Financial Crimes Compliance Manager

First Fed • Bellingham, WA

6d

About The Position

The Financial Crimes Compliance (Investigation and Operations) Manager supports First Fed’s Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT)/ Anti-Money Laundering (AML), the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), USA PATRIOT Act, the Bank Protection Act, and the Bank’s fraud compliance programs by managing day-to-day investigations and operations within the Risk and Compliance department. This role oversees the BSA & Fraud team responsible for reviewing alerts, conducting investigations, preparing case documentation, assisting with and preparing Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) filings, and Quality Assurance (QA). While the position provides leadership and subject-matter expertise, overall program governance, regulatory interpretation, and strategic decision-making remain the responsibilities of the BSA Officer.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Criminal Justice, Business, or related field—or equivalent banking experience.
• 4–7 years of experience in BSA/AML investigations or financial crimes compliance.
• Solid understanding of BSA/AML, OFAC, and related regulatory frameworks.
• Strong analytical, investigative, and written communication skills.
• Experience supervising or mentoring analysts, even in an informal leadership capacity.
• Familiarity with common community-bank AML systems (e.g., Verafin, Fiserv, Abrigo, or similar).
• The work requires the ability to operate office machines and equipment, such as personal computers, printers, copying machines and telephones.
• The work requires the ability to communicate clearly with customers, coworkers, and others in person, in writing and on telephones.
• Work activities involve combinations of sitting/standing for extended periods.

Nice To Haves

• CAMS, CFE, CFCS, or similar certification.
• Prior experience in a community bank or regional bank environment.
• Experience preparing SARs or supporting exam and audit processes.

Responsibilities

• Manage and perform investigations related to potential money laundering, fraud, terrorist financing, elder financial exploitation, sanctions concerns, and other suspicious activity.
• Review complex or escalated cases, ensuring thorough analysis of customer activity, transaction patterns, and supporting documentation.
• Oversee SAR drafting, data accuracy, and quality before final review by the BSA Officer.
• Maintain well-documented case files that meet internal expectations and regulatory standards.
• Supervise the team of BSA & Fraud Specialists; assign work, balance caseloads, and ensure timely completion of reviews.
• Provide coaching and training to strengthen investigative techniques, documentation quality, and regulatory comprehension.
• Support the BSA Officer by providing team updates, risk summaries, and operational insights.
• Conduct ongoing reviews of AML system detection parameters to validate model effectiveness in identifying high-risk customers and capturing potential money laundering and fraud activity; recommend adjustments to enhance accuracy and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure investigative processes comply with BSA, AML, OFAC, and related regulatory requirements.
• Identify emerging trends or red flags and communicate them to the BSA Officer for potential policy or system enhancements.
• Assist in maintaining procedures for alert investigations, case documentation, and SAR workflows.
• Participate in internal and external audits, exams, and independent testing by gathering documentation and responding to requests for information.
• Oversee the work completed by BSA Specialists, including alert to case recommendations, SAR recommendations, and alert triage.
• Developing and executing a Quality Assurance (QA) program, including a scorecard.
• Support processes related to the gathering and maintenance of data throughout the customer lifecycle, including Know Your Customer (KYC), Customer Due Diligence (CDD) and Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) processes, including remediation of any data gaps.
• Support the BSA/AML, Sanctions, and Fraud risk assessments.
• Support the development of key metrics to measure the performance of the financial crimes compliance program.
• Provide guidance to front-line staff and business units on investigative requirements, red flags, and escalation procedures.
• Work with fraud, operations, and branch teams to resolve alerts or gather information relevant to investigations.
• Support communication with law enforcement and other financial institutions (e.g., 314(b) requests) upon request and under the direction of the BSA Officer.

Benefits

• Employees will be eligible for our benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, paid time off, retirement plans (401k with company match and Employee Stock Ownership Plan), gym membership reimbursement, discounts on our banking products, and more!
• Additional information on our benefits package can be viewed at https://www.ourfirstfed.com/careers

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees