Director - Special Investigations (FIU)

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The role:

The Director —Special Investigations (Financial Investigations Unit) will lead the prioritization and execution of proactive, complex, and high-risk AML investigations across the SoFi enterprise, including SoFi Bank, N.A., SoFi Securities, LLC, and the technology platform. This role will focus on identifying, investigating, and mitigating potential money laundering, terrorist financing, sanctions, fraud, and other financial-crime risks through targeted investigative initiatives. 

What you’ll do: 

• Lead and execute proactive AML investigations involving complex typologies, high-risk customers, emerging threats including those related to digital assets, and material exposure to the enterprise.
• Manage the Special Investigations pipeline, including intake, triage, prioritization, assignment, escalation, and timely resolution of matters requiring enhanced investigative expertise.
• Conduct end-to-end investigations using internal and external data sources; document findings, develop clear narratives, and determine appropriate disposition, escalation, and reporting actions.
• Identify suspicious activity, emerging typologies, control gaps, and systemic trends; provide actionable recommendations to strengthen detection, investigation, and risk-mitigation capabilities.
• Partner closely with the Financial Investigations Unit, Customer Intelligence Unit, Sanctions,  Cryptocurrency, AML Advisory, Legal, Risk, Product, Data, and Engineering teams to investigate complex issues and drive resolution.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert for complex AML investigations, including cases involving layered transactions, potentially related accounts, adverse media, high-risk geographies, beneficial ownership, and other elevated-risk activity.
• Support the preparation, quality review, and escalation of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), regulatory inquiries, law-enforcement requests, and other investigative deliverables, as applicable.
• Develop and maintain investigative procedures, playbooks, and quality standards for proactive and special investigations, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements, internal policies, and industry best practices.
• Monitor developments in financial-crime typologies, regulatory expectations, and industry practices to ensure the Special Investigations program remains responsive to evolving risks.
• Support regulatory examinations, internal audits, testing activities, and management reporting by providing clear documentation of investigative methodologies, outcomes, trends, and remediation efforts.

What you’ll need:

• Bachelor’s Degree from a four-year college or university in a related field.
• 10-15+ years of experience in AML with a focus on retail banking and recent experience controls/processes or AML third-party risk management controls.
• Comprehensive understanding of CPS/BaaS products including payments processing, card issuance, credit and lending and other traditional retail banking services.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with all levels of the organization and across different business lines.
• Demonstrate strong leadership and management skills that build solid working relationships within the organization.
• Excellent working knowledge of BSA/AML laws and regulations within various international jurisdictions 
• Experience in providing anti-money laundering guidance/advice to Compliance, Business and Engineering leaders.
• Excellent organizational, verbal, written and interpersonal skills are required.
• Must be able to multitask, adapt well to changing priorities, and effectively prioritize responsibilities to meet critical deadlines.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, demanding, and changing environment; must work well under pressure.
• Excellent analytical skills required.
• Ability to work collaboratively and independently while managing projects and assignments.

Nice to have:

CAMS/CFE certification