Senior Specialist

This job is with Standard Chartered Bank, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community. Please do not contact the recruiter directly.Job Summary•The Digital Asset Surveillance QA & Control Analyst is responsible for monitoring, investigating, and mitigating suspicious activities related to cryptocurrency transactions. The role requires expertise in blockchain analytics, financial crime compliance, and regulatory reporting. The analyst will ensure the organization's adherence to anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) regulations while protecting stakeholders from illicit activities. •The analyst is also responsible for conducting testing and assessments of controls designed to mitigate financial crime risks, including anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorist financing (CTF), sanctions, and fraud. The role focuses on ensuring the effectiveness of controls within the Financial Crime Compliance and Surveillance framework and providing recommendations for improvement. Key Responsibilities: •Utilize advanced blockchain analytics tools to monitor transactions for irregularities and red flags. •Analyze large datasets to detect suspicious activity patterns in cryptocurrency operations. •Conduct in-depth investigations of suspicious transactions, wallets, and addresses. •Trace blockchain transactions to identify potential illicit activity (e.g., money laundering, fraud, or sanction violations). •Collaborate with internal teams to obtain context and insights related to flagged activities. •Ensure compliance with AML/CTF regulations and global cryptocurrency frameworks. •Work closely with compliance, risk management, and technology teams to enhance surveillance systems. •Train internal staff on cryptocurrency compliance risks and detection techniques. •Provide expert insights and recommendations to improve anti-fraud and AML processes. •Identify emerging cryptocurrency risks and trends and recommend preventive measures. •Assist in developing internal policies, procedures, and controls for cryptocurrency transactions. •Stay informed on evolving regulations, tools, and techniques in the crypto space. •Perform detailed testing of controls related to financial crime compliance, including Crypto currency surveillance, transaction monitoring, customer due diligence (CDD) and sanctions screening. •Evaluate the design and operating effectiveness of key controls. •Identify control deficiencies, root causes, and areas for improvement. •Maintain comprehensive documentation for all testing activities, including methodologies, test results, and evidence. •Prepare detailed reports summarizing control testing results, observations, and recommendations. •Escalate significant issues or risks to senior management. •Present findings to relevant stakeholders, including compliance teams and senior leadership. •Collaborate with control owners to develop and implement remediation plans for identified deficiencies. •Provide insights and recommendations to strengthen the overall control environment. •Monitor the status of remediation efforts to ensure timely completion. Key ResponsibilitiesStrategy •Awareness and understanding of FCSO's strategy appropriate to the role. Business •Awareness and understanding of the wider business, economic and market environment in which FCSO operates. Processes •FCSO Name Screening, FCSO Transaction Screening and FCSO Transaction Monitoring People & Talent •Promote and embed a culture of openness, trust and risk awareness, where ethical, legal, regulatory and policy compliant conduct is the norm. •Stimulate an environment where forward planning, prioritisation, deadline management and streamlined workflows and collaborative, inclusive yet effective and efficient work practices are the norm. •Collaborate with training teams to input to training curriculum to support closing of capability gaps. Risk Management •Escalate serious regulatory breaches, significant risks and issues arising from Quality Assurance activities (or where risk tolerances have been breached) through appropriate risk management mechanisms and forums. •Ensure that actions are taken quickly to remediate and/or activities are ceased, and all risks are clearly documented. •Work continually to enhance the control environment within the Quality Assurance function. Highlight key risk areas to Director, Quality Assurance Screening and risk teams, acting quickly and decisively when any risk and control weakness becomes apparent and ensure they are addressed within an appropriate timeframe and escalated through the relevant committees. •Understand technical aspects of systems relevant to CDD, Client Risk Assessments, Name and Transaction Screening, AML Monitoring and Case Management to be able to identify gaps through the Quality Assurance processes and reviews. •Apply Group and FCC policies and processes (AML surveillance, client screening, risk assessment) to assess and mitigate risks. •Engage with Regulators/ Monitors and Auditors as required providing timely and clear responses to any areas of observation or data requests. •Plan and ensure a suitable level of readiness for Audit and Regulatory reviews. Governance •Instil good governance and tracking mechanisms within Quality Assurance including new joiner deployment (On the Job "OJT" templates), Supervisory checks. •Propose control improvements, enhancements and simplifications where appropriate. •Undertake specialist Quality Assurance reviews to test the validity and appropriateness of, and business compliance with, financial crime policies and procedures. •Collate, analyse and interpret data to produce reports that help the bank identify and manage emerging areas of risk / vulnerability and support in remediation actions within the FCSO function. •Proactively engage with appropriate stakeholders across the Group and within FCSO to resolve problems/ challenges. •Collaborate with Country FCC teams and FCSO Functions to ensure consistent application of standards. •Track significant issues arising from Quality Assurance activities, Audit/ Assurance reviews and regulatory inspections, providing validation of issue closure where necessary and ensuring Management Action Plans are regularly updated. Regulatory & Business Conduct •Display exemplary conduct and live by the Group's Values and Code of Conduct. •Take personal responsibility for embedding the highest standards of ethics, including regulatory and business conduct, across Standard Chartered Bank. This includes understanding and ensuring compliance with, in letter and spirit, all applicable laws, regulations, guidelines and the Group Code of Conduct. •Effectively and collaboratively identify, escalate, mitigate and resolve risk, conduct and compliance matters. Key stakeholders •FCC Controls representatives in Group and Country •Financial Crime Surveillance Operations ("FCSO") Functions - Name, Transaction Screening, Transaction Monitoring, Trade AML and Fraud, Surveillance Academy and Service Delivery Management, Data and Reporting, Risk Managers, etc. •Risk Framework Owners •Group Process Owner and associated support functions •Operational Risk •Audit and Assurance Other Responsibilities Embed Here for good and Group's brand and values in Financial Crime Surveillance Operations, Quality Assurance, GBS India; Perform other responsibilities assigned under Group, Country, Business or Functional policies and procedures; Qualifications•Education-Bachelor's Degree •Membership-ACAMS •Certifications-Certified Cryptoasset Anti Financial Crime Specialist (CCAS), Certified Blockchain Security Professional (CBSP), Certified Cryptocurrency Investigator (CCI) - Preferred •Languages-English Skills and Experience•Crypto Currency Investigation •Blockchain Analytics Platform •Screening •Monitoring •Data Analytics Tool •Surveillance Platforms About Standard CharteredWe're an international bank, nimble enough to act, big enough for impact. For more than 170 years, we've worked to make a positive difference for our clients, communities, and each other. We question the status quo, love a challenge and enjoy finding new opportunities to grow and do better than before. If you're looking for a career with purpose and you want to work for a bank making a difference, we want to hear from you. You can count on us to celebrate your unique talents and we can't wait to see the talents you can bring us. Our purpose, to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, together with our brand promise, to be here for good are achieved by how we each live our valued behaviours. When you work with us, you'll see how we value difference and advocate inclusion. Together we: Do the right thingand are assertive, challenge one another, and live with integrity, while putting the client at the heart of what we do Never settle,continuously striving to improve and innovate, keeping things simple and learning from doing well, and not so well Are better together,we can be ourselves, be inclusive, see more good in others, and work collectively to build for the long term What we offerIn line with our Fair Pay Charter,we offer a competitive salary and benefits to support your mental, physical, financial and social wellbeing. Core bank funding for retirement savings, medical and life insurance,with flexible and voluntary benefits available in some locations. Time-offincluding annual leave, parental/maternity (20 weeks), sabbatical (12 months maximum) and volunteering leave (3 days), along with minimum global standards for annual and public holiday, which is combined to 30 days minimum. Flexible workingoptions based around home and office locations, with flexible working patterns. Proactive wellbeing supportthrough Unmind, a market-leading digital wellbeing platform, development courses for resilience and other human skills, global Employee Assistance Programme, sick leave, mental health first-aiders and all sorts of self-help toolkits A continuous learning cultureto support your growth, with opportunities to reskill and upskill and access to physical, virtual and digital learning. Being part of an inclusive and values driven organisation,one that embraces and celebrates our unique diversity, across our teams, business functions and geographies - everyone feels respected and can realise their full potential.