Director - Compliance Issues Management

At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. From delivering differentiated products to providing world-class customer service, we operate with a strong risk mindset, ensuring we continue to uphold our brand promise of trust, security, and service. As part of Team Amex, you'll experience this powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career. Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express. How will you make an impact in this role? The American Express Global Financial Crimes Compliance (GFCC) function provides second-line policy, framework, oversight, and control solutions to meet the Company’s legal, regulatory and risk management mandates in connection with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter Terrorism Financing (CTF), Sanctions, and Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABC). The GFCC portfolio comprises all aspects of the Company’s first and second-line financial crime risk management (FCRM) activities, including all lines of businesses in the United States and both proprietary and non-proprietary global markets. Reporting to the Vice President, Governance (Committee and Issues Oversight), the Director of Issues Management leads oversight of financial crimes –related issues, remediations, and operational risk events (IREs); monitoring of progress; and evaluating the design and effectiveness of financial crimes–related IREs across the GFCC program. This includes evaluating the design and effectiveness of Controls related to the Issues, and similar evaluations for events and remediations. This role ensures disciplined issue management, root cause analysis, remediation, and risk-based reporting aligned with enterprise standards. Responsibilities Lead GFCC oversight of financial crimes-related IREs, ensuring monitoring and effective challenge are risk-based, consistently executed, and supported by evidence-based conclusions. Oversee and provide effective challenge of IRE closure packages, including the adequacy of supporting evidence, remediation outcomes, and actions taken to address identified risks and root causes. Ensure IREs are appropriately identified, documented, risk-rated, and managed in accordance with enterprise standards; oversee remediation progress and escalate material concerns as appropriate. Lead, coach, and develop Issues Management colleagues, promoting sound risk judgment, appropriate application of financial crimes expertise, and high-quality execution. Synthesize monitoring and effective challenge results across the IRE portfolio to identify trends, root causes, emerging risks, and recurring or systemic concerns requiring escalation. Oversee the GFCC IRE management tool and associated controls, ensuring data completeness, accuracy, and integrity and driving ongoing enhancements. Produce risk-focused reporting for senior management and governance forums and support identification and escalation of emerging and systemic risks. Partner with Audit, Exam, Committee Governance, GFCC process owners, Control Management, and other stakeholders to promote effective IRE management, reporting, and governance. Qualifications 7+ years of relevant experience in financial crimes compliance, compliance, issue management, operational risk, internal audit, control management, or a related risk management function. Strong knowledge of financial crimes risk management, including AML, Sanctions, and/or Anti-Bribery and Corruption, with demonstrated ability to apply subject matter expertise to risks, issues, controls, and remediations. Demonstrated experience overseeing issue and remediation assessments, including control design and effectiveness, root cause analysis, and risk-based testing or review. Demonstrated experience leading and developing risk, compliance, audit, or control professionals and providing oversight and challenge of complex work. Strong analytical, judgment, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information, influence senior stakeholders, and effectively escalate material risks.