Associate, Financial Crimes Compliance

Overview

Vestwell is the financial technology company powering the new savings economy. The New York City-based fintech platform redefines how people save for the critical aspects of life across retirement, education, and healthcare savings needs. Vestwell enables over 350,000 businesses and nearly 1.5 million active savers, with over $30 billion in assets saved across all 50 United States. Vestwell offers a range of products, including workplace-delivered retirement plans, employer-offered student loan repayment benefits, and various savings accounts for education, emergencies, and individuals with disabilities.

Vestwell's platform serves a diverse clientèle, including financial advisers, employers, third-party administrators, financial institutions, payroll providers, government agencies, and individual savers. Visit

Vestwell is seeking a Financial Crimes Compliance Associate to be part of our growing Legal and Compliance Team. In this role you will take ownership of the day-to-day fraud detection functions to manage fraud risk for Vestwell and our clients, and comply with regulatory requirements. You will report to the Financial Crimes Compliance Manager and will work cross-functionally and in close collaboration with our Client, Operations and Services Teams.

The role will have a significant impact by understanding, analyzing and controlling key risk for the company as we scale into our next phase of growth.

As a Financial Crimes Compliance Associate, you will serve as a strategic, exempt individual contributor responsible for monitoring, analyzing, and mitigating financial crime risk. This role requires independent judgment, strong analytical skills, and the ability to interpret and apply regulatory requirements to protect the company and its clients. You will collaborate across teams to ensure accurate escalation, investigation, and resolution of suspicious activity while supporting compliance initiatives.

• Fraud Detection & Analysis: Analyze daily high-risk fraud indicators and surveillance reports to identify suspicious activity, applying critical thinking and regulatory knowledge to assess potential risk.
• Regulatory Interpretation: Interpret applicable financial crimes and anti-money laundering regulations, applying them to business operations and client activity to ensure compliance and mitigate risk.
• Escalation & Reporting: Review, research, and respond to escalated surveillance and screening alerts. Prepare detailed escalation memos to alert clients or internal stakeholders of potential suspicious activity.
• Collaboration & Issue Resolution: Partner with Client, Operations, and Services Teams to track, research, and resolve inquiries, complaints, and escalations related to potential financial crimes.
• Data Logging & Reporting: Maintain accurate records of suspicious activity investigations and prepare data for management and client reporting.
• Process Improvement & Compliance Projects: Collaborate on improving procedures, workflows, and platform features to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of security reviews. Support Legal and Compliance team initiatives to scale financial crime mitigation strategies.
• Independent Judgment: Exercise discretion and analytical judgment when reviewing alerts, escalating issues, and recommending procedural or operational improvements.

The Necessities

• A Bachelor's degree in business, finance and/or criminal justice
• Experience performing fraud detection or anti-money laundering functions.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced start-up environment with a substantial degree of autonomy.
• Exceptional analytical and detail-oriented aptitude; a high degree of accuracy is required.
• Strong critical-thinking skills, with the ability to analyze information, identify patterns, and make sound, evidence-based decisions.
• Ability to manage time effectively, set priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency with productivity tools, especially JIRA.
• Experience with research tools like Lexis Nexis.

• Experience working at a financial institution or fintech or high growth startup.

This role could be based in our Austin or Phoenix office and will be part of Vestwell's hybrid in-office operation.

The expected base salary range for this position is $65K - $70K base. This position is eligible to participate in the Company Bonus Pool and is eligible to receive new hire equity in the Company. Please note that salary bands are based on New York and other similar metro areas and may differ based on where the role is ultimately hired.

We’re an innovative, high-growth company with lots of exciting milestones ahead. We value health and wellness at Vestwell and offer competitive health coverage and generous vacation. We have adopted a hybrid office policy, but all employees are welcome at our bright, comfortable office with many workspace…