Senior Bank Secrecy Act Specialist - Remote

Job Description

First American Bank was founded in Chicago, and over the years has expanded throughout Wisconsin and Florida. As the largest privately held bank in Illinois, we now have over 60 locations and assets of $8+ billion. We are a community bank at heart with international expertise, traditional values, and a forward-looking philosophy. Our employees have the experience and vision to meet the needs of savers, borrowers, and businesses in the 21st century. First American Bank can offer employees a level of visibility, career growth, and stability that is difficult to find in many larger corporations.

The Senior Bank Secrecy Act Specialist (BSA) provides leadership oversight of BSA/Anti-Money Laundering (AML) staff, driving performance through effective supervision, training, performance management, and workforce development. This role supervises and reviews money laundering investigations, supports the Bank’s risk based BSA program, develops procedures and metrics, and supports regulatory compliance through Suspicious Activity Reports (SAR) reporting, quality assurance, audit support, and cross functional collaboration. The position also supports BSA systems management and enhancements, delivers compliance training, and may serve as a delegated representative of the BSA Officer as assigned.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

People Management:

• Oversee and direct the day-to-day activities of departmental staff, including assigning, coordinating, and prioritizing work while evaluating employee productivity and performance. Prepare and deliver formal performance evaluations in alignment with organizational standards.
• Lead employee interviewing, onboarding, training, scheduling, and ongoing development; provide coverage support as needed. Monitor work quality and policy adherence, deliver timely performance feedback, and administer corrective action in accordance with established guidelines.
• Strengthen compliance through the development and delivery of training programs and materials that effectively educate new and existing employees, mitigate risk, and enhance departmental efficiency.

Process Management:

• Conduct money laundering investigations and perform supervisory reviews of investigative activity, including coordinating with internal stakeholders and engaging customers as necessary to support thorough and compliant case resolution.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of the Bank’s risk‑based BSA compliance program by continuously evaluating assigned processes for gaps and operational efficiencies and escalating well‑supported recommendations to the BSA Officer.
• Develop, implement, analyze, and update procedures for the department in accordance with regulations.
• May have responsibility for Section 314(a), Section 314(b), and select Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)‑related compliance activities.
• May prepare, complete, and file Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and other required regulatory reports in accordance with applicable laws and regulatory standards.
• Develop and deliver key metrics to assess process effectiveness and risk exposure, including support for risk assessments; prepare and present reporting to the BSA Officer and other stakeholders as appropriate.
• Apply industry knowledge and regulatory expertise through participation on assigned committees to support governance and compliance objectives.
• Conduct quality assurance reviews of BSA‑related processes and outputs as assigned or required.
• Participate in and deliver BSA‑related training for other business units and support areas to promote compliance awareness and consistency.
• Compile and prepare documentation for audits and regulatory examinations and actively support audit and exam activities under the direction of the BSA Officer.

Systems Management:

• May manage and support daily operations of the BSA transaction monitoring system and related manual reporting processes, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and system integrity.
• May serve as system administrator for BSA‑related systems and regulatory platforms, including user access management and system configuration oversight.
• Lead or support system enhancements, validations, and process testing to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and operational effectiveness.
• May serve as a delegated representative of the BSA Officer, acting on their behalf as assigned.
• Conduct and complete additional assignments/projects as designated by management.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• High school diploma or equivalent required. Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
• Verafin Admin experience is required. 
• Certified Anti‑Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) or similar industry certification preferred.
• Minimum three years in a first-or second-line Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Fraud, OFAC or risk or compliance role in a regulated financial institution required or equivalent background in law/regulatory or law enforcement agencies.
• Minimum two years of demonstrated people management or supervisory experience required.
• Advanced knowledge of OFAC sanctions compliance highly preferred.
• Knowledge of emerging risks, new or amended laws, regulations, and agency guidance related to BSA is preferred.
• Ability to work independently.
• Must be professional, comfortable speaking with external and internal contacts with a demonstrated ability to tailor the message appropriately to the audience and situation effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to convey thoughts and ideas effectively and succinctly via written formats, including emails, letters, and electronic platforms. Maintain professional standards relating to spelling and grammar.
• Maintain credibility through professional demeanor, appearance, and presence by modeling standards appropriate to our environment and industry.
• Maintain good working relationships with internal partners by exhibiting exemplary interpersonal skills, adopting a constructive, solutions-focused approach.
• Use sound professional judgment to balance the interests of the organization and customer, understanding and using available resources to mitigate risks.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish is preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 products and applications, including Power BI and Power Automate, and the ability to effectively prepare or review documents, procedures, and reports.
• Experience with artificial intelligence and agentic AI is desired.
• Experience in SQL to create queries, manipulate data, and database management is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to learn new systems and applications, as well as the ability to understand, adapt and adjust responsibilities/workflows as a result of system upgrades.
• Experience testing and tuning Above the Line/Below the Line (ATL, BTL) automated transaction monitoring systems is preferred.
• Occasional travel to other First American Bank locations, Bank functions and training facilities may be required.
• Typical schedule is Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT. Additional hours may be required depending upon business need.
• Punctuality is required to maintain First American Bank’s customer service standards. 

Responsibilities

First American Bank was founded in Chicago, and over the years has expanded throughout Wisconsin and Florida. As the largest privately held bank in Illinois, we now have over 60 locations and assets of $8+ billion. We are a community bank at heart with international expertise, traditional values, and a forward-looking philosophy. Our employees have the experience and vision to meet the needs of savers, borrowers, and businesses in the 21st century. First American Bank can offer employees a level of visibility, career growth, and stability that is difficult to find in many larger corporations.
 
The Senior Bank Secrecy Act Specialist (BSA) provides leadership oversight of BSA/Anti-Money Laundering (AML) staff, driving performance through effective supervision, training, performance management, and workforce development. This role supervises and reviews money laundering investigations, supports the Bank’s risk based BSA program, develops procedures and metrics, and supports regulatory compliance through Suspicious Activity Reports (SAR) reporting, quality assurance, audit support, and cross functional collaboration. The position also supports BSA systems management and enhancements, delivers compliance training, and may serve as a delegated representative of the BSA Officer as assigned.
 
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
 
People Management:
- Oversee and direct the day-to-day activities of departmental staff, including assigning, coordinating, and prioritizing work while evaluating employee productivity and performance. Prepare and deliver formal performance evaluations in alignment with organizational standards.
- Lead employee interviewing, onboarding, training, scheduling, and ongoing development; provide coverage support as needed. Monitor work quality and policy adherence, deliver timely performance feedback, and administer corrective action in accordance with established guidelines.
- Strengthen compliance through the development and delivery of training programs and materials that effectively educate new and existing employees, mitigate risk, and enhance departmental efficiency.

Process Management:
- Conduct money laundering investigations and perform supervisory reviews of investigative activity, including coordinating with internal stakeholders and engaging customers as necessary to support thorough and compliant case resolution.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of the Bank’s risk‑based BSA compliance program by continuously evaluating assigned processes for gaps and operational efficiencies and escalating well‑supported recommendations to the BSA Officer.
- Develop, implement, analyze, and update procedures for the department in accordance with regulations.
- May have responsibility for Section 314(a), Section 314(b), and select Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)‑related compliance activities.
- May prepare, complete, and file Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and other required regulatory reports in accordance with applicable laws and regulatory standards.
- Develop and deliver key metrics to assess process effectiveness and risk exposure, including support for risk assessments; prepare and present reporting to the BSA Officer and other stakeholders as appropriate.
- Apply industry knowledge and regulatory expertise through participation on assigned committees to support governance and compliance objectives.
- Conduct quality assurance reviews of BSA‑related processes and outputs as assigned or required.
- Participate in and deliver BSA‑related training for other business units and support areas to promote compliance awareness and consistency.
- Compile and prepare documentation for audits and regulatory examinations and actively support audit and exam activities under the direction of the BSA Officer.
 

Systems Management:
- May manage and support daily operations of the BSA transaction monitoring system and related manual reporting processes, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and system integrity.
- May serve as system administrator for BSA‑related systems and regulatory platforms, including user access management and system configuration oversight.
- Lead or support system enhancements, validations, and process testing to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and operational effectiveness.
- May serve as a delegated representative of the BSA Officer, acting on their behalf as assigned.
- Conduct and complete additional assignments/projects as designated by management.
QUALIFICATIONS:
 
- High school diploma or equivalent required. Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
- Verafin Admin experience is required. 
- Certified Anti‑Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) or similar industry certification preferred.
- Minimum three years in a first-or second-line Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Fraud, OFAC or risk or compliance role in a regulated financial institution required or equivalent background in law/regulatory or law enforcement agencies.
- Minimum two years of demonstrated people management or supervisory experience required.
- Advanced knowledge of OFAC sanctions compliance highly preferred.
- Knowledge of emerging risks, new or amended laws, regulations, and agency guidance related to BSA is preferred.
- Ability to work independently.
- Must be professional, comfortable speaking with external and internal contacts with a demonstrated ability to tailor the message appropriately to the audience and situation effectively.
- Demonstrated ability to convey thoughts and ideas effectively and succinctly via written formats, including emails, letters, and electronic platforms. Maintain professional standards relating to spelling and grammar.
- Maintain credibility through professional demeanor, appearance, and presence by modeling standards appropriate to our environment and industry.
- Maintain good working relationships with internal partners by exhibiting exemplary interpersonal skills, adopting a constructive, solutions-focused approach.
- Use sound professional judgment to balance the interests of the organization and customer, understanding and using available resources to mitigate risks.
- Bilingual in English and Spanish is preferred.
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365 products and applications, including Power BI and Power Automate, and the ability to effectively prepare or review documents, procedures, and reports.
- Experience with artificial intelligence and agentic AI is desired.
- Experience in SQL to create queries, manipulate data, and database management is preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to learn new systems and applications, as well as the ability to understand, adapt and adjust responsibilities/workflows as a result of system upgrades.
- Experience testing and tuning Above the Line/Below the Line (ATL, BTL) automated transaction monitoring systems is preferred.
- Occasional travel to other First American Bank locations, Bank functions and training facilities may be required.
- Typical schedule is Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT. Additional hours may be required depending upon business need.
- Punctuality is required to maintain First American Bank’s customer service standards.