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AFC Senior Associate - SAR Delegate
Department:Risk
Location:Berlin
About the opportunity
At N26, we're redefining banking for the digital age. By combining technology, design, and innovation, we're building a banking experience that's simple, transparent, and loved by millions. We've replaced physical branches, paperwork, and hidden fees with a seamless digital platform that empowers people to bank on their own terms. We're looking for an AFC Senior Associate - SAR Delegate to join our Anti-Financial Crime team, supporting the German market. In this role, you'll oversee complex financial crime investigations and high-risk approvals, drive strategic process improvements and cross-functional initiatives, and act as a key partner to the MLRO in maintaining a robust and effective Anti-Financial Crime framework. Your work will play a critical role in ensuring regulatory compliance while strengthening N26's financial crime prevention capabilities.In this role, you will:
- Review and approve SARs drafted by AFCO, ensuring all filings meet strict regulatory standards for correctness, completeness, and evidential documentation prior to submission
- Review and submit authority requests received from local and other authorities
- Act as the primary escalation point for AFCO, providing guidance on complex fincrime investigations
- Assist on how to address the RFIs and to interpret legal/tax documentation received from customers
- Review and approve high-risk cases escalated by KYCO, focusing on PEPs and EDD
- Handle and execute confidential, sensitive, or complex investigations that exceed the scope or capability of standard operational teams
- Identify gaps and drive process improvements to enhance efficiency and control effectiveness within AFCO and KYCO workflows
- Drive operational excellence for the local market by working cross-functional projects, implementing and improving local procedures, harmonizing local procedures with group standards
- Collaborate with AFC stakeholders to build a scalable, efficient platform through proactive meeting cadences and continuous process improvement
- Handle the end-to-end execution of internal and external AFC projects, from initial to final implementation, ensuring all milestones are met within defined timelines
- Actively drive project workstreams by coordinating cross-functional task forces, tracking progress through dedicated KPIs, and implementing corrective actions to mitigate delays or risks.
- Support the MLRO, including but not limited to communications with regulatory authorities and FIU
- Support the coordination between the branch's MLRO function and the AML/CTF Technical Unit
- Attend regular meetings to follow up on planned actions and workload prioritization to ensure team targets are met
What you need to be successful:
Background:- A completed university degree in Law (Rechtswissenschaften) or Business Administration (Betriebswirtschaftslehre)
- In-depth mastery of German AML/CTF regulations (GwG), BaFin circulars, and the specific reporting requirements of the FIU.
- Advanced understanding of typology codes knowing which code tiggers certain actions whilst managing 3-Day Rule transactions
- Demonstrate comprehensive minimum 5 years of expertise in European and German market AML/CTF regulations, underpinned by an in-depth understanding of the local market regulatory landscape across KYC, risk assessment, transaction monitoring, and the prevention of fraud, tax evasion, and sanctions violations
- Advanced understanding of current ML schemes, TF typologies, and emerging financial crime trends
- Knowledge of risk scoring models, High-Risk Country policies, and the specific due diligence requirements for PEPs and EDD
- Good understanding of full lifecycle of KYC and AML cases (onboarding, TM, SAR filing and offboarding)
- Fluency in English and German is required (spoken and written)
- Detailed oriented mindset with a strong focus on risk and compliance procedures
- Able to balance risk awareness with commercial considerations
- Proactive, solutions driven whilst being adaptable and resilient in a fast-paced, evolving digital banking environment
- Committed to professional development and building expertise in regulatory compliance
- Ability to explain technical risk concepts with clear and concise reporting of findings
- Strong investigative skills knowing the right questions to ask and where to seek out information
- Ability to maintain high focus and quality output while managing high case volumes in a resilient manner
- Attention to detail combined with the ability to work pragmatically
- Strong analytical, advisory skills, high quality standards and attention to detail
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.
- 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, experiences, and backgrounds.
- A relocation package with visa support for those who need it.