AFC Senior Associate - SAR Delegate

Department: Risk

About the opportunity

At N26, we're redefining banking for the digital age. By combining technology, design, and innovation, we're building a banking experience that's simple, transparent, and loved by millions. We've replaced physical branches, paperwork, and hidden fees with a seamless digital platform that empowers people to bank on their own terms.

We're looking for an AFC Senior Associate - SAR Delegate to join our Anti-Financial Crime team, supporting the German market. In this role, you'll oversee complex financial crime investigations and high-risk approvals, drive strategic process improvements and cross-functional initiatives, and act as a key partner to the MLRO in maintaining a robust and effective Anti-Financial Crime framework. Your work will play a critical role in ensuring regulatory compliance while strengthening N26's financial crime prevention capabilities.

In this role, you will:

• Review and approve SARs drafted by AFCO, ensuring all filings meet strict regulatory standards for correctness, completeness, and evidential documentation prior to submission
• Review and submit authority requests received from local and other authorities
• Act as the primary escalation point for AFCO, providing guidance on complex fincrime investigations
• Assist on how to address the RFIs and to interpret legal/tax documentation received from customers
• Review and approve high-risk cases escalated by KYCO, focusing on PEPs and EDD
• Handle and execute confidential, sensitive, or complex investigations that exceed the scope or capability of standard operational teams
• Identify gaps and drive process improvements to enhance efficiency and control effectiveness within AFCO and KYCO workflows
• Drive operational excellence for the local market by working cross-functional projects, implementing and improving local procedures, harmonizing local procedures with group standards
• Collaborate with AFC stakeholders to build a scalable, efficient platform through proactive meeting cadences and continuous process improvement
• Handle the end-to-end execution of internal and external AFC projects, from initial to final implementation, ensuring all milestones are met within defined timelines
• Actively drive project workstreams by coordinating cross-functional task forces, tracking progress through dedicated KPIs, and implementing corrective actions to mitigate delays or risks.
• Support the MLRO, including but not limited to communications with regulatory authorities and FIU
• Support the coordination between the branch's MLRO function and the AML/CTF Technical Unit
• Attend regular meetings to follow up on planned actions and workload prioritization to ensure team targets are met

What you need to be successful:

Background: 

• A completed university degree in Law (Rechtswissenschaften) or Business Administration (Betriebswirtschaftslehre)
• In-depth mastery of German AML/CTF regulations (GwG), BaFin circulars, and the specific reporting requirements of the FIU.
• Advanced understanding of typology codes knowing which code tiggers certain actions whilst managing 3-Day Rule transactions 
• Demonstrate comprehensive minimum 5 years of expertise in European and German market AML/CTF regulations, underpinned by an in-depth understanding of the local market regulatory landscape across KYC, risk assessment, transaction monitoring, and the prevention of fraud, tax evasion, and sanctions violations
• Advanced understanding of current ML schemes, TF typologies, and emerging financial crime trends
• Knowledge of risk scoring models, High-Risk Country policies, and the specific due diligence requirements for PEPs and EDD
• Good understanding of full lifecycle of KYC and AML cases (onboarding, TM, SAR filing and offboarding)

Skills: 

• Fluency in English and German is required (spoken and written)
• Detailed oriented mindset with a strong focus on risk and compliance procedures 
• Able to balance risk awareness with commercial considerations
• Proactive, solutions driven whilst being adaptable and resilient in a fast-paced, evolving digital banking environment
• Committed to professional development and building expertise in regulatory compliance
• Ability to explain technical risk concepts with clear and concise reporting of findings
• Strong investigative skills knowing the right questions to ask and where to seek out information
• Ability to maintain high focus and quality output while managing high case volumes in a resilient manner 
• Attention to detail combined with the ability to work pragmatically
• Strong analytical, advisory skills, high quality standards and attention to detail

What’s in it for you:

• Accelerate your career growth by joining one of Europe’s most talked about disruptors 🚀.
• Employee benefits that range from a competitive personal development budget, work from home budget, discounts to fitness & wellness memberships, language apps and public transportation. 
• As an N26 employee you will have access to a Premium subscription on your personal N26 bank account. As well as subscriptions for friends and family members.    
• Additional day of annual leave for each year of service.  
• A high degree of autonomy and access to cutting edge technologies - all while working with a friendly team of peers of diverse nationalities, experiences, and backgrounds. 
• A relocation package with visa support for those who need it.

Who we are

N26 has reimagined banking for today’s digital world. Technology and design empower everything we do and it’s how we are building the global banking platform the world loves to use.

We've eliminated physical branches, paperwork, and hidden fees for an elegant digital experience and supreme savings. Giving people the power to live and bank their way is what gets us out of bed in the morning and inspires the work that we do. 

We are headquartered in Berlin with offices in multiple cities across Europe, including Vienna and Barcelona, and a 1,500-strong team of more than 80 nationalities. 

Do you see yourself thriving in this role? We’d love to see your application even if you don’t meet 100% of the criteria. You may just be the right fit for this or other roles!

Equal opportunities for all

At N26, we believe our strength lies in our people and the varied perspectives they bring. We strive to build diverse teams that drive innovation and business success. We actively seek talent from all backgrounds and welcome applications from all genders, cultures, sexual orientations, abilities, neurodiversities, and ages.

We are committed to providing an excellent and accessible candidate experience. If you require any accommodations to make this process work for you, please let us know. We’re here to support you!

Discover more about Diversity & Inclusion at N26: https://n26.com/en-eu/diversity-and-inclusion