Director, Financial Crimes Risk Governance & Exam Management

American Express•New York, NY

About The Position

At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. As part of Team Amex, you'll experience this powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career. Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express. Position Overview: The newly created first line of defense Financial Crimes Risk & Controls center of excellence provides a holistic, enterprise-wide approach to our financial crimes risk management (FCRM) activities and resides within Global Servicing. This team is responsible for establishing a robust control foundation for first line of defense FCRM activities across the company globally, including anti-money laundering, sanctions, payments controls, and anti-corruption. Reporting to the Vice President, Financial Crimes Risk and Control Governance and Issue Management, the Director of Financial Crimes Governance and Exam Management is accountable for first-line governance execution, operating model enablement, change management, and exam readiness in support of the firm’s Financial Crime Risk Management (FCRM) Policy and Standards. This role supports the council secretary and serves as the orchestration point for 1LOD financial crimes governance, ensuring effective council and working group operations, disciplined escalation of risks, strong adoption of change, and sustained exam readiness. The Director acts as the primary 1LOD coordinator for regulatory and internal exams, partnering with GFCC and other control functions while maintaining clear first-line ownership and accountability.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in financial crimes governance, risk, compliance, or operating model enablement, preferably within a large, complex financial institution.
Bachelors Degree
Strong understanding of financial crimes regulatory frameworks (e.g., BSA/AML, sanctions, payments controls).
Demonstrated experience operating senior-level governance forums and managing regulatory exam readiness, supporting regulatory exams or supervisory interactions in a 1LOD role
Strong people leadership experience, building and coaching high performing teams
Proven ability to lead change management and operating model adoption.
Strong executive communication and stakeholder-influencing skills.
High judgment, attention to detail, and ability to operate in ambiguity.

Nice To Haves

Professional certifications (e.g., CAMS, CFE)
MBA Preferred

Responsibilities

Serve as the Corporate Secretary for 1LOD financial crimes governance, including councils, steering committees, and working groups.
Own governance charters, agendas, materials, decision logs, and action tracking, and ensure governance forums are decision-oriented, with clear accountability, escalation, and follow-through.
Manage formal escalation pathways for 1LOD financial crimes risks to senior management and enterprise governance forums.
Own the 1LOD change management framework for financial crimes, including intake, triage, prioritization, and implementation of changes driven by regulatory expectations, exams, risk assessments, or operating model updates.
Ensure changes are clearly communicated, adopted, and embedded across the first line.
Track change adoption and effectiveness, escalating adoption risks through governance forums.
Own the 1LOD intake framework for financial crimes risks, findings, and control gaps entering governance channels.
Ensure consistent triage, prioritization, and routing of risks to the appropriate execution or delivery owners
Establish and maintain exam readiness standards, including Evidence and documentation expectations, Governance artifacts, Senior-leader preparedness and briefing standards
Maintain transparency and traceability from intake through governance decisioning.
Serve as the 1LOD coordinator for regulatory and internal exams, partnering with internal audit and regulatory exam lifecycle management. Coordinate exam logistics, information requests, walkthroughs, and governance engagement
Prepare senior management and governance forums for regulator interactions through concise, risk-focused materials and talking points.
Own the framework and execution of staffing, skill assessment, and training enablement for 1LOD financial crimes governance and execution roles.
Partner with COEs and business leaders to assess training needs and ensure training and skill development align to evolving regulatory expectations and risk profiles. Track completion and effectiveness of training programs relevant to financial crimes governance.

Benefits

Competitive base salaries
Bonus incentives
6%25 Company Match on retirement savings plan
Free financial coaching and financial well-being support
Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits
Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need
20+ weeks paid parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender, offered for pregnancy, adoption or surrogacy
Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location)
Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program
Career development and training opportunities