Virtual Currency Senior Blockchain Analyst (Financial Services Specialist 2 (Financial Crimes Risk), SG-23)

About the role

The New York State Department of Financial Services seeks to build an equitable, transparent, and resilient financial system that benefits individuals and supports business. Through engagement, data-driven regulation and policy, and operational excellence, the Department and its employees are responsible for empowering consumers and protecting them from financial harm; ensuring the health of the entities we regulate; driving economic growth in New York through responsible innovation; and preserving the stability of the global financial system.

Responsibilities

• Evaluates on-chain illicit activity risk leveraging attribution from multiple blockchain analytics tools;
• Monitors dashboards daily identifying data anomalies and exposure to high-risk illicit activity.
• Conduct ongoing research identifying new financial crime transaction patterns and typologies, escalating and presenting findings to management;
• Proactively monitors and evaluates licensed entities on-chain direct/indirect exposure to OFAC designations, FinCEN Section 9714 Orders, 311 Special Measures, terrorist financing, mixers, darknet markets, CSAM, ransomware, scams, and other illicit activities;
• Execute on triggered/ad hoc alerts by conducting complex investigations, using a suite of blockchain analytics and due diligence tools.
• Document findings in PowerPoint decks and present findings to management.
• Drafts Request for Information (RFI) documents and engages with licensed entities as needed to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations, guidance, warnings and expectations outside examination cycle;
• Serves as a resource on crypto related BSA/AML matters for all functions of the Virtual Currency & VC Limited Purpose Trust Units, including applications, supervision, examinations, and the consideration of material-change-of-business requests;
• Prepares comprehensive reports documenting findings when performing investigations, licensing reviews, and examinations.
• Remains current on the evolving financial crime risks and typologies, existing and emerging blockchains, tokens, and technologies impacting industry risk;
• Identifies areas for enhancing the Virtual Currency Financial Crimes ongoing monitoring processes related to the use of blockchain analytics and internal dashboards;
• Maintains a solid understanding of the BSA/AML laws, regulations, guidance, and best practices, relevant to assessing risk-based Anti-money laundering programs (AML) within the virtual currency space;
• Assists management in the development, review and revision of Financial Crime related policies and procedures;
• Presents analyses and findings to colleagues and leadership at DFS, often making reasoned recommendations for agency action;
• Ability to read and write fluently in English;
• Other appropriate and occupationally related duties as assigned;

Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

• Subject matter expertise and/or experience in one or more of the following are preferred:
• 5+ years of experience working in the Financial Industry
• 2+ years of direct experience working in the crypto industry utilizing blockchain analytics and other investigation tools, including OSINT, due diligence, dashboards, etc.
• Subject matter expertise in financial crime risk, typologies, fraud, virtual assets, blockchain analytics, Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money