Global Financial Crimes Sanctions Compliance Officer Vice President

Morgan Stanley • Dallas, TX

1d • $110,000 - $162,500

About The Position

Morgan Stanley is seeking an experienced Vice President to join its Global Financial Crimes (GFC) Sanctions Screening Controls team in the Legal & Compliance division. The role is focused on digital assets and blockchain-enabled sanctions screening and is responsible for designing, implementing, and governing the Firm’s sanctions screening control framework across reference data and transaction activity.

The position serves as the Firm’s subject matter expert and strategic owner for cryptocurrency, digital asset, and blockchain sanctions screening controls. It establishes an end-to-end, audit-ready second-line-of-defense operating model and oversees enterprise-wide screening across the client lifecycle. The role also leads integration of on-chain screening and blockchain analytics solutions, translates regulatory expectations into controls and risk models, and provides leadership for regulatory and audit engagement.

The successful candidate will maintain procedures, testing, quality assurance, management information, performance indicators, and audit-ready documentation; manage blockchain analytics vendors and third parties; and work with senior GFC leadership and cross-functional stakeholders on strategy, new product approvals, sanctions evasion trends, operational resilience, and control enhancement. The role requires deep knowledge of digital assets and sanctions, relevant compliance technology, regulatory expectations, and the ability to lead delivery across Compliance, Technology, Operations, and external vendors.

Morgan Stanley describes its culture as collaborative and supportive, and says it offers comprehensive employee benefits and perks, opportunities to move within the business, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Expected base pay is $110,000–$162,500 per year at commencement. Actual base pay is determined individually and is part of a broader total compensation package that may include commission, incentive compensation, discretionary bonuses, other short- and long-term incentives, and sponsored benefit programs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 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, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins, DeFi, and Layer 2 networks, and their related sanctions risks.
• Strong knowledge of global sanctions regimes, including OFAC, EU, UN, and UK, and their application to virtual assets, VASPs, and cross-border environments.
• Hands-on experience with blockchain analytics platforms such as Chainalysis, Elliptic, or TRM Labs; sanctions screening technologies; and case management systems such as NICE Actimize or equivalent.
• Proven ability to design, implement, and govern technology-enabled compliance controls, including operating model design, control testing and quality assurance, model risk considerations, and regulatory alignment.
• Demonstrated people and matrix leadership, including experience driving delivery across Compliance, Technology, Operations, and external vendors.
• Strong strategic, analytical, and technical acumen, including the ability to anticipate regulatory trends, assess complex blockchain data, and evaluate vendor capabilities.
• Excellent communication, judgment, and collaboration skills, including the ability to translate technical concepts for regulators, senior management, and non-technical stakeholders in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.

Nice To Haves

• An advanced degree is preferred.

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 second-line-of-defense operating model with clear governance, decision rights, and first-line/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 implementation and integration of on-chain screening and blockchain analytics solutions, aligning them with existing sanctions infrastructure, case management workflows, and operational service-level agreements.
• Translate regulatory expectations into actionable requirements, controls, typologies, and risk-scoring models; tune them to improve alert quality, manage false positives, and address emerging crypto-related sanctions risks.
• Provide regulator- and audit-facing leadership on cryptocurrency sanctions matters, including engagement with the OCC, Federal Reserve, OFAC, and international regulators; deliver control narratives, evidence packages, and remediation plans.
• Establish and maintain second-line-owned procedures, testing, quality assurance, management information, key performance indicators, 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.

Benefits

• Comprehensive employee benefits and perks.
• Commission earnings, incentive compensation, discretionary bonuses, other short- and long-term incentive packages, and sponsored benefit programs may be part of total compensation, depending on the position.
• Opportunities to move within the business.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior