Overview
The Finance Specialist will design, implement, and manage a comprehensive sanctions and AML/CFT compliance screening framework to support UNOPS' global payment workflows, ensuring alignment with international regulations and organizational risk tolerance.
Key Responsibilities
- Design a comprehensive sanctions and AML/CFT compliance framework for UNOPS Treasury operations.
- Conduct a gap analysis of current sanctions screening and monitoring capabilities.
- Conduct a sanctions, AML and CFT risk assessment methodology.
- Support the development of risk-based sanctions, AML, and CFT risk management policies and procedures.
- Establish screening thresholds and false positive management protocols.
- Design escalation procedures and decision-making frameworks.
- Develop documentation and record-keeping requirements.
- Operationalize sanctions, AML and CFT screenings across the payment lifecycle.
- Integrate screening requirements with existing Treasury Management System (TMS), ERP platforms, and banking interfaces.
- Configure and calibrate sanctions screening software/tools.
- Establish real-time sanctions monitoring for outgoing payments.
- Perform periodic retrospective "look-back" reviews of historical transactions.
- Develop and implement enhanced due diligence (EDD) procedures.
- Create audit trails as it relates to screenings performed.
- Design and deliver training programs on sanctions, AML and CFT compliance requirements.
- Establish regulatory monitoring, including sanctions list update protocols.
- Assess sanctions, AML/CFT risks specific to humanitarian payment channels.
- Develop risk mitigation strategies aligned with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations.
- Design customer due diligence (CDD) and know-your-customer (KYC) procedures.
- Establish transaction monitoring protocols.
- Develop and maintain a typology of sanctions evasion techniques.
- Develop guidance on navigating humanitarian exemptions and carve-outs.
- Create mechanisms for reporting suspicious transactions.
- Coordinate with banking partners on AML/CFT compliance expectations.
- Monitor emerging regulatory requirements and guidance affecting humanitarian payment channels.
- Provide expert advisory support on sanctions, AML and CFT compliance questions.
- Coordinate with UNOPS Legal, Procurement, Finance, and Risk Management functions.
- Lead the dialogue with banking partners, payment service providers, and correspondent banks.
- Monitor changes in sanctions regimes, regulatory guidance, and enforcement trends.
- Participate in inter-agency working groups and humanitarian sector forums.
- Prepare regular reports for senior management on sanctions compliance posture.
- Continuously refine the sanctions framework.
Required Experience
- Work in sanctions compliance, AML/CFT, or financial crime prevention or related areas.
- Experience working with sanctions regimes (OFAC, EU, UK OFSI, UN Security Council) including interpretation of complex regulations into practical operational procedures.
- Experience working with operational treasury sanctions screening, payment processing platforms, and managing correspondent banking/cross-border payment flows.
- Experience working with or supporting multilateral organizations, UN agencies, or international financial institutions (IFIs).
- Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in finance, law, international relations, business administration or related fields with 7 years of relevant experience OR Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 5 years of relevant experience is required.
- A globally or nationally recognized professional certificate in sanctions, compliance or AML/CFT (e.g CAMS, CFCS) is desired.
