AML/CTF Sanctions Manager

Responsibilities

• Establish, manage, and continuously enhance the sanctions framework across the organization, including policies, procedures, controls, governance, and operating model, in line with SAMA Sanctions Rules and international best practices.
• Define the sanctions strategy, annual objectives, KPIs, and the annual sanctions program, ensuring alignment with regulatory expectations and business risk profile.
• Monitor, interpret, and implement all SAMA circulars, directives, and instructions related to sanctions, targeted financial sanctions (TFS), and proliferation financing (PF), ensuring timely implementation within defined target dates.
• Perform sanctions gap analysis against SAMA requirements and international best practices, identify control gaps, and drive remediation plans with clear ownership and timelines.
• Oversee sanctions screening across onboarding, existing customers, transactions, employees, UBOs, and third parties, ensuring sanctions lists and data are accurate, up to date, and correctly configured within screening systems.
• Lead the review, investigation, and resolution of sanctions alerts, including potential and confirmed matches, with full ownership of final decisions, documentation, and defensible audit trails.
• Ensure immediate freezing or blocking of accounts, funds, or transactions when required under sanctions regulations, and manage escalation to senior management in accordance with SAMA requirements.
• Own and maintain a central sanctions freeze and actions register, including tracking of freezes, releases, and regulatory communications.
• Lead the development and continuous improvement of sanctions systems and screening tools, including data quality enhancement, rule tuning, automation, and reduction of false positives without compromising coverage.
• Act as the sanctions subject-matter expert for new products, services, and material changes, advising business, product, and technology teams on sanctions risks and required controls before go-live.
• Build, manage, and develop the sanctions team, including role definition, performance objectives, training, and ensuring adequate resourcing and succession planning.
• Produce periodic sanctions and financial crime reports for senior management, covering KPIs, trends, regulatory updates, and key sanctions risks.
• Design and deliver sanctions-specific training and awareness programs, ensuring staff understand sanctions obligations, escalation requirements, and operational responsibilities.
• Support SAMA inspections, audits, and regulatory reviews related to sanctions, address findings through root-cause analysis, and maintain comprehensive documentation to demonstrate compliance.
• Act as a senior delegate to the MLRO for sanctions-related engagement with regulators, auditors, and law-enforcement authorities when required.