Finance role
Lead AML Investigator Recruiters
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You interview a short list.
Financial Headhunters: Identifying suspicious transaction patterns before a SAR filing hits the regulatory queue
This is what we do all day: recruit accounting, finance, banking and insurance professionals.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
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.
- 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
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Accounting, finance, banking and insurance
- We reach people who aren’t on job boards
- Replacement terms on standard searches
01
What does this hire really come down to?
You need someone who writes a SAR that passes internal peer review without changes. This person must identify suspicious activity patterns in transaction logs and trace the money trail across multiple accounts. Who decides if a transaction warrants a filing before it reaches FinCEN?
Your hire manages the full investigation lifecycle. They gather facts, judge risk versus internal policies and legal rules, and write the logic for filing or closing an alert. They keep the queue current and track filings against regulatory deadlines to prevent overdue reports.
Ask them how they reconcile conflicting data between an account profile and transactional behavior. Ask which specific red flags in a wire transfer suggest money laundering versus simple business error. Ask them to explain why they would choose not to file a SAR on a flagged high-risk transaction.
Focus on their investigation history during our initial scope discussion. Ask candidates to detail one case they led from alert trigger to final filing. Require them to specify why they opted for a SAR versus an internal closure. If they only cite policy manuals without explaining the legal reasoning behind red flags, they lack the needed autonomy. Ask how they reconcile conflicting data between legacy systems and manual files. Verify if they explain why an investigation succeeded or failed under regulatory review. Probe for their individual role in managing deadlines when evidence was thin. Ask them to distinguish between a bulk false positive and a complex laundering scheme detected through link analysis. Look for their ability to spot the difference between simple errors and intentional illicit acts. If they provide scripted answers, they will struggle with transaction monitoring. We require someone who treats each file as a legal document. In interviews, test if they can justify ignoring a transaction based on documented business logic. This step verifies that the investigator accepts personal accountability for every filing and the integrity of your AML program.
- 01Confirm they have written actual SARs for a financial institution rather than just drafting alerts.
- 02Verify they understand the differences between Reg CC, Reg E, and Reg D as they intersect with AML monitoring.
- 03Test their ability to use link analysis tools to find connections between disparate entities.
- 04Check their specific experience with beneficial ownership requirements under the current CDD rule.
- 05Review their track record in handling OFAC sanctions screening and the escalation of potential matches.
- 06Validate they know how to interact with auditors when defending the logic used in past investigations.
02
Where do we find them?
We look for investigators currently in mid-sized commercial banks or large credit unions. These professionals often reach a ceiling where they want more autonomy in case decisions. They are typically ready to move if they are currently trapped in a high-volume unit that focuses on quantity over investigative quality.
We also recruit from third-party vendors that provide AML outsourcing services. These analysts are conditioned to meet strict production standards and possess deep knowledge of multiple monitoring systems like Actimize or Abrigo BAM+. They move when they desire direct employment at an institution to own the outcome of their work.
We target those holding CAMS or CAFP certifications who are active in regional compliance networks. They want to move if their current firm lacks a structured path for leadership or if they are tired of working on legacy platforms that lack modern link analysis capabilities.
Before you interview, we clarify your volume of alerts versus the complexity of individual cases to determine if you need a triage expert or an investigative lead. We ask candidates to walk through a specific case where evidence was incomplete to see if they make assumptions or dig for external records. You face a choice between speed and depth. A faster investigator closes more alerts but may miss subtle patterns, while a deeper investigator uncovers risks but requires more time per case. We test if they know when to stop an investigation to prevent wasting resources on closed leads.
- 01They only check boxes on a list rather than connecting the dots in a narrative.
- 02They rely on generic templates instead of tailoring the report to the actual risk.
- 03They miss the subtle links between account activity and external negative news.
03
The search in three steps
- 01We identify candidates with specific bank-side experience in SAR preparation and transaction monitoring tools.
- 02We screen against your internal volume and complexity needs to verify they match your current workload.
- 03We provide a shortlist of cleared candidates for your direct review and final selection.
How your Lead AML Investigator search runs
How does The Six-Step Search work?
One sequence, from a well-defined seat to a shortlist you can judge.
Search Calibration
We start with a call about the seat, the books, the owners and the people the hire will work with. We learn what the role must fix in the first year and what would make a candidate wrong even if the resume looks right.
You get: A written search brief: scope, must-haves, deal-breakers and the pay range, agreed with you.
Market Mapping
We map the companies and institutions where the right people already work: similar size, similar ownership, similar complexity, in your market and in others.
You get: The target list of companies and institutions we will search, reviewed with you before outreach.
Professional Contact Intelligence
We find direct ways to reach the people on the map. Most are employed and not reading job boards, so reaching them takes real research.
You get: Direct routes to people who are not on job boards, researched for your search.
Persistent Personalized Outreach
We call and write to people individually and follow up. Interest varies, so we discuss the actual opportunity rather than promising a particular response.
You get: One-to-one conversations about your actual role, followed up, never a mass email blast.
Live Candidate Qualification
We speak with every candidate before you do. We check scope, systems, reporting lines, compensation expectations, location and why they would move.
You get: Only candidates we have spoken with, checked on scope, systems, pay, location and motive.
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
You receive a short written brief on each finalist covering what they have done, where they are thin and what they want. Then we help with interviews, references and the offer.
You get: A short written brief on each finalist, plus help with interviews, references, counteroffer risk and the offer.
Questions people ask
Are there charges before I hire someone to write our SAR filings for FinCEN?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
What are your policies regarding candidate replacement?
If a candidate introduced by us terminates employment within the agreed-upon period, we will search for a replacement at no additional cost per the terms of our signed agreement.
How does this role differ from a standard AML analyst?
The Lead AML Investigator holds final sign-off authority on complex cases and represents the institution during regulatory inquiries. They manage higher-risk alerts that junior staff are not permitted to close.
Can you fill this position with a contract worker?
We offer contract and temp-to-perm arrangements upon request. We do not employ, pay, or insure the contract workers placed in your environment.
How long will the search take?
The duration depends on the specific complexity of your transaction monitoring environment and the required depth of investigative experience. We will outline a projected timeline after discussing your specific technical requirements.
What is the fee for a Lead AML Investigator search?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. The fee and terms are agreed in writing before we start.
What about counteroffers on a Lead AML Investigator hire?
We ask every Lead AML Investigator candidate early why they would move and what their employer might do to keep them. Counteroffer risk goes in the written brief before you make an offer.
What don't you do?
We do not post your Lead AML Investigator job and forward whoever applies. We do not send stacks of unscreened resumes, and we do not recruit outside accounting, finance, banking and insurance.
Start a search
Tell us about the seat.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
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.
Not ready to start a search?
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What does the published pay data show?
$80,730 national annual median. SOC 13-1041: Compliance Officers.
BLS reports Compliance Officers, not a separate wage for Lead AML Investigator. This broader occupation does not distinguish seniority, work arrangement or language requirements.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Released 2026-05-15. This is not a separately measured salary for this exact title.
Read the full salary guide