Sanctions Investigator

Alexander Barnes has partnered with a leading global fintech to hire a a Senior Sanctions Investigator. This is a hands-on role with real ownership of sanctions screening across Europe, the UK and Asia-Pacific, delivered through an outsourced model.

About the role

You'll oversee end-to-end sanctions screening and act as the primary point of accountability for vendor performance. That means keeping quality high, managing escalations, and stepping in to handle complex or sensitive investigations yourself when needed.

You'll review vendor output critically, challenge decisions that don't stand up, and escalate confirmed matches. You'll also keep improving processes, frameworks and controls as sanctions regulations evolve, working closely with Compliance, Legal and the MLRO function on regulatory obligations, audits and policy alignment, and with Product and Tech teams on automation and AI.

What you'll do

• Oversee end-to-end sanctions screening across Europe, the UK and APAC, and own vendor quality, SLAs and performance
• Personally handle complex or sensitive sanctions investigations, and step in during volume spikes or vendor disruption
• Assess and challenge vendor decisions, apply sound judgement, and document outcomes clearly and defensibly
• Manage escalations, support blocking and reporting actions, and stay current on EU, UN, UK and other regimes
• Drive continuous improvement with the vendor and internal teams, including automation and AI to improve accuracy and reduce noise
• Create and maintain SOPs and training materials, and help onboard and coach colleagues and vendor teams
• Support audits and regulatory enquiries alongside Compliance, Legal and the MLRO