By Joining Citi, you will become part of a global organisation whose mission is to serve as a trusted partner to our clients by responsibly providing financial services that enable growth and economic progress.

Team/Role Overview

This is a critical and high-profile leadership position within the Issuer and Investor Services division. This first-line Risk & Controls role is responsible for supporting the Services businesses in managing and mitigating financial crime risks end-to-end on a global scale, with a specific focus on ensuring proactive, effective, and sustainable financial crimes risk management. The successful candidate will lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive financial crimes strategy that integrates Sanctions, Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Fraud, Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABC), Fraud and Reputational Risk management.

Serving clients across 95 countries, Issuer and Investor Services provides integrated solutions for multinational corporations, financial institutions, and public sector organizations. This role requires a deep understanding of the global financial crime landscape, regulatory frameworks, and the ability to drive strategic initiatives to protect the firm's reputation and safeguard its assets. The position involves managing end-to-end processes that carry a high degree of reputational, regulatory, and compliance risk.

The Director will be tasked with leading and managing a small global team of financial crime professionals, driving a culture of accountability and effective risk management across the division. This is a hands-on role that provides guidance, ongoing support, and constructive challenge to business teams to ensure appropriate and effective controls are introduced and maintained. This leader will be held accountable for driving results, defining priorities and strategy, engaging through effective and clear communication, and leading and developing a best-in-class global team. This position has authority and responsibility to negotiate and make independent decisions on issues/activities that have critical impact or influence on company risk management, regulatory engagement, or business operations.

What you’ll do

• Strategic Leadership: Develop, implement, and maintain a robust financial crimes strategy covering Sanctions, AML, Fraud, ABC, Fraud and Reputational Risk across the Issuer and Investor Services division globally. This includes ensuring early engagement on new business initiatives to ensure timely support of commercial priorities and full adherence to global, regional & local risk management policies and procedures.
• Risk Management & Controls:
  • Lead the Issuer and Investor Services Financial Crimes team to successfully manage the division's complex global business by driving the risk and control function, uplifting risk, compliance, and governance standards.
  • Oversee all in-business financial crimes controls processes and governance, including end-to-end process management, risk identification/analysis/management, issue escalation, and corrective action planning (CAP).
  • Conduct reviews of financial crimes processes and procedures to ensure that both controls and processes are in keeping with policy and business expectations, and assure that controls have been implemented consistently with appropriate supporting documentation.
  • Provide expert advice and assessment on financial crime risks when business decisions are made, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations while upholding sound ethical judgment.
  • Assess existing control framework, identify potential compliance gaps, and ensure adequate mapping of risk and processes with clear control ownership.
  • Drive a consistent and holistic approach to Financial Crimes risk management across Services.
• Stakeholder Engagement:
  • Partner closely with Services Risk and Control teams, Product, Operations, Technology, Legal, and Compliance partners globally to ensure consistent application of financial crime controls and standards.
  • Represent Issuer and Investor Services across various internal risk and control forums, and engage effectively with regulators and senior business management.
  • Drive strategic execution of critical programs and initiatives that contribute to the remediation of financial crime risks and uplift the control environment.
  • Create & maintain a robust partnership with the business heads, operations, technology, and the second line of defense.
• Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and develop a best-in-class global team of financial crime professionals, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.
• Regulatory & Market Awareness: Utilize information from market developments, global regulatory changes, new regulations, and internal policy changes to continuously identify and address new key financial crime risk areas. Maintain current knowledge and understanding of product innovation, client needs, and changing regulatory requirements.
• Reputational Risk Management: Actively manage and mitigate reputational risks associated with financial crime activities within the Issuer and Investor Services division.
• Reporting & Escalation: Ensure clear and timely escalation of control issues, while assisting their adequate management and internal reporting. Prepare and provide regular updates to senior management and various governance committees on control issues and/or enhancements. Ensure robust and adequate reporting to senior management.

What we’ll need from you

• Experience:
  • Experience in Financial Services, with significant time spent in roles with direct financial crime, risk, controls, or regulatory management responsibilities.
  • Extensive experience in product management, product development, or operations within a regulated Financial Services company, preferably in Securities Services or a Custodian bank.
  • Demonstrated expertise in Sanctions, Anti-Money Laundering, Fraud, Anti-Bribery and Corruption, and Reputational Risk. Strong understanding of international Sanctions.
  • Proven track record in managing teams with broad accountability in a complex global environment.
• Skills:
  • Demonstrated ability to understand and apply financial crime risk management principles, global regulatory frameworks, and operational processes and technology systems relevant to the business.
  • Financial Crime certification preferred (e.g., ACAMS, ACSS).
  • Strong communication (written and oral) and presentation skills, with the ability to engage effectively with regulators, boards, and senior business management. Must be articulate and persuasive with the judgement and authority to provide insightful commentary to senior stakeholders.
  • Strategic and analytical thinker capable of translating broad visions into structured plans and executing them effectively.
  • Ability to work independently and deliver according to strict timelines and quality standards.
  • Demonstrated ability and confidence to challenge business management, escalate issues, and press for change.
  • Able to drive change to business practices by working effectively across a global organization.
  • Self-starting with the ability to multitask and prioritize in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
  • Strong collaboration and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work closely with stakeholders in the business and particularly the In-Business Risk & Control team.
  • Proven people and team management skills. Project management and change capabilities are essential.
  • Demonstrated analytical skills with follow-up and problem-solving capability.
  • Ability to analyze processes and recommend ways to improve quality, controls, and efficiency.

What we can offer you

We work hard to have a positive financial and social impact on the communities we serve. In turn, we put our employees first and provide the best-in-class benefits they need to be well, live well and save well.

By joining Citi Belfast, you will not only be part of a business casual workplace with a hybrid working model (up to 2 days working at home per week), but also receive a competitive base salary (which is annually reviewed), and enjoy a whole host of additional benefits such as: 

• Generous holiday allowance starting at 27 days plus bank holidays; increasing with tenure

• A discretional annual performance related bonus 
• Private medical insurance packages to suit your personal circumstances
• Employee Assistance Program  
• Pension Plan 
• Paid Parental Leave 
• Special discounts for employees, family, and friends 
• Access to an array of learning and development resources 

Alongside these benefits Citi is committed to ensuring our workplace is where everyone feels comfortable coming to work as their whole self every day.  We want the best talent around the world to be energized to join us, motivated to stay, and empowered to thrive. 

Sounds like Citi has everything you need? Then apply to discover the true extent of your capabilities. 

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Job Family Group:

Risk Management

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Job Family:

In-Business Risk

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Time Type:

Full time

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Most Relevant Skills

Analytical Thinking, Business Acumen, Constructive Debate, Escalation Management, Issue Management, Policy and Procedure, Policy and Regulation, Risk Controls and Monitors, Risk Identification and Assessment, Stakeholder Management.

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Other Relevant Skills

For complementary skills, please see above and/or contact the recruiter.

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Citi is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

 

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