Vice President, Sanctions Advisory (Escalations Team Lead) 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. It is responsible for the establishment and maintenance of effective systems and controls to protect clients’ assets and to mitigate the risk that MUFG might be used to further financial crime.

The Regional EMEA Sanctions Advisory Team, part of FCOE Sanctions, is structured into three specialized pillars: (1) Sanctions Due Diligence and Review, (2) Complex Review and Regulatory Reporting, and (3) Level 3 Escalations and Payment Transformation. These teams provide subject matter expertise to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, internal policies, and risk appetite. Their responsibilities include managing key sanctions controls and processes such as regulatory reporting, KYC/Sanctions due diligence, new product approvals, and lending transaction risk assessments, Level 3 reviews, regulatory analysis, and providing SME input into payment-related projects, as well as supporting general sanctions queries across MUFG.

This role will lead the Level 3 Escalations and Payment Transformation Team, reporting directly to the Regional Head of Sanctions Advisory, with a primary focus on transaction and customer related escalations and payment-related projects.

NUMBER OF DIRECT REPORTS: 4-6

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE ROLE: This role drives the implementation of MUFG Bank’s financial crime risk appetite, policies, and standards by managing a dedicated sanctions advisory escalation hub within the Sanctions Advisory team. The Level 3 Escalations and Payment Transformation Team is responsible for handling payment and client-related escalations and queries across the EMEA region. The team conducts regulatory analysis and provides subject matter expertise primarily related to live transactions/payments, payment transformation initiatives, and client matters. Its core mandate is to ensure sanctions and payment regulations are fully understood and adhered to, delivering clear, consistent, and informed advice. Additionally, the team ensures that payment transformation projects are executed effectively, safeguarding the bank’s compliance obligations.

The role holder will be accountable for:

• Regulatory Expertise: Staying current with all relevant sanctions laws and regulations and ensuring compliance across processes and initiatives.
• Team Leadership: Leading and developing the Level 3 Escalations and Payment Transformation Team, ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements and service level agreements while partnering with the business to manage expectations.
• Escalation Management: Overseeing Level 3 investigations for sanctions alerts identified as true risk following initial screening. This includes conducting regulatory analysis, determining appropriate actions, and ensuring timely resolution.
• Payment Transformation & Advisory: Providing subject matter expertise and guidance on payment-related initiatives and transformation projects to maintain compliance with sanctions regulations and payment scheme requirements.
• Transaction and Client Advisory: Reviewing transactions, payments, relationships, and trade finance deals to identify sanctions or payment concerns and implement appropriate measures to ensure compliance.
• Systems & Project Engagement: Ensuring MUFG systems comply with sanctions regulations and representing FCOE Sanctions as a subject matter expert in payment-related projects at regional and group levels.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Communicating with senior regional and global stakeholders, exercising delegated authority to make risk decisions, and representing EMEA Sanctions at governance forums.
• Case Oversight & Reporting: Managing investigations, escalating issues to senior management and Global Sanctions Advisory, and coordinating follow-up actions with compliance stakeholders across the region.
• Management Information & Continuous Improvement: Maintaining accurate MI on case status, providing updates on regulatory changes, policies, and processes, and driving continuous improvement and efficiency initiatives.

The role requires a high degree of autonomy and a strong understanding of sanctions regulations and associated risks. It also demands solid knowledge of sanctions, transactions, payments, and the broader banking and regulatory environment, including staying informed on developments and their potential impact on MUFG.

Key responsibilities include overseeing case investigations, determining processability, and escalating sanctions issues to Management and Global Sanctions Advisory. The role holder will collaborate with compliance and business stakeholders across the region to ensure appropriate follow-up actions are agreed and implemented locally.

Additionally, the role holder will maintain accurate management information (MI) on case status, provide timely updates on regulatory changes, policies, and processes, and drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

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

Sanctions Team Lead: Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure implementation and compliance with MUFG’s Global Policies, Standards, and Procedures governing the financial crime control framework across EMEA, with a focus on sanctions risk management and process efficiency.
• Lead and manage Level 3 sanctions escalations, monitor case and query volumes, and plan for future demand based on trend analysis.
• Provide timely, consistent sanctions advice on Level 3 escalations to key stakeholders.
• Maintain ongoing leadership and oversight of the sanction’s escalations team, offering specialized SME guidance.
• Participate in payment-related projects to ensure sanctions requirements are fully integrated and adhered to.
• Deliver regular updates on regulatory developments and their impact on sanctions payment systems.
• Align team practices with evolving regulatory requirements to ensure compliance.
• Collaborate with regional sanctions SMEs to manage sanctions risk effectively.
• Liaise with stakeholders to perform customer due diligence when a sanctions nexus is identified.
• Conduct risk assessments on proposed transactions and payments.
• Review and advise on sanctions clauses in contractual agreements.
• Provide training and development for the Sanctions Advisory Escalations team.
• Assess future transactions, payments, and deals to ensure sanctions compliance.
• Review sanctions alerts identified during KYC onboarding, periodic reviews, and name screening.
• Present key management information and regulatory updates at monthly forums and external panels.
• Review and approve new product proposals in EMEA from a sanction’s perspective.
• Support GFCD in collecting customer information related to sanctions data.
• Maintain, review, and approve sanctions policy documents for the EMEA region.
• Drive timely and effective resolution of all EMEA sanctions issues.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Essential: Proven experience in and understanding of Sanctions.
• Proven experience in Payments.
• 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.

Specifics of role:

• Strong analytical skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written & verbal.
• Strong financial sanctions and payments knowledge in particular OFAC, EU and UK regulations.
• The ability to operate with urgency and prioritise work accordingly.
• Strong decision-making skills, the ability to demonstrate sound judgement.
• Strong relationship building and management skills.

PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Results driven, with a strong sense of accountability.
• Excellent communication skills.
• A proactive, motivated approach.
• Strong organisational skills.
• The ability to operate with urgency and to manage large workloads and tight deadlines.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• 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 skill.
• Works collaboratively with immediate colleagues, other teams in Financial Crime, across ECOD and the Bank and escalates appropriately.
• Effective operating in a team and matrix-oriented environment, and ability to work with colleagues at all levels of seniority.
• 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.