Global Financial Crime/Sanctions Legal Counsel

Overview

The organization is seeking a Senior Global Financial Crime Counsel to serve as the primary legal subject matter expert for financial crime matters across the full financial crime spectrum. This role covers sanctions, AML/CFT, anti-bribery and corruption, fraud, and market integrity, with responsibility for providing expert legal advice, managing regulatory relationships, and shaping global financial crime legal strategy.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the lead legal counsel and subject matter expert across financial crime disciplines, including:
  • Sanctions (OFAC, UN, EU, UK, and other regimes)
  • AML/CFT
  • Anti-bribery and corruption (ABC)
  • Fraud
  • Market abuse
• Provide authoritative legal advice on financial crime risks arising from products, services, and business operations across multiple jurisdictions.
• Act as the primary legal liaison with regulators, law enforcement, and financial intelligence units (FIUs) on financial crime matters, including OFAC, FinCEN, FCA, MAS, and others.
• Lead and manage legal responses to regulatory inquiries, investigations, enforcement actions, and voluntary self-disclosures relating to financial crime.
• Advise on and oversee sanctions-specific matters, including:
  • License applications
  • SDN screening
  • Counterparty assessments
  • Responses to OFAC inquiries
• Collaborate with global compliance, investigations, and transaction monitoring teams to identify, assess, and mitigate financial crime legal risks across business lines.
• Review and advise on financial crime implications of new products, partnerships, and market entries; embed legal risk considerations into go-to-market processes.
• Oversee engagement with and management of external legal counsel on financial crime matters globally.
• Develop and maintain financial crime legal policies, frameworks, and guidance materials.
• Monitor global regulatory developments across financial crime disciplines and provide timely, actionable advice to senior management.
• Drive financial crime legal training and awareness initiatives for internal stakeholders.

Requirements

• Qualified attorney with 10+ years of experience specializing in financial crime law across sanctions, AML/CFT, and related disciplines.
• Deep technical expertise in sanctions, AML/CFT frameworks, and financial crime regulations across major jurisdictions.
• Proven experience engaging directly with regulatory bodies and law enforcement on financial crime matters (OFAC, FinCEN, FCA, DOJ, etc.).
• Experience managing voluntary self-disclosures, enforcement actions, and regulatory investigations.
• Strong knowledge of financial crime risks in complex financial products, including digital assets, payments, and trading.
• Exceptional communicator who can translate complex legal risk into clear, actionable recommendations for senior management and non-legal stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work across jurisdictions and collaborate with global legal, compliance, and business teams.
• Self-starter with strong business judgment and a pragmatic, solutions-oriented approach.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Company benefits

Location

• Remote-first / work-from-home arrangement (may vary depending on the nature of the role and team).