Alexander Barnes has been engaged by a high-growth global digital bank to appoint a Global Head of Sanctions.
A senior compliance leader to define and execute the group’s sanctions strategy across all markets. To build a sanctions framework that can scale with the business.
You’ll balance regulatory precision with product speed, shaping how sanctions controls support growth.
The role sits across policy, risk, product, and operations - translating regulatory expectation into practical, data-driven execution.
Key responsibilities
* Define and maintain the global sanctions framework, ensuring consistency and proportionality across markets
* Lead sanctions risk identification, assessment, and mitigation across products, geographies, and partners
* Oversee screening model validation, tuning, and reporting to management and the Board
* Embed sanctions compliance in new product design through close partnership with Product, Engineering, and Operations
* Act as the senior escalation point for complex sanctions matters and regulatory engagement
* Monitor global regulatory developments (OFAC, EU, UK, UN and others) and drive implementation of required changes
* Promote automation, data accuracy, and continuous improvement across sanctions operations
Skills and experience
* 6+ years experience leading sanctions and financial crime programs within fintech, payments, or digital banking
* Strong technical understanding of sanctions regimes and related screening systems - list management, model calibration, and workflow design
* Experienced in risk assessment, control testing, and assurance within multi-market environments
* Skilled at turning regulation into design - working with engineers to automate and improve control effectiveness
* Direct exposure to regulators and senior management, with proven ability to brief and influence
* Track record of modernising frameworks, closing audit findings, and driving measurable control uplift
* Operates with urgency, precision, and accountability - a builder, not an observer