Manager, BSA/AML Ops Risk

About the role

We are a hybrid, remote-office company dedicated to growing our talent anywhere! We have onsite locations in: Sioux Falls, SD, Scottsdale, AZ, Louisville, KY, Troy, MI, Franklin, TN, Easton, PA.

The Manager, Monitoring Coverage & Analytics is responsible for assessing and strengthening the effectiveness of Pathward’s Suspicious Activity Monitoring (SAM) program across products, customers, and delivery channels. This role leads coverage assessments, partners closely with Data Analytics and Technology teams on rule tuning and scenario optimization, and ensures transaction monitoring remains risk-based, defensible, and aligned with regulatory expectations.

This role serves as a key connective function between operations, analytics, and governance, translating risk and investigative insights into sustainable monitoring improvements and clear documentation suitable for regulatory review.

Scope of Responsibility

• Owes ongoing monitoring coverage assessments and related documentation
• Partners with Data Analytics, Technology, and SAM Operations to optimize rules and scenarios
• Supports governance, validation readiness, and exam responses related to monitoring effectiveness
• Does not directly manage alert production queues but supports operational teams through analytical and risk coverage expertise

Monitoring Coverage & Risk Assessment

• Lead periodic and ad-hoc coverage assessments of transaction monitoring rules and scenarios across products (BaaS, payments, cards, tax, deposits, etc.)
• Assess alignment between:
• Identified financial crime risks and typologies
• Existing rules, scenarios, and thresholds
• Alert volumes, false positives, and investigative outcomes
• Document coverage rationale, gaps, and recommendations in a regulator-ready format

Rule Tuning & Analytics Partnership

• Partner with Data Analytics and Technology to:
• Support rule tuning initiatives, threshold adjustments, and scenario enhancements
• Evaluate alert quality, false positive drivers, and risk signal effectiveness
• Help translate investigative feedback, SAR trends, and QA results into actionable tuning opportunities
• Ensure changes are risk-based, well-documented, tested, and appropriately governed

Metrics, Trends & Root Cause Analysis

• Analyze monitoring metrics, including:
• Alert volumes and mix
• Conversion rates (alert → case → SAR)
• Emerging typologies and recurring issues
• Perform root cause analysis on material trends, coverage gaps, or operational issues
• Elevate risks and observations requiring management attention

Governance & Regulatory Readiness

• Support exam, audit, and validation efforts related to monitoring coverage and effectiveness
• Maintain documentation supporting:
• Rule purpose and risk linkage
• Coverage decisions
• Tuning rationale and outcomes
• Contribute to responses to regulatory inquiries related to transaction monitoring design and effectiveness

Collaboration & Advisory Support

• Serve as a subject matter resource to SAM Operations, Program Management, and Assurance
• Participate in new product, partner, or change initiatives to assess monitoring coverage implications
• Support updates to standards, procedures, and training related to monitoring effectiveness

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; CAMS or similar certification preferred
• 5+ years of experience in BSA/AML, transaction monitoring, financial crimes analytics, or risk management
• Strong understanding of transaction monitoring concepts, typologies, and regulatory expectations
• Experience working with monitoring systems (e.g., Actimize, FCRM) and analytics/data teams
• Demonstrated ability to translate data into clear risk narratives and written documentation
• Strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills

Measures of Success

• Clear, defensible monitoring coverage aligned to risk assessments
• Documented and governed tuning activity that improves alert quality
• Strong partnership with Analytics, Technology, and Operations
• Positive examiner and audit feedback on monitoring effectiveness

Pay

Salary range: $72,000 – $120,000

Schedule

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.