Summary: The primary focus of the BSA Specialist is to provide support to the Compliance Manager/BSA Officer with maintaining the credit union’s BSA/AML compliance program and assists in meeting and maintaining all BSA/AML compliance requirements. The BSA Specialist is responsible for reviewing, analyzing, and investigating system generated alerts for potentially illegal or fraudulent transactions, responding to escalated calls and emails on fraud and suspicious activity issues from operational departments. This position is responsible for the filing of Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs) and refiling of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs).

Essential Duties and Primary Responsibilities:

• Ability to speak and present in an effective manner.
• Must have excellent analytical, investigative, and problem-solving skills.
• Must have excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Flexible and self-motivated.
• Must be able to operate the following equipment: PC (highly proficient in Word and Excel), printer, telephone, calculator, fax machine, copier, and other general office machines.
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Excellent judgmental, prioritization and planning skills and capable of working within multiple deadlines.
• Ability to manage complex assignments independently and while also working effectively as part of a team.
• Must work well under pressure, meeting multiple and sometimes conflicting deadlines.
• Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
• Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to members, and other employees of the organization.
• Must always demonstrate cooperative behavior with colleagues and supervisors.
• Ability to assist in providing BSA/AML training as needed.
• Ensure the required recordkeeping, processing, and reporting of Currency Transaction Reports.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality in respect to the member’s financial affairs.
• Conduct OFAC verifications.
• Ability to monitor higher risk customers and reports generated for BSA compliance.
• Monitor customer due diligence and enhance due diligence.
• Maintain the BSA software and respond to the software reports and alerts.
• Identify and investigate suspicious activity detected in BSA/AML software reports, alerts and/or reports received from staff members.
• Must stay abreast of and be knowledgeable of all BSA/AML policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Accurately writing SAR narratives as applicable.
• Ensure the required recordkeeping, processing, and reporting of all suspicious activity.
• Must complete annual BSA Risk Assessment.
• Attend applicable regulatory training, seminars, and/or conferences and read periodicals to maintain a current, thorough understanding of money laundering and terrorist financing issues, including policies, procedures, regulations, industry best practices, criminal activities and developing trends.
• Ensure the updates of policies, procedures, and delivery to appropriate credit union staff.
• Investigates, using analysis and judgment, to determine which course of actions may be appropriate to limit potential losses to SCCU and our members. This includes new accounts, suspicious activity reports, and watch lists.
• Manages escalated calls, emails, and inquiries from operational and frontline departments concerning questions with BSA related requirements and processes.
• Understands the requirements and reporting thresholds for filing Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and demonstrates the ability to complete the SAR forms’ fields and knowledge of the SAR filing deadlines for single and recurring reports.
• Conducts scans of the credit union’s membership against the OFAC list and information sharing requests provided by FinCEN. Determines when matches are found and understands actions to be taken.
• Recognizes BSA trends and makes recommendations for modifications to systems to identify new BSA related schemes arising from products/services or patterns.
• Understands the record keeping requirements for the Bank Secrecy Act.
• Adheres to the requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act, OFAC, USA Patriot Act and anti-money laundering regulations.
• Create and maintain trend reports on SARs, CTRs, Elder Abuse cases etc. and/or all other compliance data as directed by the Compliance Manager.
• Serve as back-up for Fraud Risk Specialist as needed.
• Must be available to adhere to a flexible schedule.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential function of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Continuous sitting for approximately 7-8 hours per day.
• Intermittent bending and walking.
• Light work lifting, carrying and/or pushing objects up to 25 lbs.

Qualifications

The position qualifications are as follows:

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED); and one year or more related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and BSA compliance work experience.
• Previous Bank Secrecy Act experience in a financial institution, experience with BSA case management and/or database systems (maintaining and researching information), investigative and analytical experience preferred.
• Must understand all aspects of the Bank Secrecy Act, Sanctions laws and regulations, including but not limited to the USA Patriot Act.
• Knowledge of all applicable government regulations, including but not limited to, Bank Secrecy Act and other Anti-Money Laundering regulations as well as OFAC regulations and the USA Patriot Act.
• Must have the ability to use computer systems for performing basic input/output tasks.
• Ability to perform high level complex tasks independently and as a team member while using discretion in decision making and sound judgment in problem solving.
• Ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing. Must be highly proficient in Microsoft Excel.
• This position requires an ongoing sense of urgency and vision and a high level of confidentiality regarding all areas of Sierra Central Credit Union.

Starting pay is $24.76 - $33.94 an hour depending on experience along with a great choice of benefits for full-time and part-time employees.

BSA Acknowledgement

I understand that during my employment with Sierra Central Credit Union I will be required to take and pass online BSA training courses. I understand that it is my responsibility to always adhere to all BSA Regulations and Requirements. I understand that failing to adhere and comply with BSA could result in the termination of my employment at Sierra Central Credit Union, fines, and/or criminal charges being filed against me personally.

The preceding list of duties does not include all tasks and responsibilities that may be required with this position. Additional tasks may be assigned as department or operational needs are required.