Vice President - Sanctions Programs

The Financial Crimes Office for EMEA (FCOE) in London is part of the Global Financial Crimes Division (GFCD) headquartered in New York. It works to ensure MUFG conducts its business in accordance with regulatory, legal and ethical standards, protecting clients’ assets and mitigating financial crime risks in the EMEA region.

Responsibilities

• Manage part of the Sanctions Programme team.
• Oversee the implementation, ongoing maintenance of, and compliance with Global Policies, Standards and Procedures governing MUFG’s financial crime control framework across EMEA.
• Draft and review Sanctions policy and procedure documents for the EMEA region, including oversight of the sanctions policy governance lifecycle.
• Provide sanctions SME knowledge, risk management and guidance for sanctions systems and related transformation initiatives.
• Support oversight of GFCD initiatives related to sanctions, including system roll‑outs and new policy/procedure implementation.
• Provide input to all relevant audits, testing reviews and risk assessments, offering sanctions expertise.
• Lead the timely and effective resolution of all EMEA sanctions issues, managing ongoing governance, issues identified via testing, audits and regulatory.
• Oversee people management and development of two direct reports, including recruitment and defining clear roles and responsibilities.
• Oversee business continuity planning for sanctions activities.
• Provide SME input to sanctions‑related training.
• Oversee daily management of outsourced sanctions services, ensuring achievement of KRIs, KPIs and managing escalations.
• Support EMEA transformation activities, ensuring adherence to agreed timelines, risk management and escalation of emerging issues.

Work Experience

• Minimum 2 years in a central sanctions function.
• Experience with banking and sanctions controls for financial crime.
• Experience with issues management and audit and testing teams.
• Experience with sanctions systems.
• Proven managing a team.
• Strong knowledge of banking.

Skills and Experience

• Core MS Office skills.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Good understanding of banking and investment products.
• Understanding of financial crime risk (AML and ABC) in banking.
• Excellent understanding of risk management and control concepts.
• Effective prioritisation and efficient delivery.
• Proactive process improvement.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Strong written communication skills.
• Deep knowledge of sanctions (OFAC, EU, UK).
• Relationship building and management skills.

Education / Qualifications

• Preferred: Degree relevant to the role.

Personal Requirements

• Excellent communication skills.
• Results‑driven with strong sense of accountability.
• Proactive, motivated approach with urgency.
• Strong decision‑making skills and sound judgement.
• Structured and logical work approach.
• Strategic thinking and motivation of team.
• Problem‑solving skills.
• Creative and innovative approach to work.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage large workloads and tight deadlines.
• Calm approach under pressurised environments.
• Confident leadership with clear direction.
• Excellent managerial/leadership experience for high‑performing team.

Performance and Duties

The role holder will be assessed according to the entity’s performance framework, with input from the dual‑hatting entity. Duties may change, and the role holder will perform other responsibilities within the scope, spirit, and purpose of the role as directed by the line manager or department head.

Managing Conflicts of Interest

The role holder is responsible for both MUFG Bank and MUFG Securities EMEA plc, performing duties on an entity‑neutral basis without favour. The holder must align with regulatory requirements, support each business, and maintain legal entity integrity, resolving conflicts and escalating to management when necessary.

Flexible Working

We are open to considering flexible working requests in line with organisational requirements.

EEO Statement

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.