Manager – Compliance

American Express

American Express sanctions investigations manager leading escalated case decisions and regulatory actions. Managing analyst performance, investigative quality, documentation, and sanctions-risk resolution.

Posted 8/4/2026full-timePhoenix • Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Utah • 🇺🇸 United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $89,250 - $150,250 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates expertise in sanctions investigations, regulatory compliance, and risk-based decision-making while effectively leading and developing a team of analysts. Strong ability to manage complex investigations, ensure documentation quality, and maintain stakeholder relationships.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Sanctions InvestigationsRegulatory ComplianceRisk-Based DecisioningPeople LeadershipAnalytical Skills

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Sanctions InvestigationsAlert AdjudicationTransactional AnalysisCase Quality ManagementDocumentation StandardsInvestigative Inventory ManagementProcess ImprovementOperational LeadershipRisk-Based DecisioningCustomer/Account Reviews

Soft Skills

Problem-SolvingOrganizational SkillsAttention to DetailCommunication SkillsRelationship Building

Tools & Technologies

MS WordMS ExcelMS VisioMS PowerPoint

Certifications & Qualifications

CAMS CertificationCompliance/AML Diploma

Industry Keywords

Financial CrimesComplianceInvestigative ExperienceRegulatory ReportingEscalation Requirements

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead the Global Sanctions Investigations team responsible for triaging, investigating, escalating, decisioning, and closing potential sanctions matches and referrals
Serve as a sanctions subject matter expert and primary decision-maker for escalated cases involving potential sanctions concerns, confirmed matches, risk-based exits, blocked property, rejected transactions, and related regulatory considerations
Oversee investigation quality, including internal and external research, ownership and relationship analysis, transactional review, and risk-based decisioning
Ensure investigative conclusions, decision rationale, supporting evidence, case actions, and final dispositions are complete, accurate, and clearly documented for audit, examination, and regulatory review
Partner with General Counsel, Market Compliance, LOBCO/LECO, Enterprise Bank Servicing, GFCSU/FIU, and other stakeholders to resolve complex investigations and determine customer, account, reporting, or escalation actions
Partner with 1LOD teams to ensure cancellation, suspension, blocking, restriction, or other customer/account actions are executed timely and accurately
Manage investigative inventory, service-level expectations, and case aging, escalating high-risk or overdue items appropriately
Identify investigation trends, quality gaps, process issues, and training needs; develop action plans to improve consistency, critical thinking, documentation quality, and operational effectiveness
Support regulatory reporting obligations, voluntary self-disclosure assessments, blocked property analysis, rejected transaction reviews, and other sanctions-related escalation requirements
Provide coaching, feedback, and development to analysts
Manage a team of analysts to ensure sanctions investigations are completed accurately, consistently, and within applicable service-level expectations

Requirements

What you’ll need

Ability to manage multiple tasks, take on additional responsibilities, and prioritize work in a deadline-intensive environment
Ability to work on multiple work streams across multiple business lines simultaneously
Ability to operate in a complex matrix environment
Strong people-leadership skills with the ability to motivate, engage, and influence
Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with peers and key partners outside compliance
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Excellent problem-solving and organizational skills
Excellent attention to detail
Strong personal integrity and work ethic
Strong computer knowledge and excellent MS Word, Excel, Visio, and PowerPoint skills
Self-motivated, dependable, adaptable, detail-oriented, and able to work independently or within a team
5+ years of sanctions, financial crimes, compliance, or related investigative experience
Experience conducting or overseeing sanctions investigations, alert adjudication, referrals, escalations, customer/account reviews, transactional analysis, or risk-based decisioning preferred
Experience managing investigative inventory, service-level expectations, case quality, documentation standards, and analyst performance preferred
Significant project, process improvement, or operational leadership experience
Bachelor's degree and/or relevant professional qualification preferred, including Law Degree, Compliance/AML Diploma, or CAMS Certification with a Legal/Compliance/Investigations/Control/Auditing background
Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the United States is required; the company will not pursue visa sponsorship

Benefits

Comp & perks

Competitive base salaries
Bonus incentives
6% 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