Digital Assets Sanctions Screening Program Lead

Morgan Stanley•Spring Valley, NV

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced Vice President to join the Global Financial Crimes (GFC) Sanctions Screening Controls team which focuses on digital assets and blockchain-enabled sanctions screening activity. In the Legal & Compliance division, we assist the Firm in achieving its business objectives by facilitating and overseeing the Firm's management of legal, regulatory and franchise risk. This is a Vice President level position within the The Global Financial Crimes (GFC) Sanctions Screening Controls team is responsible for the design, implementation, and ongoing governance of the Firm's sanctions screening control framework across reference data and transaction activity. Since 1935, Morgan Stanley is known as a global leader in financial services, always evolving and innovating to better serve our clients and our communities in more than 40 countries around the world. In Global Financial Crimes, you will play a critical role in identifying potentially suspicious activity, protecting vulnerable individuals, and safeguarding the integrity of the financial system. GFC coordinates day-to-day implementation of the Firm's financial crime prevention efforts. Including governance, oversight and execution of the Firm's Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Sanctions, Anti-Corruption and Government and Political Activities Compliance programs.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Computer Science, or related field (advanced degree preferred) with 7-10+ years of experience in sanctions compliance, AML, or financial crime prevention within a regulated financial institution.
Deep expertise in cryptocurrency, blockchain, and digital asset ecosystems (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins, DeFi, Layer 2 networks) and their related sanctions risks.
Strong knowledge of global sanctions regimes (OFAC, EU, UN, UK) and their application to virtual assets, VASPs, and cross border environments.
Hands-on experience with blockchain analytics platforms (e.g., Chainalysis, Elliptic, TRM Labs), sanctions screening technologies, and case management systems (e.g., NICE Actimize or equivalent).
Proven ability to design, implement, and govern technology enabled compliance controls, including operating model design, control testing/QA, model risk considerations, and regulatory alignment.
Demonstrated people and matrix leadership, with experience driving delivery across Compliance, Technology, Operations, and external vendors.
Strong strategic, analytical, and technical acumen, with the ability to anticipate regulatory trends, assess complex blockchain data, and evaluate vendor capabilities.
Excellent communication, judgment, and collaboration skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for regulators, senior management, and non technical stakeholders in fast paced, ambiguous environments.

Responsibilities

Serve as the Firm's subject matter expert and strategic owner for sanctions screening controls related to cryptocurrency, digital assets, and blockchain activity, establishing an end to end, audit ready 2LoD operating model with clear governance, decision rights, and 1LoD/Technology handoffs.
Design, implement, and oversee the enterprise-wide crypto sanctions screening framework across the client lifecycle, including scope definition, coverage, residual risk acceptance, and ongoing effectiveness monitoring.
Lead the implementation and integration of on-chain screening and blockchain analytics solutions, ensuring alignment with existing sanctions infrastructure, case management workflows, and operational SLAs.
Translate regulatory expectations into actionable requirements, controls, typologies, and risk-scoring models, with ongoing tuning to improve alert quality, manage false positives, and address emerging crypto-related sanctions risks.
Provide regulator- and audit-facing leadership for cryptocurrency sanctions matters, including OCC, Federal Reserve, OFAC, and international regulators, delivering clear control narratives, evidence packages, and remediation plans.
Establish and maintain 2LoD-owned procedures, testing, QA, MI/KPIs, and audit-ready documentation to demonstrate control design, effectiveness, and governance.
Manage blockchain analytics vendors and third parties, including due diligence, performance management, independent validation, coverage benchmarking, and alignment with Global Third Party Risk Management requirements.
Partner with senior GFC leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to shape strategy, support new product approvals, monitor sanctions evasion trends, ensure operational resilience, and drive continuous control enhancement.