BSA/AML - Alert Analyst II

About the role

The Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) / Anti-Money Laundering (AML) - Suspicious Activity Monitoring Alert Analyst is responsible for conducting first-level reviews of transactional alerts and customer activity to identify potential suspicious behavior and financial crime risk. This role focuses on executing alert investigations, analyzing transactional activity, documenting investigative findings, and escalating higher-risk activity to the Case Investigation Team for further review and disposition in accordance with BSA/AML regulatory requirements and internal procedures. Analysts operate under established procedures and guidance while developing proficiency across products, typologies, transaction monitoring systems, and investigative tools.

Responsibilities

• Review and investigate alerts generated from transaction monitoring systems using a risk-based approach to identify potentially suspicious activity or unusual behavior.
• Analyze transactional activity, payment flows, customer behavior, and account activity to identify anomalies, red flags, pass-through activity, layering concerns, or unusual patterns.
• Conduct customer due diligence reviews utilizing internal systems, KYC/CIP information, transactional analysis, and external research tools.
• Document investigative findings clearly, accurately, and professionally within case management systems in accordance with BSA/AML documentation standards.
• Prepare detailed alert narratives that clearly explain the activity reviewed, investigative steps performed, findings identified, and rationale for disposition decisions.
• Escalate higher-risk, complex, or potentially suspicious activity to the Case Investigation Team for enhanced review and potential SAR determination.
• Maintain investigative documentation and supporting evidence, including screenshots, research findings, and transaction analysis, sufficient to support quality assurance, audit, and regulatory review.
• Review transactional history to identify expected versus unusual customer behavior patterns and determine whether activity aligns with product usage expectations.
• Support FinCEN 314(a) and 314(b) information sharing requests and assist with law enforcement inquiries and legal process responses under the direction of senior staff.
• Collaborate with Case Analysts, Quality Assurance, Compliance, Fraud, and internal stakeholders to support ongoing investigations and operational objectives.
• Meet established service level agreements (SLAs), productivity standards, and quality expectations for assigned alert queues.
• Maintain current knowledge of BSA/AML regulations, OFAC requirements, FinCEN guidance, financial crime typologies, and internal procedures.
• Support ongoing process improvements, procedural updates, training initiatives, and quality enhancement efforts within the Operations Team.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in finance, Criminal Justice, Business, or related field preferred.
• 1-3 years of experience in BSA/AML investigations, fraud investigations, transaction monitoring, compliance operations, or financial crime analysis preferred.
• Experience reviewing transaction monitoring alerts and documenting investigative findings.
• Familiarity with transaction monitoring and case management systems such as Actimize, or similar platforms preferred.
• Strong analytical, investigative, and critical-thinking skills with attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including concise and well-supported investigative documentation.
• Ability to manage assigned workload independently while following established procedures and escalation protocols.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools including Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Ability to interpret transactional activity and identify potential suspicious behavior, red flags, or financial crime indicators.
• Adaptable, organized, and receptive to feedback in a fast-paced operational environment.
• Pr

Benefits

Additional Information

We are a hybrid, remote-office company dedicated to growing our talent anywhere! We have onsite locations in: Sioux Falls, SD, Scottsdale, AZ, Louisville, KY, Troy, MI, Franklin, TN, Easton, PA. At Pathward, we take tremendous pride in our purpose to create financial inclusion for all™. We are a financial empowerment company that works with innovators to increase financial availability, choice, and opportunity for all. We strive to remove barriers that traditional institutions put in the way of financial access, and promote economic mobility by providing responsible, secure, high quality financial products. We are a team of problem solvers and innovators who celebrate our differences and know that our unique perspectives make us stronger and well-positioned for success. We celebrate, and embrace, our team members through our *HUMBLE*HUNGRY*SMART approach, and we believe that we are strongest when we embrace the voices of our employees, customers, partners, and the communities we serve.

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