous improvement and innovation in operational processes and technology.
• Influence cross functional initiatives to embed financial crime risk management into business as usual activities.
• Monitor and report on key performance indicators and risk metrics to senior leadership.
• Work with various stakeholders to contribute to the future state technology roadmap, including leveraging existing technology to detect and mitigate financial crime and drive vendor alignment across jurisdictions.
• Contribute to initiatives for the continuous improvement of AML policies and procedures to enhance effectiveness and efficiency.
• Maintain awareness of industry trends and regulatory developments to inform internal strategy and client advice.

Operational Resilience

Know Your Customer (KYC)

• Oversee execution of customer due diligence (CDD), enhanced due diligence (EDD), and ongoing monitoring processes.
• Ensure KYC procedures are embedded effectively across onboarding and lifecycle management.
• Collaborate with frontline teams to ensure customer risk assessments are accurate and timely.
• Support remediation programs and uplift initiatives related to KYC data quality and completeness.

Transaction Monitoring (TM)

• Lead the operational delivery of transaction monitoring activities, including alert review and escalation.
• Ensure TM scenarios are effectively tuned and aligned with financial crime risk typologies.
• Manage TM workflows to ensure timely dispositioning and escalation of suspicious activity.
• Collaborate with 2LOD and technology teams to enhance TM systems and analytics capabilities.
• Provide insights and feedback to improve detection effectiveness and reduce false positives.

Quality Assurance (QA)

• Establish and maintain QA frameworks across KYC, TM, and other financial crime processes across Australia and India.
• Conduct regular reviews to assess control effectiveness and adherence to procedures.
• Identify trends and root causes of operational errors or control failures.
• Report QA outcomes to senior stakeholders and contribute to continuous improvement plans.

Client Facing AML Services

• Lead the delivery of Financial Crime operational services to external clients, ensuring high quality execution and regulatory compliance.
• Act as a key point of contact for client engagements related to AML/CTF operations, including onboarding, transaction monitoring, and ongoing KYC reviews.
• Translate client specific requirements into tailored operational procedures.
• Ensure consistent delivery of client AML services across onshore and offshore teams, with clear accountability and performance tracking.
• Collaborate with client relationship teams to support proposals, service reviews, audits, and remediation activities.

People Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of financial crime operations professionals across AML/CTF, sanctions, ABC, and fraud.
• Lead a team of financial crime operations professionals based in Australia and provide functional oversight of the offshore team in India.
• Ensure seamless coordination between onshore and offshore teams to maintain operational integrity.
• Promote a unified team culture across geographies through regular communication and collaboration.
• Set clear objectives, performance standards, and development plans aligned with business and regulatory priorities.
• Manage resource planning, workload distribution, and capability uplift across both locations.
• Deliver training and coaching to uplift frontline capability and reduce QA findings.
• Support succession planning, diversity, inclusion, and psychological safety across the function.

Governance & Risk

• Draft, review, and maintain operational procedures for all 1LOD financial crime activities.
• Ensure procedures align with regulatory obligations, internal policies, and risk appetite.
• Collaborate with 2LOD and Legal to validate procedural compliance and clarity.
• Embed procedures into frontline training and onboarding materials.
• Establish version control and governance for procedure updates and approvals.
• Maintain awareness of regulatory changes and ensure ongoing compliance with AUSTRAC and other relevant regulators.
• Act as a trusted advisor to internal stakeholders on AML/CTF, sanctions, ABC, and fraud related matters.
• Support new products, services, and delivery channels by providing financial crime risk and control advice.
• Respond to internal queries regarding CDD, transaction monitoring, and reporting obligations.
• Support client audits and regulatory inquiries by providing documentation, operational insights, and remediation plans.

The above list of key accountabilities is not an exhaustive list and may change from time-to-time based on business needs.

Experience & Personal Attributes

• 8+ years in leading financial crime operations, particularly in AML/CTF, Sanctions, and Fraud within a regulated financial institution or service provider.
• 15+ years in Financial Crime Operation roles
• Strong understanding of 1LOD responsibilities, including operational execution, control ownership, and frontline risk management.
• Proven leadership of geographically dispersed teams, including direct oversight of offshore teams (e.g., MPMS in India).
• Experience in drafting and implementing operational procedures, policies, and control frameworks.
• Client-facing experience, ideally in delivering AML services or managed operations to external clients.
• Familiarity with Australian regulatory requirements, including AUSTRAC and DFAT
• Hands-on experience with financial crime systems and tools, such as transaction monitoring platforms, screening tools, and case management systems.
• Track record of managing quality assurance programs, operational metrics, and continuous improvement initiatives.

MUFG Pension & Market Services is a global, digitally enabled business that empowers a brighter future by connecting millions of people with their assets – safely, securely and responsibly.

Through our two businesses MUFG Retirement Solutions and MUFG Corporate Markets, we partner with a diversified portfolio of global clients to provide robust, efficient and scalable services, purpose-built solutions and modern technology platforms that deliver world class outcomes and experiences.

A member of MUFG, a global financial group, we help manage regulatory complexity, improve data management and connect people with their assets, through exceptional user experience that leverages the expertise of our people combined with scalable technology, digital connectivity and data insights.

Our MUFG Corporate Markets division provides clients with a comprehensive corporate market offering that connects issuers to their stakeholders. Our uniquely integrated range of corporate markets capabilities includes shareholder management and analytics, stakeholder engagement, share and unit registry, employee share plans, and digital and print communications. We also offer company secretarial support, as well as various specialist offerings such as insolvency solutions. We operate in twelve countries throughout Australasia, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, United Kingdom and Europe.

About fraud prevention roles for ex-police

Fraud investigation, detection and financial-crime roles in banks, insurers and public bodies. Detective and economic-crime backgrounds map straight across, often with hybrid working and clear progression.