Executive Director, First Line Risk and Controls Negative News Research, Investigations and Escalations Lead

Morgan Stanley is a global financial services firm that conducts its business through three principal business segments - Institutional Securities Wealth Management and Investment Management. Morgan Stanley provides comprehensive financial advice and services to its clients including brokerage investment advisory financial and wealth planning credit and lending deposits and cash management annuities insurance retirement and trust services.
As a market leader the talent and passion of our people is critical to our success. Together we share a common set of values rooted in doing the right thing putting clients first leading with exceptional ideas and a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Morgan Stanley can provide a superior foundation for building a professional career a place for people to learn achieve and grow.

Department Profile:
The WM and U.S. Banks Financial Crimes Risk Team is embedded within the Firms business line. It is responsible for identifying assessing and escalating potential money laundering and reputational risk issues associated with higher risk client types. The WM and U.S. Banks Financial Crimes Risk Team is considered the first line of defense and supports the onboarding enhanced due diligence and negative news processes for Morgan Stanley.

Role:
The Executive Director of Negative News Research Investigations and Escalations will be a skilled leader responsible for oversight of daily activities executed by the First Line Risk and Controls Negative News team. This role is pivotal in managing and mitigating risks associated with screening and disposition functions aligned to financial crime requirements. The successful candidate will be responsible for administration of the teams identification assessment and management of risks arising from negative news events while fostering a culture of risk awareness and compliance within the organization.

Key Responsibilities:
Leadership and Strategy:
Lead and manage the First Line Risk and Controls Negative News review and escalations activities providing direction and guidance.
Develop and implement strategies to enhance the identification assessment and risk mitigation associated of screening disposition and escalation processes.
Collaborate with senior management to align risk management strategies with the firms overall business objectives.

Risk Identification and Assessment:
Oversee the monitoring analysis and decisioning of negative news events in alignment with the Firms risk profile and appetite.
Ensure timely identification and assessment of potential events and develop appropriate response strategies.
Drive timely coordination with relevant stakeholders to ensure comprehensive risk reviews and dispositions.
Stay informed of industry trends and regulatory changes to ensure the team remains at the forefront of financial crimes research and investigative methodologies.

Controls and Mitigation:
Ensure that risk mitigation strategies are integrated into business processes/decision-making.
Design implement and manage effective controls to mitigate risks associated with negative news review research and investigations activities.
Ensure related controls are embedded in applicable team procedures.
Monitor control effectiveness and make necessary adjustments to enhance risk management practices.
Produce and manage data metrics/MIS and analysis on status and risk management of production capacity and execution quality.

Stakeholder Engagement:
Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders including but not limited to business units compliance legal and external partners as applicable.
Lead routine governance activities and communicate risk-related information effectively to senior management and other stakeholders through effective feedback loops.
Serve as a subject matter expert on negative news risk management and provide guidance to the organization.

Team Development:
Foster a culture of risk awareness ownership and compliance within the team and the broader organization.
Mentor and develop team members promoting professional growth and development.
Ensure the team is equipped with the necessary skills and resources to effectively manage risks.

Must Be Able To:
Deliver high impact activities with a high sense of urgency.
Lead with confidence and comfort in high-paced and high-profile environments with minimum supervision.
Think outside the box (realm of possibilities) to propose and deliver appropriate solutions for highly complex challenges.
Effectively navigate a highly complex and high velocity environment with a wide range of stakeholders.
Communicate complex matters in a concise crisp and action-oriented manner for different sets of stakeholders including executive management.
Understand big picture beyond our organization and assess/improve our value-proposition
Investigate identify issues impacts and trends to propose comprehensive solutions.
Juggle competing critical priorities while demonstrating timely and tangible progress.
Handle highly confidential information professionally and with appropriate discretion.
Work in a matrixed organization; leveraging resources across the organization to complete deliverables.

Qualifications:
Bachelors degree in Finance Business Administration Risk Management or a related field; advanced degree preferred or within the financial services industry or at a financial services regulator a plus (e.g. FINRA Securities and Exchange Commission Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Federal Reserve Bank etc.).
10 years experience in BSA/AML regulations adverse media and or relevant risk management reputational risk activities.
Proven leadership experience with the ability to manage and develop high-performing teams.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to assess complex risk scenarios.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.
In-depth knowledge of financial crimes regulatory requirements and industry best practices related to risk management.
Experience with third-party research tools and open-source intelligence is highly desirable as well as knowledge of Generative AI tools.

Other Skills Desired:
Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist by ACAMS or equivalent AML certification/license.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:

We are committed to maintaining the first-class service and high standard of excellence that have defined Morgan Stanley for over 89 years. Our values - putting clients first doing the right thing leading with exceptional ideas committing to diversity and inclusion and giving back - arent just beliefs they guide the decisions we make every day to do whats best for our clients communities and more than 80000 employees in 1200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley youll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. Theres also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.

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Expected base pay rates for the role will be between $160K-$270K per year at the commencement of employment. However base pay if hired will be determined on an individualized basis and is only part of the total compensation package which depending on the position may also include commission earnings incentive compensation discretionary bonuses other short and long-term incentive packages and other Morgan Stanley sponsored benefit programs.

Morgan Stanleys goal is to build and maintain a workforce that is diverse in experience and background but uniform in reflecting our standards of integrity and excellence. Consequently our recruiting efforts reflect our desire to attract and retain the best and brightest from all talent pools. We want to be the first choice for prospective employees.

It is the policy of the Firm to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race color religion creed age sex sex stereotype gender gender identity or expression transgender sexual orientation national origin citizenship disability marital and civil partnership/union status pregnancy veteran or military service status genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversifying its workforce (M/F/Disability/Vet).