Sanctions Team Lead Operations

About the opportunity

We are looking for a dynamic Sanctions Operations Team Lead to join our AFC Operations Department, ensuring best-in-class compliance with financial sanctions regulations and driving operational excellence in sanctions screening and investigations. At N26, we aim to set industry standards in sanctions risk management, ensuring a secure and compliant financial ecosystem for our customers, stakeholders, and regulatory partners. This role is key to achieving that goal.  

In this role, you will:

As Sanctions Operations Team Lead, you will play a critical role in managing sanctions alert handling, investigations, and regulatory compliance. Reporting to the Senior Manager – Sanctions & Excellence Operations, you will oversee daily sanctions operations, ensuring efficient and effective case handling, risk mitigation, and adherence to financial sanctions regulations.  

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading and managing a team of sanctions analysts, ensuring high performance, quality, and engagement.
• Overseeing daily sanctions operations, including screening alerts, transaction monitoring, and escalation management.
• Ensuring timely and accurate handling of sanctions alerts
• Monitoring sanctions trends, emerging regulatory updates, and evolving risks, leveraging data-driven insights to optimize alert-handling strategies.
• Implementing process improvements and automation initiatives to enhance sanctions screening efficiency and reduce manual workload.
• Collaborating with internal stakeholders, including Sanctions Compliance, Legal, and PTX, to improve screening methodologies and case-handling procedures.
• Supporting regulatory compliance and reporting requirements, working closely with Sanctions Compliance Lead and MLROs to ensure adherence to financial sanctions regulations.
• Ensuring sanctions processes are audit-ready, supporting external regulatory reviews and internal risk assessments.
• Developing and tracking key sanctions KPIs and operational metrics, driving excellence in sanctions risk management.
• Promoting a culture of sanctions awareness, ensuring compliance remains a strategic focus across the organization.
• Support the development of practical Work Instructions to ensure processes are streamlined, well-documented, and clearly understood by team members.

 

What you need to be successful:

 

Background

• +3 years of experience in sanctions operations, financial crime investigations, or compliance risk management.
• Proven leadership and team management experience, with a strong ability to coach and develop team members.
• Strong understanding of sanctions screening, alert handling, and transaction monitoring methodologies.
• Experience working with sanctions screening tools, automation solutions, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Knowledge of global and local sanctions regulations 
• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, law, or a related field (preferred but not essential).
• Proficiency in Google Suite tools for analysis and reporting.
   

Skills

• Detail-oriented, analytical, and proactive, with a strong risk-based approach.
• Hands-on mentality, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong ability to collaborate cross-functionally with Sanctions Compliance, Legal, and Data/Product teams.
• Ability to drive process improvements, automate workflows, and enhance sanctions screening efficiency.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, capable of engaging with internal teams and external partners.
• Fluency in English is required (additional languages such as Spanish, Italian, German, French, Russian, or Arabic are a plus).

 

Traits

• Empower and develop others – Actively support your team’s growth by providing coaching, mentorship, and opportunities for skill development.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement – Challenge the status quo and drive innovation by encouraging new ideas and optimizing team workflows.
• Think strategically, act decisively – Balance a high-level vision with hands-on execution, ensuring that global compliance goals align with local operational realities.
• Lead with action and accountability – Take initiative, make informed decisions, and ensure follow-through on key objectives, setting the standard for execution.
• Promote a feedback-driven culture – Provide open, constructive, and timely feedback while fostering a psychologically safe environment where team members feel empowered to share their perspectives.
• Lead with integrity and compliance – Set an example by adhering to internal escalation protocols and regulatory obligations, ensuring your team follows best practices.
   

What’s in it for you:

• Accelerate your career growth by joining one of Europe’s most talked about disruptors 🚀.
• Employee benefits that range from a competitive personal development budget, work from home budget, discounts to fitness & wellness memberships, language apps and public transportation. 
• As an N26 employee you will have access to a Premium subscription on your personal N26 bank account. As well as subscriptions for friends and family members.    
• Vacation days vary depending on your location of work. Additional day of annual leave for each year of service.  
• A high degree of autonomy and access to cutting edge technologies - all while working with a friendly team of peers of diverse nationalities, life experiences and family statuses. 
• A relocation package with visa support for those who need it.

Who we are

N26 has reimagined banking for today’s digital world. Technology and design empower everything we do and it’s how we are building the global banking platform the world loves to use.
We've eliminated physical branches, paperwork, and hidden fees for an elegant digital experience and supreme savings. Giving people the power to live and bank their way is what gets us out of bed in the morning and inspires the work that we do. 
  Founded in 2013, N26 now has 7 million customers in 24 markets. We employ more than 1,500 employees across 3 office locations in Berlin, Vienna and Barcelona. Besides the main offices, N26 also has local offices in Paris, Madrid and Milan.
  Sound good? Apply now for this position.
  N26 is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status.