Director, Enterprise Lead of Digital Assets, AML

Requisition ID: 256998

Join a purpose driven winning team, committed to results, in an inclusive and high-performing culture.

Global Banking and MarketsGlobal Banking and Markets (GBM) is a leading Canadian Capital Markets and Investment Banking business with a growing platform in the US and Latin America, operating globally for over 100 years. Scotiabank’s strong U.S. presence provides our clients an important bridge to this key global market for trade and investment flows across the Americas and the world.

Global Banking & Markets provides a full range of investment banking, credit and risk management products and services relevant to the financing and strategic development needs of our clients. Our products include debt and equity financing, mergers & acquisitions, corporate banking, institutional equity sales, trading and research, fixed income products, derivatives, energy, foreign exchange and precious & metals. We also cross-sell the full range of wholesale products and services offered by the Scotiabank Group.

Be part of an innovative, Global Capital Markets and Investment Banking business with a unique geographic footprint that puts capital to work for our clients across industries! We work together to drive ambition for every future!

PurposeThe Director, Global Head of Digital Assets AML is responsible for leading the development, execution, and oversight of the Bank’s financial crime risk management framework as it relates to digital assets, cryptocurrency-related exposure, virtual asset service providers (VASPs), blockchain-enabled payment activity, and emerging financial technologies.

What You'll Do

• Lead the design and implementation of the Bank’s AML risk governance approach for digital asset products, services, and partnerships.
• Establish and maintain oversight mechanisms to ensure digital asset activities align with the Bank’s risk appetite and financial crime control standards.
• Support enterprise risk committees and senior governance forums by providing expert reporting and recommendations.
• Advise on enterprise risk management related to the custody, cybersecurity, and financial risk management related to digital asset products, services, and partnerships.
• Develop, maintain, and enhance AML policies, standards, and control frameworks specific to digital assets and blockchain-related activity.
• Ensure alignment with global regulatory requirements (e.g., FATF Travel Rule, VASP obligations, sanctions risks, custody and exchange exposure).
• Drive enterprise-wide control expectations across onboarding, monitoring, escalation, and reporting processes.
• Lead financial crime risk assessments related to cryptocurrency exposure, VASPs, stablecoins, tokenized assets, decentralized finance (DeFi), and related emerging risks.
• Identify new typologies and risks (fraud, laundering, terrorist financing, sanctions evasion) and ensure they are incorporated into monitoring and investigative practices.
• Partner with intelligence and analytics teams to monitor trends and regulatory developments.
• Provide strategic AML advisory to business stakeholders pursuing digital asset-related opportunities (new products, partnerships, vendors, platforms, or jurisdictions).
• Participate in product approval processes, ensuring AML risk considerations are embedded into design and implementation.
• Advise on customer segmentation, due diligence requirements, and risk mitigation strategies for digital asset-related clients.
• Support development and optimization of monitoring scenarios, rules, and detection models specific to digital asset activity.
• Provide guidance on investigations, escalations, suspicious activity reporting, and case management related to blockchain-enabled laundering typologies.
• Act as a primary liaison for regulators, auditors, and internal control functions on digital asset AML topics.
• Support regulatory exams, internal audits, and compliance testing activities, ensuring timely responses and remediation actions.
• Build strong partnerships with Sanctions, Fraud, Cybersecurity, Operational Risk, Technology, Legal, and Product teams.
• Drive alignment across global regions to ensure consistent standards and practices. Contribute to building the Bank’s expertise in blockchain analytics, VASP risk assessment, and digital asset typologies.
• Support training initiatives for broader AML teams and business partners.

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree required in Business, Finance, Economics, Law, Risk Management, Data/Technology, or a related field.
• Certifications related to blockchain/digital assets (e.g., TRM Labs, Chainalysis, ACAMS Crypto, or similar) considered an asset
• Minimum 5+ years of experience in AML, financial crime compliance, sanctions, investigations, or risk management within a financial institution or consulting firm or similar.
• Experience in a senior leadership role (Director / Senior Manager level), with enterprise-wide governance exposure.
• Experience in digital asset AML supervision and examination at a federal or state regulator, preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of:
• Digital assets, cryptocurrency ecosystem, and VASPs
• Blockchain transaction typologies and laundering methods
• FATF guidance, Travel Rule expectations, and regulatory frameworks across key jurisdictions
• Transaction monitoring frameworks and investigative escalation processes
• Demonstrated experience partnering with technology teams on monitoring tools, model enhancements, and analytics solutions.
• Proven ability to engage senior leadership and regulators with confidence and credibility.

Interested?

If your experience is closely related but doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification, we do encourage you to apply - you might be the right candidate for this or other roles at Scotiabank!

At Scotiabank, every employee is empowered to reach their fullest potential, respected for who they are and, embraced for their differences. That’s why we work to grow and diversify talent and engage employees in a performance-oriented culture.

What's in it for you?

Scotiabank wants you to be able to bring your best self to work – and life, every day. With a focus on holistic well-being, our many flexible benefit programs are designed to help support your unique family, financial, physical, mental, and social health needs.Location(s): United States : Texas : DallasScotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our purpose: "for every future", we help our customers, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets.

At Scotiabank, we value the unique skills and experiences each individual brings to the Bank, and are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone. If you require accommodation (including, but not limited to, an accessible interview site, alternate format documents, ASL Interpreter, or Assistive Technology) during the recruitment and selection process, please let our Recruitment team know. If you require technical assistance, please click here. Candidates must apply directly online to be considered for this role. We thank all applicants for their interest in a career at Scotiabank; however, only those candidates who are selected for an interview will be contacted.