Investigative Director, Specialist Team

The Investigations Director, Specialist Team, manages examinations and investigations of broker-dealers' compliance with applicable rules and regulations, and financial crimes. The Director develops and supervises specialists regulatory programs and work products related to the routine and special examinations/investigations and other reviews related to finances, policies, procedures, practices, and products offered by FINRA member firms and their associated persons. This is a senior-level professional position supervising specialist examination staff of all levels, defining assigned roles, increasing skills, and working under general guidance. The Director is an expert in identifying risks, developing regulatory strategies and managing staff executing those examination strategies to completion to address those risks. The Director also leads, supervises and/or participates in, and ensures staff and the unit conducts the seven core functions, including conducting examinations, advising on examinations, providing staff training and other support, informing industry and external stakeholders, monitoring area of specialization, assisting risk monitoring and participating in special projects.

Essential Job Functions:

• Supervises staff in the execution of complex AML investigations to achieve department-wide and corporate goals.
• Monitors progress of complex AML investigations, staff caseloads and corrects any imbalances, and ensures timely completion of matters.
• Reviews and approves staff final work product.
• Responsible for mentoring, coaching, and training staff, as appropriate.
• Responsible for staff development and for the assessment of staff performance.
• Identifies areas of improvement for department and leads special projects.
• Represents FINRA with external regulators and responds to oversights and access requests.
• Implements specialist strategy in support of department leadership; serves as an advocate for staff.
• Identifies and escalates situations that may present significant regulatory issues or potential programmatic risk, impact other FINRA business units, or represent emerging regulatory or market trends and proactively develop potential solutions.
• Develops department policies and procedures.
• Supervises staff in the execution of complex AML investigations to achieve department-wide and corporate goals. This includes assignment and projection of examinations; approval of the scope of investigations; monitoring the progress and execution of the investigation, including supervision of data analysis, written work product and reviews of documentation provided during the course of an investigation; review of the investigation reports, documents and schedules; review of the investigation report(s); supervising AML staff and/or participates in formal and informal interviews of member firm personnel, member firm customers, other FINRA staff, and staff of other regulatory agencies to gather intelligence pertinent to AML investigations; and determining appropriate disciplinary action or disposition resulting from the investigation findings. As needed, the AML Investigative Director testifies at and participates in hearings, supervises the preparation of certain hearing exhibits and materials or deposition documents.
• Assists Senior Director in the running and administration of cross departmental investigative tools.
• Performs quality assurance reviews to ensure that deficiencies identified by the SEC, Internal Audit, and Peer Review reports are objectively evaluated and corrective action is implemented.
• Helps to establish and maintain desired work environment and culture. Facilitates regular and ongoing discussions with individuals to ensure understanding of how individual achievements, behaviors and actions contribute to Department and Division goals.
• Fosters an environment where open dialogue and feedback is sought and valued.
• Coordinates and communicates effectively with other FINRA personnel. Recommends new opportunities for enhancing SIU or FINRA processes and programs, and participates in the development and implementation of improvements and best practices.
• Leads, supervises or participates in Risk Monitoring projects to detect AML risk(s). This includes, as warranted, the development and execution of Risk Monitoring and surveillance reviews to identify high risk activity, potential suspicious activity and assisting in the determining any recommended regulatory responses required. Risk Monitoring assistance can be targeted to a specific firm or registered person, or involve an assessment across a Firm Group or the industry as a whole.
• Monitors risk areas relevant to investigations or other core functions and raises notable trends, AML risks and/or issues applicable to investigations or other core functions to Senior Director. Assists in developing strategies around new and emerging AML risks identified and supervises execution around recommendations related to those risks through examinations, consultations and regulatory work. This includes otherwise researching and otherwise monitoring for updates to rules, regulations, guidelines, intelligence, advisories, material regulatory and law enforcement cases, records, and databases to identify data and intelligence relevant to risk(s) relevant to AML's examination program and other regulatory work.
• Leads, supervises or participates in the development and delivery of training and presentations for FINRA member firms, investors, other regulators, law enforcement and/or national security agencies. This includes serving as a presenter or panelist at industry events relevant to risk(s) covered by AML, participating in the development and execution of the FINRA preventive compliance programs, leading, overseeing or participating in the development and delivery of external training.
• Establishes and maintains positive and mutually beneficial working relationships with federal and state regulatory and law enforcement agencies with respect to risk(s). This includes communicating with other regulators and agencies regarding AML investigations, intelligence or other regulatory work relevant to the regulators or agencies, and effectively communicates with FINRA member firms and other external stakeholders on AML specific intelligence and subject matter expertise.
• Identifies, leads, supervises or participates in special projects. This includes testing and developing new analytics, investigative tools or processes relevant to risk(s), conceptualizing business cases and operationalizing approved business cases.

Education/Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience required; advanced degree or law degree, preferred.
• Experience in the securities/financial industry with substantive knowledge of regulatory compliance in positions of increasing responsibility.
• Expert knowledge of relevant FINRA rules and the federal securities laws and demonstrated investigative experience.
• Expert knowledge of the securities markets and member firm operations and its books and records.
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively and in a positive manner with management, peers, and other constituencies to accomplish the mission and goals of NCFC.
• Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality written work product.
• Highly advanced written and verbal communication skills, including outstanding interpersonal and presentation skills.
• Highly advanced organizational skills with excellent attention to details, including an ability to work quickly on multiple time-sensitive matters.

For work that is performed in CA, Washington, DC, CO, HI, New York, NY and WA, the chart below outlines the proposed salary range for the corresponding location. In addition to location, actual compensation is based on various factors, including but not limited to, the candidate's skill set, level of experience, education, and internal peer compensation comparisons

California: Minimum Salary $146,200, Maximum Salary $296,100

Washington, DC: Minimum Salary $146,200, Maximum Salary $283,800

Colorado/Hawaii: Minimum Salary $127,300, Maximum Salary $246,600

New York, NY: Minimum Salary $152,700, Maximum Salary $296,100

Washington: Minimum Salary $127,300, Maximum Salary $283,800

#LI-Hybrid

To be considered for this position, please submit an application. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

The information provided above has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work of the position. It is not a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required.

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Employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. FINRA provides comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance. Additional insurance includes basic life, accidental death and dismemberment, supplemental life, spouse/domestic partner and dependent life, and spouse/domestic partner and dependent accidental death and dismemberment, short- and long-term disability, long-term care, business travel accident, disability and legal. FINRA offers immediate participation and vesting in a 401(k) plan with company match and eligibility for participation in an additional FINRA-funded retirement contribution, tuition reimbursement and many other benefits.

Time Off and Paid Leave*

FINRA encourages its employees to focus on their health and wellness in many ways, including through a generous time-off program of 15 days of paid time off, 5 personal days and 9 sick days (all pro-rated in the first year). Additionally, we are proud to support our communities by providing two volunteer service days (based on full-time schedule). Other paid leave includes military leave, jury duty leave, bereavement leave, voting and election official leave for federal, state or local primary and general elections, care of a family member leave (available after 90 days of employment); and childbirth and parental leave (available after 90 days of employment). Full-time employees receive nine paid holidays.

*Based on full-time schedule

Important Information

FINRA's Code of Conduct imposes restrictions on employees' investments and requires financial disclosures that are uniquely related to our role as a securities regulator. FINRA employees are required to disclose to FINRA all brokerage accounts that they maintain, and those in which they control trading or have a financial interest (including any trust account of which they are a trustee or beneficiary and all accounts of a spouse, domestic partner or minor child who lives with the employee) and to authorize their broker-dealers to provide FINRA with duplicate statements for all of those accounts. All of those accounts are subject to the Code's investment and securities account restrictions, and new employees must comply with those investment restrictions-including disposing of any security issued by a company on FINRA's Prohibited Company List or obtaining a written waiver from their Executive Vice President-by the date they begin employment with FINRA. Employees may only maintain securities accounts that must be disclosed to FINRA at one or more securities firms that provide an electronic feed (e-feed) of data to FINRA, and must move securities accounts from other securities firms to a firm that provides an e-feed within three months of beginning employment.

You can read more about these restrictions here.

As standard practice, employees must also execute FINRA's Employee Confidentiality and Invention Assignment Agreement without qualification or modification and comply with the company's policy on nepotism.

Search Firm Representatives

Please be advised that FINRA is not seeking assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms for this employment opportunity. Regardless of past practice, a valid written agreement and task order must be in place before any resumes are submitted to FINRA. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at FINRA without a valid written agreement and task order in place will be deemed the sole property of FINRA and no fee will be paid in the event that person is hired by FINRA.

FINRA is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, citizenship status, color, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status or any other classification protected by federal state or local laws as appropriate, or upon the protected status of the person's relatives, friends or associates.

FINRA abides by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-741.5(a). This regulation prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability, and requires affirmative action by covered prime contractors and subcontractors to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities.

FINRA abides by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). This regulation prohibits discrimination against qualified protected veterans, and requires affirmative action by covered prime contractors and subcontractors to employ and advance in employment qualified protected veterans.

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