Vice President, BSA/AML Operations – Cases

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We have onsite locations in: Sioux Falls, SD, Scottsdale, AZ, Louisville, KY, Troy, MI, Franklin, TN, Easton, PA.

At Pathward, we take tremendous pride in our purpose to create financial inclusion for all™. We are a financial empowerment company that works with innovators to increase financial availability, choice, and opportunity for all. We strive to remove barriers that traditional institutions put in the way of financial access, and promote economic mobility by providing responsible, secure, high quality financial products.

We are a team of problem solvers and innovators who celebrate our differences and know that our unique perspectives make us stronger and well-positioned for success. We celebrate, and embrace, our team members through our *HUMBLE*HUNGRY*SMART approach, and we believe that we are strongest when we embrace the voices of our employees, customers, partners, and the communities we serve.

About the Role:

The Vice President, BSA/AML Operations – Cases is responsible for the leadership, execution, and oversight of Pathward’s Suspicious Activity Monitoring (SAM) case investigation function, ensuring compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), AML regulations, and OCC supervisory expectations. This role provides senior‑level management over the investigation, documentation, and disposition of escalated cases arising from SAM‑related triggers, and ensures that Pathward maintains a well‑governed, risk‑based, and sustainable investigation and reporting framework. Responsible for supporting and enhancing the organization's Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance program.

What You Will Do:

Scope of Responsibility

Provides direct oversight of managers responsible for SAM case investigations, enhanced due diligence, and escalation activities.

Oversees case investigations generated through Actimize and FCRM transaction monitoring systems, as well as manual referrals.

Manages operational performance across case volumes, aging, investigation quality, and regulatory responsiveness, ensuring adherence to established SLAs and quality standards.

Serves as a key operational leader within Pathward’s Financial Crime Compliance (FCC) Program, partnering closely with Compliance, Technology, Data Analytics, Program Management, and Assurance functions.

Support the development, implementation, and maintenance of comprehensive BSA/AML policies, procedures, and controls

Assist in overseeing various components of the BSA/AML program including customer due diligence, sanctions screening, AML and sanctions screening, and suspicious activity reporting, where applicable

Participate in risk assessments to identify and evaluate BSA/AML risks across products, services, customers, and geographic locations

Collaborate with senior leadership to develop and execute strategic initiatives that enhance program effectiveness

Key Responsibilities

Operational Oversight & Investigations

Ensure cases are investigated, documented, and dispositioned in accordance with Pathward policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.

Maintain accountability for:

SAM case investigations and dispositions

Identification of suspicious activity and preparation of SAR referrals for the SAR Filing function

CTR accuracy and timeliness

Escalation of investigations requiring Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD)

Ensure timely, complete, and defensible responses to:

314(a) information requests

Law enforcement inquiries

Subpoenas and regulatory requests

Governance, Metrics & Board Reporting

Develop, maintain, and report key risk indicators (KRIs) and key performance indicators (KPIs) for management committees and the Board, including:

Case volumes and aging

SLA performance and exceptions

SAR referral and investigation outcome trends

Staffing capacity and productivity

Emerging typologies and risk trends

Translate operational data into clear, risk‑focused narratives aligned with OCC expectations for senior management and Board oversight.

Risk Management & Root Cause Analysis

Lead root cause analysis for operational issues, trends, or findings, including:

Assessment of existing controls and their effectiveness

Identification of control gaps and needed enhancements

Recommendation of risk‑based remediation actions

Ensure root cause analysis supports sustainable remediation and aligns with Pathward’s enterprise risk management framework.

Technology, Data Analytics & Rule Tuning

Partner with FCC Program Management, Data Analytics, and Technology Assurance to:

Support tuning and optimization of SAM rules and scenarios

Evaluate alert quality, false positives, and risk coverage

Ensure rule changes and system enhancements are appropriately governed, tested, and documented

Policies, Procedures & Talent Development

Develops corporate and/or organizational policies and authorizes their implementation. Detailed knowledge of company allows for innovative concepts and promoting new ideas. Provides direction to senior managers in various areas, groups, and/or operations. Recognized as an influential leader. Ensure SAM‑related policies, procedures, and investigation standards remain current, accurate, and aligned with regulatory guidance and operational practice.

Consistently works with abstract ideas or situations across functional areas of the business. Through assessment of intangible variables, identifies and evaluates fundamental issues, providing strategy and direction for major functional areas. Requires in-depth knowledge of the functional area, business strategies, and the company’s goals.

Directs and controls the activities of one or more functional areas, divisions, product groups or service areas through senior managers who have overall responsibility for the successful operation of those assigned areas. Establish and maintain a strong training, quality assurance, and mentorship framework for managers and analysts. Promote a culture of accountability, consistency, and continuous improvement across SAM Case Operations.

What You Will Need:

Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or professional certifications (e.g., CAMS) preferred.

Extensive experience in BSA/AML operations, financial crimes investigations, and SAM programs within a regulated financial institution.

Demonstrated leadership experience managing managers and large investigative teams.

Strong working knowledge of Actimize, FCRM, and enterprise transaction monitoring systems.

Proven ability to engage effectively with regulators, auditors, and senior leadership.

Exceptional analytical, communication, and organizational skills.

The responsibilities listed above are not all inclusive and may be changed at any time.

Salary range: $125,000– $208,000

• The salary range reflects the minimum and maximum target for a new hire in this role. Individual pay within the range will be determined by multiple factors which can include but are not limited to a candidate’s experience, qualifications, skills, and location. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary for your location during the hiring process. Ranges may be modified in the future.
• 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.

#LI-Remote

Don’t have everything listed under qualifications? If you’re excited about this role but your experiences don’t match exactly to everything in the posting, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other Pathward roles. Pathward is an equal employment opportunity employer and considers candidates for roles without regard to their