Anti-Money Laundering Analyst

Key Responsibilities

1. Customer Due Diligence (CDD)

▸ Perform CDD for new and existing retail and commercial customers at onboarding, periodic review, and event-driven trigger points, in line with client-specific procedures and SLA requirements.

▸ Collect, verify, and assess identity documentation, beneficial ownership structures, and source of funds/wealth — including documents submitted in Mandarin Chinese.

▸ Classify customers accurately by risk tier (Low / Medium / High) using the bank's risk-based approach (RBA) framework.

▸ Maintain complete, accurate, and audit-ready KYC files in the case management system, ensuring full traceability and commentary in English regardless of source document language.

▸ Identify discrepancies or gaps in documentation and follow up with the client's relationship managers or operations team to resolve them within agreed SLAs.

▸ Meet daily and weekly case completion targets as defined in the SLA dashboard, flagging capacity or data-quality issues to the Team Lead in a timely manner.

2. Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD)

▸ Conduct in-depth EDD reviews for high-risk customers including PEPs, complex corporate structures (including Greater China holding entities and VIE structures), HNWIs, and non-resident customers.

▸ Review and interpret adverse media, corporate registry filings, and ownership documents sourced in Mandarin, producing accurate English-language risk summaries for the KYC file.

▸ Screen against sanctions lists (OFAC, UN, EU, MAS, local) and PEP databases using tools such as World-Check, Dow Jones, or Comply Advantage.

▸ Prepare detailed EDD reports and risk narratives, clearly articulating risk factors, mitigating controls, and recommended outcomes in English for client-side review.

▸ Escalate unresolved high-risk cases or red flags to the Senior KYC Manager or client-side MLRO through the agreed escalation channel and within defined turnaround windows.

▸ Conduct UBO (Ultimate Beneficial Owner) mapping for complex legal entities including trusts, holding companies, SPVs, and structures common in Greater China jurisdictions.

3. SLA Compliance & Quality Management

▸ Consistently achieve KYC case throughput, turnaround time (TAT), and quality score KPIs as defined in the MSA and internal scorecards.

▸ Participate in QA sampling and post-QA feedback sessions; implement corrective actions within agreed timelines.

▸ Accurately record case status, hold reasons, and pending items in the workflow system to ensure real-time SLA reporting is reliable.

▸ Support monthly and quarterly performance reviews by providing case-level data and commentary as required by the operations manager.

▸ Contribute to standard operating procedure (SOP) updates when regulatory changes or client-specific amendments require procedural revisions.

4. Compliance & Regulatory Adherence

▸ Ensure all KYC activities comply with applicable regulations including FATF recommendations, local AML/CFT laws, and client-specific policies.

▸ Stay current with regulatory developments relevant to Greater China and Mandarin-speaking markets and apply updates to daily practice.

▸ Support internal and external audits, regulatory examinations, and client-initiated thematic reviews by preparing files and providing case-level commentary.

▸ Flag operational gaps, emerging typologies, or language-related processing challenges to the compliance team for procedural consideration.

5. Stakeholder Collaboration

▸ Act as a key liaison between the shared services center and the client's front-office, compliance, and operations teams — communicating clearly in English on all formal correspondence.

▸ Use Mandarin language skills to facilitate direct clarification with Mandarin-speaking client contacts, relationship managers, or document originators where required.

▸ Participate in daily stand-ups, team huddles, and client service review meetings as required.

▸ Share knowledge with junior KYC analysts; support peer review and buddy-checking of Mandarin-language files.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

▸ 1–3 years of KYC/AML experience within a retail or commercial bank, financial institution, regulated entity, or KYC shared services / BPO environment.

▸ Demonstrable hands-on experience with both CDD and EDD processes, including high-risk and PEP case management.

▸ Strong working knowledge of AML/CFT regulatory frameworks (FATF, local AML laws, sanctions regimes).

▸ Proficiency with KYC case management and screening platforms (e.g. World-Check, Accuity, Actimize, or equivalent).

▸ Business-level Mandarin Chinese (spoken and written) — HSK 5 or above or demonstrated professional equivalent.

▸ Professional working proficiency in English (written and spoken) — mandatory for all file narration and internal reporting.

▸ bachelor's degree in finance, Law, Business, Economics, or a related discipline.

▸ Demonstrated ability to work in a high-volume, metric-driven environment with strict SLA adherence.

Preferred / Advantageous

▸ CAMS (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist), ICA Certificate/Diploma in AML, or equivalent. Professional certification:

▸ Prior experience in a KYC BPO, shared services center, or outsourced compliance function.

▸ Familiarity with Greater China corporate structures, VIE arrangements, and China-specific AML typologies.

▸ Experience handling corporate and commercial banking clients including complex cross-border ownership structures.

▸ Exposure to e-KYC platforms, digital onboarding transformation projects, or RPA-assisted KYC workflows.

▸ Additional language skills (Cantonese, Bahasa, or other regional languages) are an advantage.

Technical & Functional Skills

▸ Deep understanding of risk-based approach (RBA) methodology for customer risk classification.

▸ UBO identification and corporate structure analysis — including trust deeds, shareholder registers, and Greater China entity structures.

▸ Sanctions screening, adverse media searches, and negative news assessment in both English and Mandarin sources.

▸ Report writing: ability to produce clear, concise, well-evidenced EDD risk narratives in English from multi-language source material.

▸ Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel for SLA tracking and case metrics, Word for case documentation).

▸ Familiarity with transaction monitoring systems and SAR/STR escalation processes.

▸ Ability to read, interpret, and summarize Chinese-language corporate registry documents, business licenses, and company charters.