Vice President, BSA/AML Operations – Cases

We are a hybrid, remote-office company dedicated to growing our talent anywhere!

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 strong *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 and 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 and 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 and 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 and 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 and 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.

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

Salary range: $125,000– $208,000

left; 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.

span rgb(255, 255, 255); # -Remote

strong Don’t have everything listed under qualifications? If you’re excited about this role but your strong em experiences don’t match exactly to everything in the posting, we encourage you to apply strong em anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other Pathward roles. Pathward is strong em an equal employment opportunity employer and considers candidates for roles without regard strong em to their race, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability or any other category protected by strong em law.

Who we are:

Our commitment to inclusion is woven into our DNA. We believe that we are strongest when we embrace the voices of our employees, customers, partners, and the communities we serve.

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, pregnancy, national origin, age (age 40 and over), disability, genetic information, marital status, hair texture or hairstyle, ancestry, service in the uniformed services, protected veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence or any other class protected by federal, state and local laws.

Please a click here to learn more about our benefits and review information about our Privacy Policy, Affirmative Action Plan and other notices. Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. For assistance completing an application, please contact a Pathward People and Culture Representative by emailing – a careers@pathward.com

Please a click here to view Pathward s Applicant Privacy Notice.

Applications will be accepted for a minimum of 3 days after posting, and there is no predetermined date by which applications should be submitted.

Knowingly submitting false information will result in disqualification for consideration of future positions, termination of employment and forfeiture of other rights.

left; Candidate Scam Warning

We encourage you to be cautious of hiring scams that impersonate Pathward. Copy span span a c d e f g h i j k l m n o q r s t v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak and paste the following URL into your browser to learn more: a ___1q1shib f2hkw1w f3rmtva f1ewtqcl fyind8e f1k6fduh f1w7gpdv fk6fouc fjoy568 figsok6 f1s184ao f1mk8lai fnbmjn9 f1o700av f13mvf36 f1cmlufx f9n3di6 f1ids18y f1tx3yz7 f1deo86v f1eh06m1 f1iescvh fhgqx19 f1olyrje f1p93eir f1nev41a f1h8hb77 f1lqvz6u f10aw75t fsle3fq f17ae5zn https://www.pathward.com/about-us/people-culture/careers/