Associate Director

Role overview

Leadership and operations

• Provide leadership and governance across multiple AML and financial crime operations.
• Develop operational strategies for client objectives, business growth, scalability, and continuous improvement.
• Drive resource planning, performance management, risk mitigation, and governance frameworks.
• Oversee transaction monitoring investigations, risk assessment, alert disposition, escalations, documentation, and regulatory requirements.
• Govern high-risk investigations, complex escalations, suspicious activity recommendations, and client-sensitive matters.

Clients and performance

• Serve as the primary leadership contact for client stakeholders and executive sponsors.
• Lead governance discussions, business reviews, operational updates, and strategic planning sessions.
• Build partnerships with Compliance, Risk, Quality, Training, Workforce Management, Talent Acquisition, and Operations leaders.
• Manage client escalations and resolve operational, compliance, and service-related concerns.
• Own quality, productivity, utilisation, accuracy, SLA or TAT adherence, backlog, and customer experience metrics.
• Lead performance reviews and action plans using operational analytics.

Risk and transformation

• Ensure adherence to client policies, AML regulations, internal controls, audit requirements, and compliance frameworks.
• Lead root cause analysis, corrective action plans, risk assessments, and remediation activities.
• Identify process optimisation, automation, productivity, and operating model improvements.
• Drive Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support transitions, migrations, new client implementations, and business expansion programs.

People and governance

• Lead managers, supervisors, team leads, quality leaders, and support functions across multiple operational teams.
• Create succession plans and develop future people leaders through coaching, mentoring, and structured development programs.
• Foster accountability, employee engagement, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
• Develop executive dashboards, business reviews, operational scorecards, risk assessments, staffing plans, and strategic recommendations.
• Drive governance forums, steering committee discussions, and leadership reviews.

Required qualifications

• At least 15 years of experience in AML, financial crime, compliance operations, risk operations, or transaction monitoring.
• At least 5 years of experience leading large-scale operations in a senior leadership capacity.
• Proven experience managing multiple operational functions and large teams.
• Extensive transaction monitoring, financial crime investigations, AML compliance, or related risk operations experience.
• Demonstrated success in client relationship management, operational governance, and performance improvement.
• Strong global stakeholder management experience across Operations, Compliance, Risk, Legal, and executive leadership.
• Experience leading transitions, scaling operations, organisational change, and business growth programs.

Preferred capabilities

• Strong leadership and organisational management capabilities are desirable.
• Executive-level stakeholder and client management skills are desirable.
• Deep understanding of AML, transaction monitoring, financial crime investigations, and compliance operations is desirable.
• Strong business acumen balancing compliance, operational performance, and commercial objectives is desirable.
• Analytical, problem-solving, communication, presentation, negotiation, and influencing skills are desirable.
• Experience with global delivery models and cross-functional operational structures is desirable.

About Guidehouse India

Benefits

• Guidehouse India offers benefits supporting employee and family well-being, including physician consultations, workplace food options, confidential counselling, and learning and development programs.