Senior AML Project Specialist

Description

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About this opportunity
At Meridian our aspiration is to integrate our purpose into everything we do for people, the planet, and communities. We believe that our greatest opportunity is to create opportunity and meet people where they are.

The Anti-Money Laundering (“AML”) Program Team is responsible for the design and execution of Meridian’s AML Compliance Program (the “Program”), comprising of money laundering, terrorist financing, and sanctions evasion-related risk and compliance requirements.

This role, reporting to the Manager, AML Program, will use their subject matter expertise to provide insights to aid in the development and delivery of an effective and compliant Program, in line with policy, risk appetite, and informed by an understanding of industry best-practices. The role must demonstrate sound problem-solving, analysis, communication, and critical thinking skills as it will work with, educate, and influence enterprise stakeholders with differing areas of expertise. This role will support the development and implementation of controls, policies and procedures, strategies, scorecards, monitoring and guidance for the Program.

This role will represent the AML Program Team on complex enterprise initiatives and will participate and lead internal team initiatives to develop and enhance the Program.

The ideal candidate blends regulatory knowledge with strong project delivery and process design skills, translating requirements into effective and auditable program capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

AML Program

• Identify enhancements to detection systems and strategies, coordinate implementation with business and technology partners, and perform post-implementation tracking.
• Lead content development and maintenance of appropriate training programs.
• Support as required to execute on the annual plan and achieve department goals and key performance indicators.
• Support preparation for FINTRAC compliance examinations or internal compliance reviews and the development of appropriate responses to findings and related recommendations.
• Lead AML Compliance’s Regulatory Compliance Management (“RCM”) and Risk and Control Self-Assessment (“RCSA”) programs, supporting issues management and corrective action plans.
• Lead the maintenance of Meridian’s evergreen AML Issues Management Program.
• Lead preparation of materials for management and governance reporting and regulatory exams.
• Provide consultation services to enterprise partners to respond to, or proactively identify, opportunities to enhance controls.
• Interpret complex regulations and regulatory guidance and translate into functional program requirements.
• Participate in industry working groups (e.g. Canadian Credit Union Association, Canadian Bank Association, etc.).
• Work with vendors and internal partners to support the implementation of new tools and systems, including data requirements and mapping, documenting business requirements,
• Gather, assess, research, analyze, and document business requirements needed for system modifications, enhancements, and implementations. Collaborate on solution design and support user acceptance testing (“UAT”) and operational readiness.
• Together with team members, identify and assess technological solutions to advance the program; determine best mix of internal development, interfacing applications, and third-party vendor solutions to meet business objectives.
• Act as the owner of AML Compliance’s vendor relationships; manage, evaluate, and hold vendors accountable to meet Meridian’s requirements and expectations.

Enterprise Projects

• Represent the Program on complex enterprise initiatives, acting as the key point of contact across enterprise projects.
• Make decisions autonomously and handle questions from project stakeholders with minimal direction.
• Support the development and testing of business requirements within projects so that AML risks and requirements are adequately met.
• Provide research and insight into industry AML compliance practices, document them, and present key findings to stakeholders.
• Identify areas of money laundering, terrorist financing, and sanctions evasion risk within projects and initiatives, and work with business owners to ensure adequate controls are in place.
• Communicate project status, developments, and issues with leaders proactively.
• Drive organizational alignment towards sound policy and process development.
• Identify system enhancements to improve AML compliance and take the lead to implement those enhancements.
• Ensure that appropriate AML compliance controls and infrastructure are present within any industry tools or outside vendors that are engaged through these initiatives.
• Educate and achieve buy-in from stakeholders through sound analysis and effective and clear
• Enhance AML risk rating, event generation, and other controls as appropriate where new initiatives result in an altered risk assessment (Member, Products, Services, Delivery Channels, Geographic, Transactional).

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Strong understanding of money laundering risks, detection, and mitigation strategies, gained through a combination of experience, self-directed research to keep up with industry trends, and ongoing formal professional development.
• Highly developed analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with data manipulation software such as SQL or SAS.
• Strong presentation and negotiation skills, engaging with a variety of audiences, with well-constructed arguments. Comfort presenting to a broad audience of stakeholders, and confident to defend positions in discussion. Able to formulate and present the story depending on the audience.
• Able to draft analysis reports with clarity and present information in an easy-to-understand manner.
• A proven ability to plan, organize, and prioritize multiple simultaneous assignments and competing priorities within time constraints.
• Ability to see the big picture and foresee future requirements and risks. Ability to identify impacts that decisions, requirements, and strategies on current initiatives will have on existing operational needs, and future projects and initiatives.
• A strong team player who can lead initiatives and programs and the drive to develop solid working relationships across various lines of business and channel owners.
• Support growth and development of other team members through informal coaching and guidance.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable learning from a variety of sources including specifications and technical documents.
• Ability to identify information required to generate a position and locate the appropriate information to drive decision making.
• Strong understanding of the requirements of FINTRAC’s guidelines, the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (“PCMLTFA) and its associated Regulations.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft’s Office Suite.
• Coordination of complex requirements with various stakeholders, including internal and external partners, and those with more senior positions.
• Familiarity with Microsoft’s Power Apps.
• Leverage data analytics and system insights to identify root causes of compliance deficiencies and drive continuous improvement.
• Develop innovative solutions to problem-solve in both internal and external projects. Foster a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, and innovation within the AFC team.

Education, Designation, Training, and Experience

• Relevant Post-Secondary education or equivalent experience.
• CAMS, CFE, CFCS or other relevant designations (or in progress)
• Project management experience is an asset.
• Proficiency with process mapping (e.g. Visio), requirements documentation, test planning/UAT
• Proficiency with data-related tools (e.g., SQL) is an asset.
• Experience working with and/or implementing artificial intelligence-based tools is an asset.

This role represents an existing vacancy. Internal candidates are being considered as part of our standard process.

Salary Range: CAD $68,800.00 to $103,200.00 annually.

Compensation for this role is based on a combination of skills, experience, and internal equity. Candidates with stronger alignment to the role’s requirements may be placed higher within the range. Your recruiter will share more information about our total rewards package during the hiring process.

Office Location: Toronto Corporate Office located at 3280 Bloor St W, Etobicoke, ON or St. Catharines Corporate Office, located at 75 Corporate Park Drive, St. Catharines, ON.

Meridian has a remote work policy that allows flexibility for employees to work remotely but also requires regular time in the office for purposeful meetings to collaborate, innovate and build effective relationships with your team, your colleagues and your leader which is very important to us.

What's in it for you?

• We have an inclusive and collaborative working environment that encourages creativity, curiosity, and celebrates success
• We provide you with the tools and technology needed to delight your candidates and clients
• You'll get to work with and learn from diverse industry leaders
• Hybrid work arrangements with in-person office time to collaborate, innovate and build relationships with your colleagues
• This isn't your typical "corporate" job. We work hard and we have fun!

Build the Future of Banking with Us

At Meridian, we’re not just adapting to the future—we’re shaping it. We see talent as a catalyst for sustainable growth, community impact, and future-readiness. As the financial landscape evolves, we’re looking for team members who bring:

• Embedding & leveraging technology – Confidence and willingness to learn and integrate AI and emerging technologies into new ways of working. Experience with low/no code tools like the Microsoft Power Platform and generative AI productivity tools like Microsoft Copilot is considered an asset
• Critical Thinking – The ability to analyze, evaluate and interpret information from various sources and apply logic and problem solving to make decisions.
• Data Driven– Leverage data and insights to identify, prioritize and improve member experience and business efficiency.
• Curiosity & Flexibility – Comfortable navigating and embracing change and uncertainty, ask more questions, explore more options. Continuously learn and grow.

Who we are:

Meridian is Ontario’s largest credit union, and second largest in Canada, helping to grow the lives of our more than 380,000 Members. Meridian has more than 80 years of banking history and is 100% owned by its members. With 87 retail branches and 15 Business Banking Centers across Ontario and $ 32B in assets under management, Meridian offers a full range of financial products and services to its retail, business banking and wealth members. With over 2200 employees and corporate offices located in Toronto and St. Catharines, Meridian has a track record of creating and delivering innovative new offerings and is committed to investing in the communities that we serve. Our plan is to build on our momentum as we deliver on our purpose - helping our members achieve their best life.

Find our story here: