Sanctions Analyst

At Community Bank System, Inc. (CBSI), we are dedicated to providing our customers with friendly, personalized, high-quality financial services and products. Our retail division, Community Bank, N.A., operates more than 230 customer facilities across Upstate New York, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Vermont and Western Massachusetts. Beyond retail banking, we also offer wealth management, investment management, insurance and risk management, and benefit plan administration.

Just as our employees are committed to helping our customers manage their finances, we're committed to our employees. After all, they make it happen for our customers every day.

To ensure our people can enjoy long and successful careers here at CBSI, we offer competitive compensation, good benefits, and professional development and advancement opportunities. As an equal-opportunity workplace and affirmative-action employer, we celebrate and support a diverse workplace for the benefit of all: our employees, customers and communities.

The Financial Crimes/Sanctions Analyst is responsible for the daily execution of duties related to complying with various sanction programs and ensuring the Bank's obligations pertaining to OFAC are met. Additionally, the Financial Crimes/Sanctions Analyst is responsible for investigating other financial crime activity and reporting any suspicious or unusual activity detected.

Essential Responsibilities:

1. Review and investigate potential matches to various sanction lists and high risk jurisdictions. Ensure appropriate resolution by line of business personnel.

2. Provide day-to-day guidance and leadership to BSA Analysts and assist in training FIU personnel to ensure compliance with all necessary sanction programs.

3. Conduct complex investigations of financial crimes, including money laundering, fraud, and terrorist financing, especially those involving international wire transfer activity.

4. Conduct other investigations as assigned by the BSA Officer, FIU Team Leader, or designee.

5. Document investigative work and enhanced due diligence (EDD), and file relevant incident reports as required by OFAC and FinCEN.

6. Use a case management system to ensure tracking of all investigations.
7. Review and investigate transaction monitoring alerts generated by the Bank's financial intelligence systems, including the anti-money laundering (AML) management system, and other fraud and suspicious activity monitoring systems and reports.
8. Prepare cases for criminal prosecution, present evidence to appropriate law enforcement agencies for prosecution, and provide testimony to the grand jury and trial courts when required.

9. Ensure that adequate case records are maintained according to regulatory requirements and bank policy.

10. Assist in the assessment, testing, and configuration of the Bank's sanctions compliance systems.

11. Assist in the delivery of OFAC and other sanction programs training.

12. Assist in the development of policies and procedures that relate to the role of this position and sanctions compliance within various business lines/departments.

13. Provide support in other FIU areas as needed, such as high-risk customer risk reviews and transaction monitoring.

14. Keep the BSA Officer, Assistant BSA Officer, and Corporate Security Officer apprised of situations that impact the effectiveness of the FIU.

15. Maintain proficient knowledge of, and demonstrate ongoing compliance with all laws and regulations applicable to this position, ensure ongoing adherence to pertinent policies, procedures, and internal controls, and meet all job-specific training requirements in a timely fashion.

Ancillary Duties:

* Provide assistance wherever necessary to help the FIU BSA Department and the Bank in achieving their annual goals.
* Collaborate with the BSA Officer and Assistant BSA Officer in the development and accomplishment of OFAC/Sanction area benchmarks and goals.
* Attend meetings as required and contribute to the content and discussion.
* Support the on-going development and knowledge of team members pertaining to the OFAC function.
* Work with the BSA Officer and Assistant BSA Officer to foster and enhance the knowledge, skills, and competency of FIU team members to enable achievement of goals.
* Advise the BSA Officer and Assistant BSA Officer in consideration of any Policy or Procedure revisions deemed necessary or advisable for enhanced efficiency and compliance.

Strong knowledge base in the area of regulatory OFAC sanctions compliance and related reporting processes; as well as expertise with the corresponding technology systems and software utilized for OFAC compliance. Exceptional knowledge of the Bank's policies and procedures related to the Banks's OFAC program.

The Financial Crimes/Sanctions Analyst must be able to identify and recommend controls to mitigate risks posed to the OFAC program. The Financial Crimes/Sanctions Analyst must also have the ability to identify procedural deficiencies or process inefficiencies and collaborate with others to identify and assist in the implementation of potential solutions. The Financial Crimes/Sanctions Analyst should have the ability to influence business units or stakeholders to gain "buy-in" regarding the benefits of such controls or procedural recommendations.

The ability to advise business units in OFAC-related matters is also a necessary skill for the Financial Crimes/Sanctions Analyst.

Education/Training: B.S. degree in Economic Crime Investigation or similar degree program is preferred; other degrees may be acceptable with an appropriate background of acquired training, experience, and advanced knowledge of the Bank Secrecy Act and OFAC compliance.

Skills: Proficient reading, writing, grammar and mathematics skills; excellent verbal and written communications skills including the ability to present to groups. Must be adept in the use of the interdiction software used to screen watchlists at CBNA and the Bank's automated AML monitoring system. A strong working knowledge and expertise of the operational policies and procedures that govern the Bank's OFAC program is also required. Able to develop and conduct training and speak in front of groups is desirable. The position also requires PC knowledge and aptitude.Willingness to travel is preferred.

Experience: 1 to 3 years' experience as a BSA/AML Analyst with OFAC/Sanctions specialization is preferred; or commensurate experience and background in a job with similar responsibilities.