Assistant Vice President, Sanctions Advisory in London

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OVERVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT/SECTION: The Financial Crimes Office for EMEA (FCOE) in London is part of the Global Financial Crimes Division (GFCD) headquartered in New York. FCOE works to ensure the organisation conducts its business in such a way that we protect our reputation, our business, and our clients within the regulatory and legal framework.

The Regional EMEA Sanctions Team is structured across three core pillars: (i) EMEA Sanctions Investigations, (ii) EMEA Sanctions Advisory, and (iii) EMEA Sanctions Programs. This role sits within the EMEA Sanctions Advisory pillar. The Sanctions Advisory Team is responsible for:

• Sanctions Due Diligence
• Complex Reviews and Regulatory Reporting
• Level 3 Payment Escalations

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE ROLE: The role holder is responsible for driving the implementation of MUFG Bank’s financial crimes risk appetite, policies and standards by providing an approachable sanctions advisory hub to the EMEA region for all sanctions queries, ensuring advice is clear, informative and consistent.

In addition to the duties described above, you will contribute to the work of the GFCD department in any other ways reasonably expected, including participation in projects and working groups and assisting with other priorities in the department or group as a whole. In addition, the role holder will be responsible for:

• Reviewing and interpreting relevant regulations
• Providing subject matter expertise to ensure ongoing compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, internal policies, and the firm’s risk appetite.
• Participating in complex customer and/or transaction reviews to identify potential exposure to sanctioned parties, and assessing the related sanctions control environments used to protect clients’ assets and to mitigate the risk that MUFG might be used to further financial crime.
• Collaborating closely with global and regional sanctions colleagues to review higher-risk or complex cases and ensuring the consistent application of sanctions standards across jurisdictions.
• Effective risk management, and making recommendations for appropriate outcomes.
• Drafting, management and oversight of all regulatory reporting.
• Participating in regulatory horizon scanning.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Key responsibilities are not limited to but include:

• Providing a strong working knowledge of Japanese, U.S., and EMEA sanctions regimes, including UK regulatory requirements.
• Providing timely and consistent SME sanctions advice to key stakeholders regarding potential complex deals/transactions.
• Conducting risk assessments on proposed transactions.
• Undertaking and managing regulatory reporting, as required, to relevant regulators e.g. OFSI and OTSI.
• Supporting license application requests from stakeholders.
• Monitoring regulatory developments, including any new issuances of specific or general licenses that may be applicable to MUFG customers.
• Supporting/attending UK finance working groups.
• Reviewing and supporting regulatory requests for information.
• Assisting GFCD in the collection of customer information pertaining to sanctions data.
• Managing and overseeing frozen/blocked funds.

WORK EXPERIENCE: Essential:

• Proven experience in and understanding of Sanctions.
• Strong knowledge of and experience in banking.
• A good understanding of Banking and Investment products.
• Good understanding of financial crime risk in banking.
• An excellent understanding of the concepts of risk management and control.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: Functional / Technical Competencies:

• Core MS Office skills.
• Demonstrates attention to detail.
• A good understanding of Banking and Investment products.
• Broad understanding of financial crime risk (AML and ABC) in banking.
• A good understanding of the concepts of risk management and control.
• Manages priorities effectively and delivers efficiently.
• Proactively identifies and communicates improvements to process.

Specific to role:

• Strong analytical skills.
• Strong written communication skills.
• Strong financial sanctions knowledge in particular OFAC and EU regulations.
• Strong relationship building and management skills.

Education / Qualifications: Preferred:

• Degree.
• Relevant Qualification.

PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Excellent communication skills.
• A proactive, motivated approach.
• Solution oriented and results driven, with a strong sense of accountability.
• The ability to operate with urgency and to manage large workloads and tight deadlines.
• Strong decision-making skills, the ability to demonstrate sound judgement.
• A structured and logical approach to work.
• A creative and innovative approach to work.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Works collaboratively with immediate colleagues, other teams in Financial Crime, across GFCD and the Bank and escalates appropriately.
• The ability to manage large workloads and tight deadlines.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• A calm approach, with the ability to perform well in a pressurised environment.

PERFORMANCE AND DUTIES: The role holder will be assessed in accordance with their employing entity’s performance framework and process with relevant input obtained from the dual hatting entity as relevant. As duties and responsibilities change, the job description will be reviewed and emended in consultation with the role holder. The role holder will carry out other duties as are within the scope, spirit and purpose of the role as requested by their line manager or Department Head.

MANAGING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: The role holder will have responsibilities for both MUFG Bank and MUFG Securities EMEA plc. The role holder will be required to perform their duties and responsibilities on an entity neutral basis, without favour. The role holder is required to follow regulatory requirements applicable to ensure each business is appropriately supported and to maintain the legal entity integrity of each of MUFG Bank and MUS. Working terms are dictated by functional mandates, the terms of the Dual-Hat Arrangement Agreement in place between MUFG Bank and MUFG Securities EMEA plc and any other relevant agreements entered into between MUFG Bank and MUFG Securities EMEA plc. The role holder will have responsibility for identifying and resolving where there may be a difference or conflict in needs between MUFG Bank and MUFG Securities EMEA plc, escalating to their manager where required.

We are open to considering flexible working requests in line with organisational requirements. MUFG is committed to embracing diversity and building an inclusive culture where all employees are valued, respected and their opinions count. We support the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion in recruitment and employment, and oppose all forms of discrimination on the grounds of age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy and maternity, race, gender reassignment, religion or belief and marriage or civil partnership. We make our recruitment decisions in a non-discriminatory manner in accordance with our commitment to identifying the right skills for the right role and our obligations under the law.