Regional Financial Crimes Strategic Manager

The Global Risk & Compliance (GRC) organization serves as American Express’ independent risk management function. GRC maintains the enterprise risk framework, provides oversight and challenge, and monitors key risks. By embedding risk discipline into strategy and operations, GRC enables responsible growth, innovation, and long-term value creation while protecting customers and shareholders.

American Express Global Financial Crimes Compliance (GFCC) provides independent second-line oversight and policy, advisory and control support to help the Company meet its financial crime legal, regulatory and risk management obligations globally, including Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Counter Terrorist Financing (CTF), Sanctions and Anti-Bribery & Corruption.
Reporting to the Regional Head of Financial Crimes Compliance for EMEA, the Regional Financial Crime Strategy Manager will support the execution of the regional FCC agenda and help drive consistent, effective delivery across markets.

The successful candidate will act as a trusted partner to the Regional Head, helping coordinate priorities, strengthen governance routines and enable alignment across Country MLROs, Legal Entity Compliance Officers (LECOs), Regional FCC teams and Enterprise Financial Crime stakeholders.
This role requires a highly organized, collaborative and commercially aware professional with sound judgement, excellent communication skills and the ability to influence outcomes across multiple jurisdictions and functional teams without direct reporting authority.

The ideal candidate will bring exceptional communication skills, strong influencing capability and a practical understanding of Financial Crime Compliance. They will help create alignment across the regional FCC team, ensure consistent engagement with markets and serve as a reliable point of reference for information flows, stakeholder updates and follow-through.

Regional Strategy & Execution

• Partner with the Regional Head of FCC to help define, prioritize and execute the regional Financial Crime Compliance agenda, with a strong focus on coordination, alignment and delivery discipline
• Coordinate execution of regional priorities across markets, jurisdictions and key workstreams
• Track progress against regional objectives, identify dependencies and execution risks, and support timely escalation of material issues
• Support the ongoing enhancement of the Regional FCC operating model, including governance routines, engagement mechanisms and delivery disciplines

 

Governance & Market Coordination

• Act as a central point of reference for market engagement, coordinating regional information requests, responses, updates and follow-up actions to ensure consistency, clarity and timely execution
• Coordinate engagement across Country MLROs and Legal Entity Compliance Officers (LECOs), taking into account local governance models where responsibilities may be combined or separated
• Support consistent implementation of Enterprise Financial Crime policies, standards and regulatory expectations across EMEA markets
• Ensure regional communications to markets are accurate, aligned and appropriately tailored to the audience and purpose
• Promote effective collaboration, information sharing and adoption of best practices across markets and regional stakeholders

 

Internal Alignment & Cross-Functional Coordination

• Coordinate activities across EMEA FCC verticals and specialist Financial Crime functions to support integrated regional delivery and consistent execution
• Facilitate alignment across functional teams, markets and Enterprise stakeholders on initiatives requiring cross-functional input, decision-making or execution
• Help ensure internal FCC verticals are connected on regional priorities, market communications and stakeholder requests
• Support prioritization, delivery tracking and resolution of execution barriers for key regional initiatives

 

Executive Support & Business Management

• Prepare high-quality executive presentations, committee materials, management updates and briefing documents for senior stakeholders
• Develop clear, consistent and audience-appropriate communications for markets, senior stakeholders and internal FCC verticals
• Develop and maintain regional dashboards, KPIs and management reporting to support oversight, decision-making and execution discipline
• Coordinate strategic initiatives and follow-up actions on behalf of the Regional Head of FCC, ensuring clear ownership, timelines and escalation paths
• Support the development and maintenance of governance frameworks, operating models and RACI matrices to clarify roles, responsibilities and decision rights
   

• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, concise and high-quality materials for markets, senior stakeholders, governance forums and internal teams

• Strong stakeholder management and influencing capabilities, including the ability to build trusted relationships, drive alignment and deliver through others in a matrix organization

• Excellent coordination skills, with the ability to connect priorities across FCC verticals, specialist functions and markets while maintaining consistency in messaging, information requests and follow-through

• Practical knowledge of Financial Crime Compliance frameworks, including AML, CTF, Sanctions and Anti-Bribery & Corruption, with the ability to engage credibly with stakeholders and support consistent application of regulatory expectations

• Minimum 5+ years of relevant experience in Financial Crime Compliance, Compliance, Risk Management, regulatory governance or a related control function, preferably within a complex, matrix and regulated financial services environment

• Experience supporting complex, cross-border initiatives involving multiple jurisdictions, functions and senior stakeholders

• Strong strategic thinking, problem-solving and prioritization skills, with disciplined execution and attention to detail

• Ability to operate with discretion, sound judgement and professionalism when handling sensitive matters and engaging with senior leaders

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience required; advanced degree or professional certification in Compliance, Risk Management, Law, Finance, Business Administration or a related discipline preferred

• Fluency in English required; additional European languages are an advantage given the regional EMEA scope of the role

 

Non-considerations for sponsorship:  

Employment eligibility to work with American Express in Spain is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.