Manager, Financial Crimes Compliance, APAC Region

At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. As part of Team Amex, you'll experience this powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career.

Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express.

How will you make an impact in this role?

This role sits within the International Financial Crimes Compliance, Regional MLRO - APAC team.

The team is part of Global Financial Crimes Compliance (GFCC) and provides financial crime program subject matter expertise and guidance to all APAC region stakeholders within the various markets/legal entities including compliance colleagues and business colleagues responsible for development/implementation of new products/processes/systems.

The team is responsible for overseeing the market level financial crime programs and ensuring implementation of systems, controls and procedures that are compliant with Enterprise standards, Legal Entity policy, and specific local market requirements. The team is also responsible for maintaining a formal governance framework which continuously monitors the health of each market/legal entity program and ensures consistency and alignment with enterprise expectations.

This role will work with team colleagues to support the Vice President in the following areas –

• Supporting the oversight and governance support of all financial crime related matters across the APAC region for all American Express products, services and business lines.
• Coordinating the APAC Region's contribution to the various Enterprise led projects currently underway, working to understand requirements covered and assist with the implementation and socialisation strategy for key stakeholders in the APAC region.
• Ensuring all APAC markets are meeting the Enterprise Financial Crime Risk Management Standards by working closely with compliance as well as central colleagues/standard owners, to oversee at a project level remediation of inconsistencies, and review regional and market processes, controls, procedures, etc. to ensure adherence to Standards, as well as any need for ongoing training and support.
• Support the maintenance of all regional SOPs and Team Overview materials.
• Support the team's governance function by contributing to the enhancement of our oversight and QA capability. Oversight will include any processes and controls established by the 1LoD and/or to be migrated to the 1LoD.
• This role will also ensure that the MLRO Organization develops a holistic oversight over front line activities. In addition, this role will support the APAC MLRO Org in the enhancing of the Operational Risk Management Framework and in the execution and uplift of RCSA' phases (design and pilot, implementation, etc) making credible challenge to the front line and second line.
• Ensuring that financial crime compliance risks are adequately identified, assessed, monitored, and controlled in accordance with the Enterprise Minimum Standards and documented GFCC Framework.
• Support the coordination of all APAC financial crime legal entity audits and support other relevant internal and external audits and regulatory exams/ad hoc requests in collaboration with team management.
• Monitor and track resolution of issues, gaps and remediation actions arising from internal and external audits, self-assessment processes and incidents in collaboration with team management.
• Lead/support governance related work including the upkeep and review of our procedures and inventories; coordination of our input into Enterprise policies and procedures; and supporting the preparation of documentation for committees and senior management.
• Undertake ongoing assessments of financial crime controls within the APAC region by market and/or business and escalating matters of significance to management.
• Providing check and challenge to markets and business colleagues responsible for developing and implementing market and/or business specific financial crime policies, programs and procedures.
• Liaising with key operational stakeholders and offering insightful SME regarding financial crime matters.
• Helping to prioritise competing regional and market and/or business needs to ensure that an effective financial crime program is operational for all markets and businesses.
• Monitoring financial crime regulatory change and assist in implementing such changes within the relevant market and /or business in an effective and timely manner.
• Provide input into the enhancement of appropriate reporting for all elements of the financial crime program and provide reports and regular updates to senior management on the operation and effectiveness of systems and controls.
• Supporting and strengthening the efforts of American Express to assist in the global fight against all aspects of financial crime.

Required Skills –

• At least 4 years experience or more of demonstrated financial crime compliance experience.
• In-depth knowledge and understanding of financial crime and related regulatory requirements throughout the APAC region.
• Extensive experience in identifying financial crime risks, in particular for credit cards and merchant services amongst others, and developing and implementing financial crime programs and controls to manage identified risks.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to develop and maintain relationships.
• Strong judgement.
• Self-motivated, energetic team player with proven ability to work effectively across jurisdictions and with all levels of management.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, take on additional responsibilities, and prioritize work in a deadline-intensive environment.
• Aptitude for analysis, investigation & problem solving.
• Experience of working in a complex matrix organization structure is an advantage.

We back you with benefits that support your holistic well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:

• Competitive base salaries
• Bonus incentives
• Support for financial-well-being and retirement
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits (depending on location)
• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need
• Generous paid parental leave policies (depending on your location)
• Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location)
• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program
• Career development and training opportunities

Offer of employment with American Express is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background verification check, subject to applicable laws and regulations.