Manager, Agent Regulatory Risk Operations

at  Western Union

MANAGER, AGENT REGULATORY RISK OPERATIONS – SANTA ANA, COSTA RICA

Does playing a critical role in protecting customers sound exciting to you? How about working for a global fintech company with an advanced team that is passionate about preventing money laundering and other illegal financial transactions? Are you ready for your next career at a company that envisions a culture of global unity and boundless connection? Then it’s time to join Western Union as a Manager, Agent Regulatory Risk Operations.

WESTERN UNION POWERS YOUR PURSUIT.

We are looking for a highly skilled Operations Manager to join our Agent Operations, Global Regulatory Risk and Technology Organization. In this role, you will lead and execute management and documentation procedures, and governance for the US FTC (Federal Trade Commission) Settlement program. You’ll be responsible for supporting internal and external audits, regulatory reporting, mitigating risks, driving continuous process improvements, and meeting strict timelines across several compliance-related initiatives.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as the subject matter expert (SME) for Western Union’s Global Agent Operations Program, with a specific focus on the FTC Program and be involved in other regulatory programs and its global requirements and key regulations (e.g., FTC, CBI, Fin Cen).
• Act as an SME for FTC and other program controls related to Western Union’s US Settlement agreement.
• Develop, update, and maintain procedures for the FTC program, ensuring they align with internal policy and external regulatory requirements. Implement robust monitoring and reporting tools to track the health of the FTC program and its compliance with internal policies, procedures and US Settlement agreement controls.
• Manage requests for FTC and other regulatory policy exceptions, conducting detailed risk assessments, and ensuring proper documentation and approvals, following Western Union’s internal governance process.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Compliance, Legal, Product, Technology, Business and Operations, to ensure alignment and consistency of FTC policies and procedures globally.
• Monitor global regulatory changes pertaining to Fraud Protection Programs and support the Program Leader along with the Compliance and Legal teams in updating policies and procedures to ensure the Program’s adherence to regulatory compliance.
• Serve as the point of contact for internal and external audits related to Fraud Protection implementation governance, collaborating closely with internal audit teams and external auditors as necessary.
• Develop and execute action plans to address any audit findings and observations, ensuring compliance gaps are closed promptly.
• Conduct proactive internal testing of the FTC program’s processes to identify potential areas for improvement, implementing corrective actions as needed.
• Lead training initiatives to educate regional teams and business stakeholders on regulatory obligations and ensure process adherence across the board.
• Focus on optimizing FT Program processes globally, improving efficiency and implementing enhancements to mitigate risk and improve Agent experience across Retail and Digital Environments.
• Act as the project manager for key initiatives within the FTC program, driving them to successful completion.
• Be a visible and adaptable leader, promoting teamwork and cross-functional collaboration to ensure Program success.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree and Minimum of 5 -7 years in policy governance, operations, or compliance role, with experience in regulatory frameworks. Experience in financial sector preferred.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience managing projects in a complex retail financial services organization Ideally, with multiple products in payment services.
• Knowledge in U.S. and European AML regulations, as well as a deep understanding of regulatory requirements for Money Service Businesses.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills, with attention to detail in development of standard operating procedures and executive memos.
• Strong experience in delivering well-documented program and/or project requirements with necessary data sets and reporting and translating business requirements into technical requirements.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into actionable business procedures.
• Exceptional ability to adapt to an ever-changing and fast paced environment and take on new assignments as necessary.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Proactive, strategic, curious, and passionate about continuous learning and improvement.
• English is a must.
• Work schedule flexibility is required.