Global Financial Crimes Specialist, Japan

Job Description:

At Bank of America, we are guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better through the power of every connection. We do this by driving Responsible Growth and delivering for our clients, teammates, communities and shareholders every day. Being a Great Place to Work and providing a culture of caring is core to how we drive Responsible Growth. We are intentional about fostering an inclusive workplace where every teammate has the opportunity to succeed, build a career and contribute to our shared success. This includes attracting and developing exceptional talent, recognizing and rewarding performance, and supporting our teammates’ physical, emotional, and financial wellness through affordable, competitive and flexible benefits. We value the unique perspectives individuals bring from all backgrounds and career paths - whether shaped by military service, community college education, or a wide range of work and life experiences. These journeys foster resilience, leadership and innovation, strengthening our workforce and positively impact the communities we serve. Bank of America is committed to an in-office culture that supports collaboration, engagement, and career development. Our approach includes clear in-office expectations, while providing an appropriate level of flexibility based on role-specific responsibilities and business needs. At Bank of America, you can build a successful career with opportunities to learn, grow, and make an impact. Join us!

Job Description:

This second line role within Global Financial Crimes Compliance will play a critical role in supporting the Bank's Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Financial Crime Compliance program.

The role works closely with the MLRO to investigate into complex financial crimes cases that may require reporting of suspicious activity. The role is also responsible for conducting post-investigation reviews and case closure assessments to identify root causes, emerging financial crime risks, control gaps, and thematic trends. Insights from these reviews will be used to recommend enhancements to AML controls, monitoring scenarios, customer due diligence processes, and risk management practices to strengthen the effectiveness of the AML program. The role also includes managing and investigating into complex financial crime cases escalated to the MLROs, assess suspicious activity, and prepare Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) to the relevant regulatory and law enforcement authorities.

In addition, the role will support broader AML risk management and governance activities in Asia Pacific (APAC), including financial crime risk assessments, regulatory change implementation, policy and procedure enhancements, management reporting, and regulatory examination support. The successful candidate will work closely with business, operations, compliance, and regional stakeholders to ensure financial crime risks are appropriately identified, assessed, managed, and escalated, while contributing to the continuous improvement of the Bank's AML and Financial Crime Compliance framework.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct end-to-end investigations of AML and financial crime cases escalated to the MLRO.
• Support MLRO in assessing suspicious activity and preparing STRs to the relevant authorities in a timely and accurate manner.
• Provide guidance and challenge to stakeholders on financial crime risk matters, investigation outcomes, and reporting obligations.
• Conduct post-investigation reviews and case closure assessments to identify root causes, control weaknesses, emerging risks, and thematic financial crime trends.
• Recommend and support implementation of enhancements to AML controls, transaction monitoring, customer due diligence processes, and investigation procedures based on lessons learned from completed cases.
• Track and report recurring themes, risk indicators, and regulatory concerns arising from investigations to support MLRO oversight and ongoing program improvement.
• Support AML risk management activities, including Customer Risk Assessments (CRA), enterprise financial crime risk assessments, and thematic reviews.
• Monitor emerging AML, sanctions, fraud, and financial crime risks and recommend appropriate mitigating actions.
• Support regulatory examinations, internal audits, and responses to regulatory inquiries.
• Assist in the development, enhancement, and implementation of AML policies, procedures, controls, and governance frameworks.
• Prepare management reporting and risk metrics to support MLRO oversight and decision-making.
• Partner with local, regional, and global stakeholders to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and enterprise financial crime standards.

• Escalating financial crimes concerns to the Global Financial Crimes Manager or Executive

Required Skills:

• 5+ Years of relevant work experience in Anti-Money Laundering, Fraud and/or Economic Sanctions
• Ability to read and interpret regulatory guidance
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate and work with all levels within the organization
• Sound risk management skills and an ability to apply discernment, take decisions when required and to escalate concerns when necessary
• Must possess excellent time-management, problem solving, and critical thinking capabilities
• Ability to handle multiple projects in a dynamic environment Proficiency with MS Office programs – including strong Excel expertise and Copilot
• Ability to work across a matrix organization

Desired Skills:

• Subject matter knowledge and experience in financial crimes compliance
• Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) certification;
• Understanding of Banking products and Financial Crimes vulnerabilities
• Bachelor's Degree​