Title:  Director, Head of GBM/GTB AML Risk & Controls Assessments

Requisition ID: 223161

 Salary Range: 180,000.00 - 301,500.00 

Please note that the Salary Range shown is a guideline only. Salary offered may vary based on factors, including, but not limited to, the successful candidate’s relevant knowledge, skills, and experience.

Join a purpose driven winning team, committed to results, in an inclusive and high-performing culture.

Global Banking and Markets 

Global Banking and Markets (GBM) is a leading Canadian Capital Markets and Investment Banking business with a growing platform in the US and Latin America, operating globally for over 100 years. Scotiabank’s strong U.S. presence provides our clients an important bridge to this key global market for trade and investment flows across the Americas and the world. 

Global Banking & Markets provides a full range of investment banking, credit and risk management products and services relevant to the financing and strategic development needs of our clients. Our products include debt and equity financing, mergers & acquisitions, corporate banking, institutional equity sales, trading and research, fixed income products, derivatives, energy, foreign exchange and precious & metals. We also cross-sell the full range of wholesale products and services offered by the Scotiabank Group.  

Be part of an innovative, Global Capital Markets and Investment Banking business with a unique geographic footprint that puts capital to work for our clients across industries!  We work together to drive ambition for every future! 

Purpose

The Director of AML Risk Assessment and Controls is responsible for leading the development, execution, and continuous enhancement of the GBM/GTB Anti-Money Laundering (AML) risk assessment framework. This role ensures that the institution effectively identifies, measures, and mitigates AML risks across all business lines, products, and geographic regions.

By integrating a robust risk-based approach, the director provides strategic oversight of AML controls, ensuring compliance with global regulatory expectations and industry best practices. This position plays a critical role in safeguarding the institution against financial crime, strengthening governance structures, and enabling senior management to make informed risk decisions.

Additionally, the director will collaborate with key stakeholders - including compliance, legal, internal audit, technology, and business leaders - to enhance AML risk management strategies and drive continuous improvement in controls. The role also involves engagement with global regulatory bodies, ensuring the bank remains at the forefront of evolving AML standards and emerging financial crime threats.

What You'll Do

• Champions a customer focused culture to deepen client relationships and leverage broader Bank relationships, systems and knowledge.

Global AML Risk Assessment & Governance

• Lead the development, execution, and continuous refinement of the GBM/GTB AML risk assessment framework, ensuring alignment with international regulatory requirements and industry best practices.
• Oversee the GBM/GTB AML risk assessment process across all jurisdictions where the bank operates, identifying inherent and residual risks for different regions.
• Develop and implement GBM/GTB risk assessment methodologies, considering customer, product, geographic, and transactional risk factors.
• Present AML risk assessment results, insights, and strategic recommendations to senior management, the board, and global risk committees as required.

AML Controls & Risk Mitigation Strategies

• Ensure that AML controls are appropriately tailored to the risk environment in different jurisdictions, considering local regulatory requirements and business models.
• Oversee enhancements to risk assessment methodologies, leveraging technology, data analytics, and automation to improve effectiveness.

Regulatory Compliance & International Risk Management

• Ensure the AML risk assessment and controls framework adheres to global regulations, including BSA, USA PATRIOT Act, FinCEN, PCMLTFA, EU AML Directives, UK FCA, MAS (Singapore), HKMA, AUSTRAC, and other jurisdictional requirements.
• Stay abreast of evolving global financial crime trends and regulatory expectations, proactively adapting the AML risk framework accordingly.
• Support and lead regulatory exams, audits, and inquiries across multiple jurisdictions, coordinating responses and remediation plans for global and local regulatory bodies.
• Establish strong relationships with global regulators, financial intelligence units (FIUs), and law enforcement agencies to facilitate compliance and collaboration.

Reporting & Senior Leadership Engagement

• Provide executive-level reporting on AML risk assessment outcomes, control effectiveness, and emerging global risks to senior leadership, the board, and global governance committees.
• Ensure transparency in AML risk reporting across regional and global leadership teams, aligning risk tolerance levels with business objectives.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation of global AML risk assessment methodologies, risk rating criteria, and control enhancements.

Cross-Border Stakeholder Collaboration & Business Integration

• Work closely with regional AML compliance teams, business units, legal, internal audit, and risk management to ensure a unified approach to AML risk assessment and controls.
• Collaborate with technology teams to enhance global AML risk assessment tools, utilizing AI, machine learning, and big data analytics for more effective risk identification.
• Influence and drive a strong global AML risk culture, ensuring that regional teams and front-line business leaders understand and integrate AML risk management into their daily operations.

Industry Engagement & Global Financial Crime Leadership

• Represent the bank in global AML industry forums, public-private partnerships, regulatory working groups, and international financial crime discussions.
• Benchmark the bank’s AML risk assessment and control framework against global best practices and peer institutions.
• Monitor and analyze emerging financial crime threats, typologies, and geopolitical risks that could impact AML exposure, adjusting the bank’s risk strategies proactively.
• Work in partnership with Internal Control by setting up boundaries and protocols that must be followed including establishing policies and procedures to ensure employees are adhering to the organization’s AML guidelines and that financial transactions are properly monitored and recorded.
• Understands how the Bank’s risk appetite and risk culture should be considered in day-to-day activities and decisions.
• Creates an environment in which his/her team pursues effective and efficient operations of his/her respective areas in accordance with Scotiabank’s Values, its Code of Conduct and the Global Sales Principles, while ensuring the adequacy, adherence to and effectiveness of day-to-day business controls to meet obligations with respect to operational, compliance, AML/ATF/sanctions and conduct risk. 
• Creates a high-performance environment and implements a strategy to attract, retain, develop, and motivate the team by fostering an inclusive work environment. Uses coaching methods and behaviors; communicates vision, values, and business strategy; and manages succession and development planning for the team.

What You’ll Bring 

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, statistics, or related field. Advanced degree preferred. 
• ACAMS certification preferred. 
• Minimum 8 years of financial services experience in risk management/assessment capacity, with a minimum of 5 years AML and OFAC/Sanctions experience. 
• Specialization in wholesale banking and global capital markets highly preferred. 
• Experience acting in a leadership/ managerial capacity and overseeing a small group of resources.
• Strong communication, analytical, organization, project management, and planning skills.
• Self-starter with proven record of success in delivering high priority, high impact deliverables under minimal supervision.
• Experience working with diverse stakeholder groups to deliver projects in a timely fashion.
• Strong project management/ delivery management experience required.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Strong time management skills.
• Advanced knowledge of data analysis and ability to form reasoned conclusions based on available data sets. Background in mathematical modeling preferred.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite of products, including PowerPoint and Excel skills (including ease with pivot tables, formulas, and similar functions, including generation of reporting metrics).
• Knowledge of business, products, operations, systems, and organization for financial services sector. 

Interested? 

If your experience is closely related but doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification, we do encourage you to apply - you might be the right candidate for this or other roles at Scotiabank! 

At Scotiabank, every employee is empowered to reach their fullest potential, respected for who they are and, embraced for their differences. That’s why we work to grow and diversify talent and engage employees in a performance-oriented culture. 

What's in it for you? 

Scotiabank wants you to be able to bring your best self to work – and life, every day. With a focus on holistic well-being, our many flexible benefit programs are designed to help support your unique family, financial, physical, mental, and social health needs.

Location(s):  United States : New York : New York City

Scotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our purpose: "for every future", we help our customers, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets.  

At Scotiabank, we value the unique skills and experiences each individual brings to the Bank, and are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone. If you require accommodation (including, but not limited to, an accessible interview site, alternate format documents, ASL Interpreter, or Assistive Technology) during the recruitment and selection process, please let our Recruitment team know. If you require technical assistance, please click here. Candidates must apply directly online to be considered for this role. We thank all applicants for their interest in a career at Scotiabank; however, only those candidates who are selected for an interview will be contacted.