Global Head of Screening Operations

About The Role:

The Global Head of Screening Operations is responsible for ensuring the company's end-to-end compliance with global sanctions regimes and Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) regulatory requirements. Operating within the Operations team and reporting to the Head of Operations, this role provides subject matter expertise, designs and oversees critical controls, and drives operational excellence across related compliance processes.

What You'll Do (Responsibilities):

1. Sanctions & PEPs Compliance Ownership

• Act as the company’s lead expert on global sanctions programs, with in-depth knowledge of UK, EU, U.S. (OFAC), and Canadian (OSFI) sanctions regimes.
• Ensure full and ongoing compliance with applicable sanctions and PEPs regulatory requirements across all jurisdictions where the company operates.
• Maintain up-to-date understanding of sanctions and PEPs regulatory changes, ensuring proactive internal adaptation and communication.
• Drive continuous improvement of sanctions and PEPs compliance processes, leveraging automation and best practices.

2. Controls Design, Implementation & Oversight

• Own and maintain the sanctions and PEPs control framework, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and industry best practices.
• Design and implement effective first-line operational controls for sanctions screening and PEPs identification.
• Work closely with product, engineering, and compliance teams to embed sanctions and PEPs controls within operational workflows and customer journeys.
• Ensure the company’s sanctions & PEPs screening systems are accurately configured and regularly tested and tuned.
• Establish clear KPIs, metrics, and dashboards to monitor sanctions and PEPs-related performance and control effectiveness.

3. Training & Awareness

• Promote a culture of operational excellence through training, awareness initiatives, and clear guidance to relevant teams.
• Deliver targeted training to operations, customer service, and relevant business units on sanctions and PEPs controls and red flags.

What You’ll Need To Be Successful In This Role:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher
• Professional certifications (ACAMS, GCSS, or other relevant risk or compliance certification) is strongly preferred
• 5+ years of experience in sanctions compliance, financial crime, or risk control functions within a regulated financial institution in the UK, EU, or U.S. (bank, e-money, money remittance fintech or similar)
• Strong subject matter expertise in global sanctions regimes, watchlist management, and politically exposed persons (PEPs) frameworks.
• Experience designing, implementing, and testing controls related to sanctions and PEPs screening.
• Experience with in-house and external screening tools (e.g., ComplyAdvantage, LexisNexis, etc.)
• Ability to translate regulatory requirements into practical first-line processes and design operational controls.
• Familiarity with automation, data analysis, and basic scripting/SQL for control testing is a plus.
• Strong sense of ownership and accountability.
• Operationally minded, with a pragmatic and solution-oriented approach to complex problems.
• Comfortable working in fast-paced and regulated environments.
• Detail-oriented and disciplined in documentation and evidence gathering.

Why Join Paysend?

• Make a Global Impact: Directly impact millions of users worldwide
• Accelerate Your Career: Benefit from internal mobility, mentoring programs, and continuous learning opportunities
• Thrive in a Connected, Global Organization: Collaborate with colleagues across our international hubs and more
• Embrace a Principle-Driven & Focused Culture: Work in an organization guided by strong principles and values that actually help you achieve more than you thought possible
• Enjoy Competitive Compensation and Benefits: Receive a competitive salary, benefits, and flexible work arrangements