Data Scientist, FCC Sanctions Models, Assistant Vice President

State Street • Quincy, MA

8h • $80,000 - $132,500 • Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a Data Scientist, AVP – Sanctions Models to join our Financial Crimes Compliance (FCC) Technology team in Boston, MA. This role is pivotal in shaping the future of sanctions screening through advanced AI/ML models and data-driven strategies. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in model development, governance, and performance optimization, coupled with strong programming and analytical skills. Positioned within our global compliance organization, you will partner closely with the Head of Sanctions Screening Design to deliver innovative solutions that enhance detection accuracy and operational efficiency. Work Arrangement: This role follows a hybrid model, with regular in-office presence as a core expectation. While remote flexibility is available, candidates should anticipate working primarily from an office environment. Preferred location is Boston/Quincy area, and occasional travel to other local office locations will be required to foster collaboration and maintain strong partnerships across teams. Why this role is important to us The team you will be joining plays an essential role in safeguarding our organization and clients against financial crime risks. Across the globe, institutional investors rely on us to maintain compliance and protect market integrity. In this role, you will drive cutting-edge model design and governance for sanctions screening, ensuring resilience and scalability across enterprise platforms. Join us if you are passionate about leveraging AI/ML to solve complex compliance challenges and want to make an immediate impact in the financial services industry.

Requirements

• Strong expertise in AI/ML model development, validation, and governance.
• Advanced programming skills in Python and experience with data science frameworks.
• Deep understanding of sanctions screening, watchlist management, and financial crime compliance.
• Ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder projects in Agile environments.
• Excellent problem-solving and critical thinking skills with a focus on scalability and automation.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, or related field.
• 6+ years of experience in financial crime compliance, data science, or model risk management.

Nice To Haves

• Direct experience leading, designing, or deploying AI/ML models and other workflow automation tools.
• Strong understanding of adapting sanctions models for ISO 20022 migrations, instant settlement, and digital assets/tokenization preferred.
• Familiarity with global sanctions and financial crime compliance frameworks, including OFAC/EU/UK/UN regulations, Travel Rule, and model risk management principles preferred.
• CAMS or equivalent FinCrime certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and optimization of sanctions screening models, including AI/ML and rules-based frameworks.
• Act as Subject Matter Expert (SME) for model tuning and validation as it relates to regulatory examinations.
• Partner with Product Owners and Engineering teams to translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions.
• Develop and maintain performance metrics, KRIs, and monitoring plans to ensure model stability and compliance.
• Drive innovation through NLP, predictive analytics, and continuous learning techniques to reduce false positives and improve detection accuracy.
• Collaborate with global stakeholders to align model strategy with enterprise compliance objectives and regulatory expectations.
• Support cloud migration and integration of sanctions models into AWS environments.
• Provide technical leadership on data quality, entity resolution, and workflow automation initiatives.

Benefits

• Employees are eligible to participate in State Street’s comprehensive benefits program, which includes: our retirement savings plan (401K) with company match; insurance coverage including basic life, medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, and other optional additional coverages; paid-time off including vacation, sick leave, short term disability, and family care responsibilities; access to our Employee Assistance Program; incentive compensation including eligibility for annual performance-based awards (excluding certain sales roles subject to sales incentive plans); and, eligibility for certain tax advantaged savings plans.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees