Screening Adjudication Expert

About the role

You own Klarna's sanctions, PEP, and adverse media screening operations for the US market and carry direct responsibility for Klarna's obligations under Section 314(a) of the USA PATRIOT Act. Alert processing is handled by an outsourced vendor and, for certain activities, in coordination with Klarna's US partner bank. Your role is to own the process, hold both parties to Klarna's standards, manage escalations, and personally handle the most complex or time-sensitive cases. The 314(a) obligation is non-negotiable: mandatory regulatory timelines demand precision and process discipline. Beyond compliance, this role is for a fast learner with senior-level expertise and a transformative mindset—someone who spots what needs to change, builds the case, and drives it through.

Responsibilities

• Own the operational health of sanctions, PEP, and adverse media screening globally and for the US market; serve as the primary point of contact for the outsourced vendor and Klarna's US partner bank across all three disciplines.
• Personally conduct alert reviews, PEP, sanctions, and adverse media assessments to maintain end-to-end expertise and ensure readiness to absorb volume spikes or vendor disruptions.
• Review and assess sanctions screening alerts and Klarna's internal standards, applying sound name-matching methodology and contextual analysis.
• Coordinate with Klarna's US partner bank on sanctions/PEP-related processes, information sharing, and operational alignment; quality-check outputs where applicable.
• Conduct complex, in-house investigations where the nature or sensitivity of the case requires it; support blocking, freezing, or reporting actions in accordance with applicable US and global regulations.
• Identify inefficiencies across all three screening processes; design and implement improvements in collaboration with the vendor, Product, and Tech teams, including leveraging AI and automation.
• Actively explore, test, and implement AI and automation solutions to improve screening throughput, decision consistency, and alert quality, working with Product and Tech to move from idea to production.
• Own and maintain up-to-date SOPs for all sanctions, PEP, adverse media, and 314(a) processes, ensuring alignment with legal requirements and internal standards.
• Track and report on screening performance against SLA targets, flagging risks and deviations early; liaise with US Compliance, Legal, and the MLRO function on regulatory developments.
• Stay current on OFAC, FinCEN, and other US regulatory developments across screening disciplines, as well as EU, UN, UK, and other applicable sanctions regimes, AML/CTF regulation, and adverse media best practices; feed changes back into process and procedure.
• Perform four-eyes review of 314(a) submissions prepared by the vendor, verifying accuracy, completeness, and FinCEN compliance; monitor execution against mandatory regulatory timelines.
• Take ownership of complex or ambiguous 314(a) cases requiring deeper investigation; escalate any risk of deadline breach or quality gap to Compliance and Legal immediately.

Requirements

• A minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience in US sanctions screening, PEP, or adverse media investigations within a fintech, bank, or regulated financial institution.
• Demonstrable breadth across at least two of the three screening disciplines (sanctions, PEP, adverse media), with a track record of quickly building expertise in new areas.
• Demonstrable knowledge of OFAC regulations, US sanctions frameworks, and the operational implications for a payments business.
• Familiarity with Section 314(a) of the USA PATRIOT Act and FinCEN information-sharing obligations; hands-on 314(a) execution experience strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of EU, UN, and UK sanctions regimes, AML/CTF regulatory requirements, and customer lifecycle risk frameworks is an asset.
• Genuine curiosity about AI and automation; hands-on experience using or implementing AI-assisted tools in a compliance or operational context, or a clear track record of proactively adopting technology to solve real problems.
• Exceptional energy, drive, and agency: a clear trajectory and a record of achieving results faster than expected.
• Proven ability to drive meaningful change; you have led or materially contributed to process improvements, not just flagged them.
• Fast learner who absorbs new tools, regulatory developments, and process changes at pace; comfortable working in a rapidly evolving environment.
• Experience working within or alongside a partner bank or regulated financial institution is an advantage.
• Familiarity with screening and case management tools such as World-Check, LexisNexis, Fircosoft, or equivalent, including name-matching logic.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage competing regulatory deadlines without compromising accuracy; detail-oriented under pressure.
• Strong written communication skills and a rigorous approach to audit-trail documentation.
• Self-starter who takes ownership without waiting to be prompted and energizes others around improvement.
• Experience supporting audit or regulatory examinations is an advantage.
• A relevant certification such as CGSS, CAMS-FCI, CAMS, or equivalent is a plus.

Pay

In accordance with applicable law, the salary range for this position is provided in the job posting. The salary offered will be determined by the candidate's location, qualifications, experience, and education. The salary range posted in the job advertisement refers to the base pay. Base pay is part of a total compensation package, which may also include equity rewards, monthly stipends for health and wellness, and benefits such as life insurance, medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents.