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Positions we recruit: Bank Operations, Payments and Financial Crimes Compliance
Start a Search Financial Headhunters Salary Guide
Financial Headhunters: Hiring Bank Operations and Financial Crimes Personnel
This is what we do all day: recruit accounting, finance, banking and insurance professionals.
- Controller
- CFO
- VP Finance
- FP&A Director
- Accounting Manager
- Director of Accounting
- Assistant Controller
- Tax Director
- Treasury Manager
- Internal Audit Director
- Senior Accountant
- Financial Analyst
- Head of Financial Reporting
- Commercial Lender
- Chief Credit Officer
- Business Systems Finance Lead
How long did your last search take?
How much did the empty seat cost while you waited?
Every week a finance seat stays empty costs you in overtime, late closes and work that waits. We go straight to people already doing the job.
01
Team Structure and Levels
Use entry roles for volume tasks like alert clearing or account maintenance. Assign experienced analysts to SAR narratives or high-risk EDD. Reserves senior investigators for complex multi-jurisdictional cases. Managers handle regulatory reporting and quality control oversight. Small teams benefit from cross-trained generalists who switch between Reg E disputes and basic ACH processing.
Assess your specific volume. High volume needs specialized siloed units. Lower volume requires generalist roles. Avoid creating senior titles for roles that only handle manual data entry. Align pay to the technical difficulty of the software systems used rather than just years of service.
- 01Junior LevelData entry, alert queues, document collection.
- 02Mid LevelInvestigation, Reg E claim management, SAR writing.
- 03Senior LevelComplex EDD, sanctions screening, regulatory audit support.
02
Essential Interview Questions
Ask questions that force the candidate to explain their process. Watch for clear steps and logical sequencing. Avoid vague answers about being thorough. Listen for specific software workflows and regulatory knowledge.
When interviewing for payments roles, verify their understanding of return windows and liability. For AML, test their ability to distinguish between suspicious behavior and common customer activity. Focus on the mechanics of their past work.
Before you view any resumes, we hold a scope conversation to map your current software stack and volume requirements against specific work output. We ask candidates for evidence of past work that demonstrates how they balance speed with accuracy. A central hiring tradeoff you face is prioritizing either deep knowledge of your current payment platform or a broad grasp of regulatory theory. Someone who knows your software saves time on training, while someone with deep regulatory insight handles complex escalations better. You must decide if your current bottleneck is system output volume or the quality of investigation logic.
- 01Walk me through your process for filing a SAR once you identify a potential hit. (Listen for: SAR narrative structure, timelines, supporting evidence).
- 02Describe a time an ACH return was missed or mishandled. What was the impact? (Listen for: Ownership, remediation, system awareness).
- 03How do you handle a Reg E dispute where evidence is conflicting? (Listen for: Regulatory knowledge, timeline adherence).
- 04Explain the CDD rule as it relates to beneficial ownership. (Listen for: Document requirements, threshold knowledge).
03
Common Hiring Mistakes
Hiring managers often overvalue general bank experience while ignoring platform-specific skills. Using Fiserv instead of Jack Henry creates a training gap. Do not prioritize a resume listing many tools if the person lacks depth in your specific platform. Look for concrete examples of system usage.
Another mistake is ignoring the quality of writing. AML and fraud roles live or die by the quality of internal reports. A candidate who struggles to write clear, fact-based prose will create audit issues later. Test their writing during the process.
- 01Hiring for potential instead of functional knowledge.
- 02Neglecting to test software competency.
- 03Valuing broad financial experience over specific compliance depth.
- 04Ignoring communication skills needed for exam readiness.
04
Credential Verification Guide
CAMS or AAP indicate baseline knowledge. Verify status via the issuing body. Experience in a production environment is the primary indicator of capability. We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
Distinguish between a certification and an exam. An exam is a moment in time. A certification requires ongoing maintenance. Licenses are legally required for certain brokerage or advisory roles. Always check if the license is active and in good standing.
- 01CAMSIssued by ACAMS. Proves knowledge of AML. Does not replace practical investigative experience.
- 02AAPIssued by Nacha. Proves depth in payment rules. Does not measure system proficiency.
- 03CAFPIssued by ABA. Proves general compliance. Verification via the ABA registry is standard.
- 04License CheckVerify via official regulatory websites.
05
When Candidates Move
Most candidates move when their current environment stifles their growth or limits their scope. If a high-volume analyst only handles one type of transaction for years, they will seek a role that offers exposure to new regulations or different software. They move to gain experience that makes them more marketable.
Another motivator is the move from a rigid, over-managed environment to one that allows for more investigation time per case. If your processes allow for quality work rather than just volume targets, you will attract better talent. People stay where their expertise is used effectively.
- 01Seeking exposure to broader regulatory frameworks.
- 02Desire to move from manual work to automated core platforms.
- 03Looking for roles that require more investigative depth.
- 04Moving toward teams with better internal compliance structure.
16 positions in this family
- Deposit Operations Specialist (Bank Operations Specialist)Specialists correct return items and wire exceptions while applying regulatory rules to control risk in banking operation cycles.
- BSA/AML Analyst (Transaction Monitoring Analyst)Analysts clear transaction alerts by distinguishing between legitimate customer activity and suspicious patterns that require formal regulatory reports.
- AML Investigator (Financial Crimes Investigator)Investigators perform independent audits of branch transactions and document balancing errors to maintain window accountability for the firm.
- KYC Analyst (CDD and EDD)Analysts identify gaps between basic account setup and the deep research required for complex ownership structures and compliance.
- Fraud AnalystOperators separate standard customer friction from criminal activity by spotting system anomalies to block harmful account takeover attempts.
- Bank Compliance Analyst (including CRA and fair lending)Analysts check if loan disclosures match actual borrower terms and identify when system output misses specific regulatory scenarios.
- Wire and ACH (Payments Operations) SpecialistProcess daily Fedwire transactions and reconcile ACH batch files while verifying compliance with payment regulations.
- Card Services and Disputes Specialist (Reg E)Manage electronic fund transfer dispute lifecycles and regulatory compliance for bank card operations.
- Item Processing SpecialistThis role manages daily check image clearing, exception handling, and core banking system balancing.
- Core Banking Systems AnalystTechnical administrator for core banking platforms responsible for system configuration, data integrity and user access control.
- Treasury Management Implementation SpecialistDirect client onboarding and technical configuration for corporate treasury products and services.
- Sanctions (OFAC) AnalystExpert Sanctions Analyst responsible for OFAC screening, alert management, and regulatory reporting.
- BSA Manager (Deputy BSA Officer)Lead daily AML operations, oversee SAR filings, and direct team compliance with BSA/AML regulatory requirements.
- Senior Deposit Operations SpecialistManage core deposit processes, regulatory compliance, and payment workflow accuracy for banking operations.
- Senior BSA/AML AnalystThis position performs complex financial crime investigations and confirms regulatory adherence for bank transaction monitoring.
- Lead AML InvestigatorDirecting complex financial crime investigations and managing regulatory filings for banking operations.
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Questions people ask
How do I choose between a generalist and a specialist?
Use specialists when your volume is high enough to justify one person doing one task all day. Use generalists when volume is volatile or the team size is too small to handle turnover in specialized roles.
What is the primary operational outcome required of the AML role?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. Certificates are helpful for candidates without recent direct experience but are not required.
How do I test for system proficiency?
Ask for specific workflows within the software. Ask how they troubleshoot a system error or a transaction that failed to process. Their ability to explain the steps is the best test.
How much weight should I put on writing samples?
High weight. SARs and internal reports are the primary record of your work during an exam. If they cannot write clearly, they represent a significant regulatory risk.