Director, Global Sanctions Risk & Controls - Wealth
Citigroup · Jacksonville
The Business Risk & Controls organization is seeking an experienced and strategic leader to serve as Director, Global Sanctions Risk & Controls.
This role is responsible for leading the First Line of Defense sanctions risk management framework across Citi's Global Wealth businesses, including U.S. Retail Banking, Mortgage, USCC, Citi Private Bank, Wealth at Work, and Citigold/Citi Private Client globally. The Director will provide strategic leadership, oversight, governance, and execution of sanctions risk management activities to ensure risks are effectively identified, assessed, monitored, mitigated, and escalated across businesses, products, client segments, and jurisdictions.
The successful candidate will partner closely with Business Leadership, Compliance, Independent Risk Management, Operations, Technology, Legal, and Enterprise Functions to maintain a strong sanctions control environment while supporting business growth and client experience objectives. This role serves as the senior First Line of Defense lead for sanctions risk management across the Wealth franchise.
Reporting To: Head of Financial Crimes, Fraud, Sanctions & Reputation Risk, Business Risk & Controls
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Risk Governance
- Lead the First Line of Defense sanctions risk management program across Global Wealth and USCC.
- Establish and execute a multi-year sanctions risk strategy aligned with Citi's risk appetite, business objectives, and regulatory expectations.
- Drive consistent governance, standards, controls, and risk management practices across businesses, products, and geographies.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to senior management on sanctions risks, emerging threats, geopolitical developments, and regulatory changes.
- Appropriately assess risk when business decisions are made, ensuring effective escalation and transparency regarding material sanctions risks and control issues.
Sanctions Risk Oversight
- Oversee the identification, assessment, monitoring, and mitigation of sanctions risks associated with clients, products, services, transactions, and geographic exposures.
- Ensure sanctions risks are appropriately addressed throughout the client lifecycle, including onboarding, due diligence, account maintenance, lending, investments, mortgage activities, and payments.
- Provide effective challenge regarding sanctions risk exposures and control effectiveness.
- Partner with business leaders to evaluate sanctions implications of new products, strategic initiatives, digital capabilities, and business transformation efforts.
Controls, Monitoring & Program Execution
- Oversee the design, implementation, execution, and enhancement of sanctions-related controls across key business processes and client journeys.
- Evaluate control effectiveness, identify opportunities for improvement, and drive sustainable enhancements that improve risk management and operational efficiency.
- Ensure adherence to Citi policies, standards, procedures, and applicable regulatory requirements.
- Oversee risk assessments, monitoring activities, and controls reporting to support effective management oversight and decision-making.
- Drive continuous improvement through process optimization, automation, and enhanced data quality.
Executive Reporting, Issue Management & Governance
- Establish governance routines and management reporting that provide transparency into sanctions risk exposures, control effectiveness, emerging risks, and remediation efforts.
- Develop meaningful key risk indicators, metrics, and management information to support executive decision-making.
- Present sanctions risk matters to governance committees, executive leadership, and business forums.
- Oversee the identification, tracking, escalation, and remediation of sanctions-related issues, audit findings, regulatory commitments, and corrective action plans.
- Ensure timely and sustainable resolution of identified control gaps and risks.
Regulatory Engagement & Stakeholder Management
- Lead business engagement during regulatory examinations, internal audits, compliance reviews, and independent assessments.
- Partner closely with Compliance, Independent Risk Management, Operations, Technology, Legal, and Enterprise Functions to strengthen sanctions risk management practices.
- Maintain awareness of evolving regulatory expectations and industry developments and assess resulting business impacts.
Leadership & Talent Development
- Lead and develop a high-performing team of risk and controls professionals.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, continuous improvement, and strong risk management.
- Create an environment that encourages constructive challenge, ownership, and execution excellence.
Qualifications
- 15+ years of experience in sanctions, financial crimes, compliance, operational risk, business controls, audit, or related disciplines within financial services.
- Significant experience supporting Wealth Management, Private Banking, Consumer Banking, Retail Banking, Mortgage, or Lending businesses.
- Deep knowledge of global sanctions regulations and frameworks, including OFAC, United Kingdom, European Union, United Nations, and other international sanctions programs.
- Demonstrated experience leading large-scale risk management, controls, governance, or regulatory programs within highly regulated environments.
- Experience managing regulatory examinations, internal audits, issue remediation programs, and executive governance routines.
- Strong ability to identify, assess, measure, and manage risks and controls.
- Proven track record driving sustainable control improvements and implementing strategic solutions.
- Exceptional leadership, stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to evaluate complex risks and translate them into actionable business decisions.
- Executive presence and ability to communicate effectively with senior leadership, regulators, and governance committees.
- Strong sense of accountability, ownership, and results orientation.
Education
- Bachelor's Degree required.
- Advanced Degree preferred.