Vertical Head - Sanctions & Screening - Bank

Description:
- Lead the sanctions risk assessment, periodic thematic reviews, and emerging risk evaluations (e.g., geopolitical triggers).
- Develop and maintain the Bank-wide, Sanctions Risk Appetite and embed it in products, processes, and customer lifecycle.
- Establish business continuity and contingency protocols for sanctions screening.
- Provide strategic direction for rapid response mechanisms during urgent geopolitical/regulatory updates (OFAC, EU, UK-HMT, UN).
- Oversee technology roadmap for sanctions screening, including model enhancements, AI/ML functionality, tuning strategies, and case prioritization frameworks.
- Review of Banks sanction and screening SOPs / policy/ Framework at frequent interval and recommend and advise latest development on latest regulation from the statutory bodies.
- Recommending and advising corrective measures / steps in implementation of latest rule, regulation issued / published by local as well as international statutory bodies (e.g. press release from US treasury, EU, UN, FATF etc.) at BOD to check potential sanction implementation with immediate effect.
- Review of Negative list and advise the addition / deletion of the respective list basis recent development.
- Follow-up with the respective IT team / stakeholder for deliverable of enhancement in the respective entity screening product processor.
- Own and update the Sanctions Policy, Screening Framework, and associated SOPs.
- Define QC/QA frameworks, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and timeliness of sanctions disposition.
- Oversee scenario tuning for name, payment, trade, and customer screening models.
- Ensure robust data-quality governance (lists, attributes, matching logic, phonetic parameters, fuzzy matching thresholds).
- Strengthen adverse media/negative news workflows and deploy risk segmented screening controls.
- Ensure all sanction-related escalations follow structured risk-justification and documentation standards.
- Perform analysis against True / False match received through AMLOCK / entity screening product processor and review and advise the correct disposition.
- Recommending and advising corrective actions with regards to such customers, wherein customers are dealing money laundering through trade-based transactions or dealing with sanctioned entities, individuals or countries.
- Conduct internal and external outreach for enhanced due diligence review, adverse media news PEPs, SIE and SIP screening.
- Ensure Trade transactions and remittance are aligned with customer line of business and are following applicable law, rules, regulations (local and international) and corporate policy.
- Lead Sanctions screening for customers, transactions, trade flows, wires, Swift/RTGS/NEFT, fintech partners, and correspondent banking relationships.
- Oversee sanctions list sourcing, enrichment, validation, and governance (UNSC, UAPA, WMD, UN, OFAC, EU, UK-HMT, Ministry of JAPAN, Ministry of Singapore and applicable domestic lists).
- Manage high-risk escalations to AML Head/PO and provide expert guidance on complex sanction cases.
- Conduct post-incident reviews (missed matches, delayed alerts, or screening system exceptions).
- Provide sanctions advisory for new products, APIs, digital channels, and cross-border partnerships.
- Ensure strong screening controls for UPI, cards, wallets, trade finance, and cross-border payments.

- Maintain high levels of compliance awareness and knowledge to effectively support enhance due diligence and other related areas of responsibility.
- Update conclusion to business and involved stakeholders about existing / newly on boarded customers where risk tolerance is exceeded based on analysis.
- Escalate and recommend customers for closure to senior management, wherein customers are involved with material sanctions.
- End to End management of Trade Based Money Launder Alert Life cycle.
- Timely advice on L2 and L3 escalations.
- Approvals for STR / CBWTR and other regulatory reportings.
- Lead and mentor a team of sanctions analysts, reviewers, and specialists.
- Drive resource planning, competency mapping, and skill development for sanctions specialists.
- Implement performance dashboards, case quality metrics, and productivity KPIs.
- Drive a culture of compliance-first behavior, documentation discipline, and professional integrity.
- Provide specialized training on sanctions typologies, global regulatory actions, and geopolitical risk indicators.
- Build Strong Relationship with Business Head, Risk, compliance and regulatory team and other stakeholders.
- Act as a bridge between technical team and business leadership to ensure alignment on priorities.