Senior Sanctions Investigator

About this role

Sanctions Investigator

Alexander Barnes has partnered with a leading global fintech to hire a a Senior Sanctions Investigator. This is a hands-on role with real ownership of sanctions screening across Europe, the UK and Asia-Pacific, delivered through an outsourced model.

You'll oversee end-to-end sanctions screening and act as the primary point of accountability for vendor performance. That means keeping quality high, managing escalations, and stepping in to handle complex or sensitive investigations yourself when needed.

You'll review vendor output critically, challenge decisions that don't stand up, and escalate confirmed matches. You'll also keep improving processes, frameworks and controls as sanctions regulations evolve, working closely with Compliance, Legal and the MLRO function on regulatory obligations, audits and policy alignment, and with Product and Tech teams on automation and AI.

What you'll do

• Oversee end-to-end sanctions screening across Europe, the UK and APAC, and own vendor quality, SLAs and performance
• Personally handle complex or sensitive sanctions investigations, and step in during volume spikes or vendor disruption
• Assess and challenge vendor decisions, apply sound judgement, and document outcomes clearly and defensibly
• Manage escalations, support blocking and reporting actions, and stay current on EU, UN, UK and other regimes
• Drive continuous improvement with the vendor and internal teams, including automation and AI to improve accuracy and reduce noise
• Create and maintain SOPs and training materials, and help onboard and coach colleagues and vendor teams
• Support audits and regulatory enquiries alongside Compliance, Legal and the MLRO

What you'll bring

• 5+ years' hands-on experience in sanctions investigations, sanctions screening or financial crime compliance in a regulated environment (bank, fintech, payments or similar)
• Strong knowledge of global sanctions regimes (EU, UN, UK and others) and their impact on business activity
• Experience working with outsourced or third-party operations, with accountability for quality and performance outcomes
• Sound judgement on complex cases, and clear, accurate documentation under time pressure
• Familiarity with screening tools and name-matching logic (for example LexisNexis, World-Check, Fircosoft)
• A track record of driving process change and improvement
• Curiosity about AI and automation, ideally with hands-on experience of AI-assisted tools
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with confidence engaging senior stakeholders
• Drive, energy and the agency to own outcomes

Nice to have

• Experience handling complex or sensitive sanctions investigations in-house
• Experience supporting audits or regulatory examinations
• Knowledge of PEP and adverse media screening and open-source intelligence practices
• A relevant certification such as CGSS, CAMS or ICA
• Experience creating or maintaining SOPs and training materials

Please note there are opportunities for leading the function for the right candidate with the right level of experience.