PEP Screening and Strategy Lead

Role Overview

We are seeking a seasoned PEP Data Scientist and Strategy Lead to define and align global PEP screening strategies with regional and regulatory nuances. This role will design data-driven, scalable solutions that unify PEP policies across jurisdictions—balancing global standards with local compliance expectations. The ideal candidate will bridge data science, compliance, and strategic execution, transforming complex data into actionable intelligence that enhances detection accuracy and reduces false positives.

This position is highly cross-functional, requiring close collaboration with engineering, product, advisory, and regulatory teams to ensure consistent alignment with business goals and global compliance frameworks.

Key Responsibilities

• Strengthen Global PEP Screening: Lead initiatives to advance and harmonize PEP screening capabilities across all regions, aligning risk detection and mitigation objectives with regulatory standards while maintaining a frictionless customer experience.
• Strategic Frameworks & Roadmaps: Partner with First Line of Defense advisory, product management, engineering, and business units to design strategic frameworks and long-term roadmaps for global screening initiatives.
• Solution Design & Implementation: Oversee the full lifecycle of PEP screening solutions—from conceptual design to implementation—ensuring scalability, performance, and compliance with business and regulatory objectives.
• Regulatory Translation & Delivery: Analyze evolving regulatory requirements and collaborate with regional MLROs to develop business requirement documents (BRDs), transforming guidance into precise, data-driven technical solutions.
• Cross-Functional Execution: Work hand-in-hand with engineering teams to operationalize regulatory changes, deploy system enhancements, and ensure accuracy and integrity in production environments.
• List Management & Risk Definition: Collaborate with advisory and policy teams to continuously refine PEP list definitions, classifications, and thresholds to ensure comprehensive coverage and regulatory alignment.
• Advanced Analytics & Optimization: Conduct in-depth data exploration and statistical analysis to identify inefficiencies within screening workflows, proposing actionable improvements to enhance precision and efficiency.
• Insight & Decision Support: Analyze complex, large-scale datasets to extract meaningful insights, develop recommendations, and communicate findings that support key business and compliance decisions.
• Mentorship & Development: Provide technical guidance, coaching, and strategic direction to junior data scientists, fostering skill development and analytical excellence within the team.
• Production Integration: Ensure seamless integration and real-time deployment of analytical solutions in partnership with engineering, maintaining system reliability and robust performance standards.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience) with a minimum of five years of relevant work experience in financial crime, compliance analytics, or data science.

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum five years of experience in sanctions transaction screening, profile screening, PEP and adverse media screening, and AML programs, including at least three years in data analytics or data science.
• Strong understanding of global sanctions and PEP programs administered by OFAC, EU, UN, CSSF, and related regulators, including associated risk typologies.
• Advanced proficiency in SQL (Google Cloud BigQuery), Python (Pandas, NumPy, PySpark), R, Tableau, and Power BI.
• Demonstrated expertise in data structure analysis, profiling, and query optimization.
• Familiarity with Lexis Nexis World Compliance+ and other leading screening data sources.
• Working knowledge of Hadoop, Hive, Jupyter Notebooks, and modern data warehouse technologies.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to translate analytical findings into clear, actionable business recommendations.
• Proven success in developing data-driven solutions for complex compliance challenges and collaborating effectively across multi-disciplinary teams.
• High intellectual curiosity, strategic problem-solving ability, and comfort navigating ambiguity in dynamic, fast-paced environments.
• Strong project leadership, analytical, and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities independently.
• Adept at presenting complex quantitative analyses to diverse stakeholders in a concise, accessible manner.
• Results-oriented, proactive mindset with a passion for innovation, data integrity, and advancing global compliance initiatives.