Director, Regional Ethics and Compliance, WA

Company Description

Visa is a world leader in payments and technology, with over 259 billion payments transactions flowing safely between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities in more than 200 countries and territories each year. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable, and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive while driven by a common purpose – to uplift everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.

Make an impact with a purpose-driven industry leader. Join us today and experience Life at Visa.

Job Description

This position is responsible for the oversight, support and monitoring of the application of the Ethics & Compliance Program across West Africa (WA). At Visa, the West Africa cluster consist of Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia, Sierra Leone & Liberia. The position is a critical partner to the business, providing pragmatic, solution-oriented counsel to ensure that Visa has effective risk management, decision-making and review of key processes to ensure we meet international standards, the requirements of regulations and laws of the United States and of the countries in which we operate. These activities include the following areas of risk:

• Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption

• Office of Foreign Assets Controls and other Sanctions

• Anti-Money Laundering (AML) / Anti-Terrorist Financing (ATF)

• Data Privacy

• Information Security 

• Anti-Trust and Competitive Intelligence

• Other specific compliance requirements of regulators who have regulatory
  authority over our operations in the West Africa region.

In addition, this position also holds responsibility for ensuring the highest standards of conduct, as set out in Visa’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. Particular areas of focus include: 

• Business Conduct and Ethics 

• Conflicts of Interest

• Prevention of Insider Trading

Core Responsibilities:  

• Responsible for all Compliance Program matters as the primary point of contact for business units, support functions and other control function.

• Primary point of contact for AML/ATF matters with regulators, in collaboration with Legal and Government Relations function in West Africa.

• Be the point of reference in all compliance related engagement with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

• Collaboration with Visa’s Financial Intelligence Analytics Center on activities including additional and enhanced due diligence applied to AML/ATF & Sanctions cases, including direct communications and requests for information from clients and partner.

• Ensuring that the business has effective decision-making, risk assessment, processes, controls and procedures to meet obligations of internal policy and international and local regulations, laws and requirements.  

• Review of significant business strategies, activities and transactions, assessment of risk and development and execution of risk mitigation action at regional, country, program and product level.

• Accountable for managing the process to provide required reporting to regulatory authorities in the West Africa sub-region, where relevant.

• Promote understanding of the Compliance Program and Code and drive effective inclusion of Compliance in business activities and strategies.

• Deliver compliance office visits within the region to re-enforce annual ethics and compliance training and adherence to the Code. Assist on Business Conduct Office investigations in WA, as needed.

• Execution of due diligence requirements of the Anti-Bribery/Anti-Corruption Program, AML/ATF & Sanctions Programs, including third party due diligence, provision of AML/ATF workshops and education for Clients and on-site Client AML program assessments. The AML/ATF component is a significant portion of the position’s overall responsibilities.

This is a hybrid position. Hybrid employees can alternate time between both remote and office. Employees in hybrid roles are expected to work from the office 2-3 set days a week (determined by leadership/site), with a general guidepost of being in the office 50% or more of the time based on business needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or other higher education qualifications required.

• Professional AML/ATF accreditation required (such as CAMS).

• Sound knowledge of AML/ATF risks and typologies.

• ICA Diploma in Governance, Risk & Compliance or similar qualification preferred.

• 5 to 7 years of experience in management of compliance programs and controls within the financial services industry.

• Good knowledge of payments industry products, emerging products, regulations and related trends.

• Good understanding of core pillars of effective AML/ATF and Sanctions programs and appropriate legislation.

• Highly analytical and self-motivated, adept at working independently and in a dispersed team environment covering multiple and varied tasks.

• Capable of working collaboratively with employees from all levels within the organization. Flexible to work in an environment where needs are continually changing.

• Corporate experience with a proven track record of managing multiple projects in a complex matrix business and operational environments.

• Intuitive, highly ethical and comfortable to question and challenge when required.

• Ability to multi-task and able to work with minimal supervision.

• Excellent analytical and data analysis skills including use of MS Office systems including Word, Access, Visio, Excel. (advanced), Power Point, SharePoint and other applications

• Excellent and professional written, presentation and communication skills.
• Some travel and extended business hours (conference calls, video calls and web based meetings) may be required.

Additional Information

Visa is an EEO Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Visa will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with EEOC guidelines and applicable local law.