Vice President Sanctions SME - Digital Assets

Do you want your voice heard and your actions to count?

Discover your opportunity with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), one of the world’s leading financial groups. Across the globe, we’re 150,000 colleagues, striving to make a difference for every client, organization, and community we serve. We stand for our values, building long-term relationships, serving society, and fostering shared and sustainable growth for a better world.

With a vision to be the world’s most trusted financial group, it’s part of our culture to put people first, listen to new and diverse ideas and collaborate toward greater innovation, speed and agility. This means investing in talent, technologies, and tools that empower you to own your career.

Join MUFG, where being inspired is expected and making a meaningful impact is rewarded.

The selected colleague will work at an MUFG office or client sites four days per week and work remotely one day. A member of our recruitment team will provide more details.

Overview

MUFG is seeking a Vice President, Sanctions SME - Digital Assets to provide strategic leadership and subject matter expertise for sanctions risk management across the Bank's digital asset ecosystem.

Reporting to the Head of Sanctions Program & Oversight, this role is accountable for establishing and enhancing the sanctions framework supporting digital assets, stablecoins, tokenized deposits, CBDCs, and other blockchain-enabled or cryptocurrency products. The successful candidate will partner across local and global Compliance, Technology, Legal, Risk, Operations, and business leadership to ensure sanctions risks are effectively managed while supporting responsible innovation and business growth.

Key Responsibilities

Digital Asset Sanctions Strategy & Governance

• Serve as MUFG's global sanctions subject matter expert for digital asset products, cryptocurrencies and emerging blockchain-enabled solutions.
• Lead the development and implementation of sanctions governance, policies, standards, and controls supporting digital asset activities.
• Own sanctions-related components of the Digital Asset Framework and associated program initiatives.
• Drive integration of digital asset sanctions requirements into enterprise sanctions, risk, and governance frameworks.
• Represent Global Sanctions in digital asset governance forums and strategic initiatives.

Sanctions Risk Management & Advisory

• Provide strategic sanctions advisory support for new products, partnerships, clients, and business initiatives involving digital assets.
• Lead sanctions risk assessments and identify emerging risks associated with digital assets and evolving technologies.
• Advise senior management on complex sanctions, regulatory, and reputational risk matters related to digital asset industry and regulatory trends.
• Monitor regulatory developments, enforcement actions, and industry trends, ensuring timely incorporation into program requirements.

Controls, Technology & Regulatory Change

• Lead development and enhancement of sanctions screening, blockchain analytics, and digital asset monitoring capabilities across the Bank’s screening requirements.
• Provide oversight of sanctions list governance, screening methodologies, and control effectiveness with respect to digital assets typologies.
• Partner with Technology to implement system enhancements supporting digital asset sanctions compliance.
• Drive global regulatory change management related to sanctions requirements impacting digital assets.
• Support regulatory examinations, audits, investigations, and remediation activities.

Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead cross-functional initiatives involving Compliance, Legal, Risk, Operations, Technology, and business stakeholders.
• Influence governance forums and senior leadership on digital asset sanctions strategy and risk management.
• Deliver digital assets and blockchain training, guidance, and thought leadership to strengthen organizational capability in this emerging risk area.
• Promote a culture of integrity, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Education

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
• Advanced degree in Law, Business Administration, International Relations, or related discipline preferred.

Certifications

• CGSS, CAMS, or equivalent certification preferred.

Work Experience

• Significant experience in sanctions compliance, financial crimes, or regulatory risk management within a global financial institution.
• Demonstrated expertise in sanctions advisory, governance, regulatory engagement, and risk management.
• Experience supporting digital assets, cryptocurrencies, blockchain technologies, fintech, payments, or emerging financial products preferred.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence senior stakeholders in a matrixed environment.

Functional Skills

• Deep expertise in OFAC, JMOF, EU, UK, and other global sanctions regimes.
• Strong understanding of sanctions risks associated with digital assets, blockchain technology, stablecoins, tokenized assets, and emerging payment solutions.
• Experience designing and overseeing sanctions governance frameworks, controls, and risk assessments.
• Knowledge of blockchain analytics, sanctions screening technologies, and digital asset monitoring solutions.
• Experience managing regulatory examinations, audits, and regulatory inquiries.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinker with strong risk judgment and analytical capability.
• Effective communicator and trusted advisor to senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrated cross-functional leadership and influencing skills.
• Drives innovation, continuous improvement, and organizational learning.
• Adapts effectively to evolving regulatory and business environments.
• Leads with integrity, accountability, and sound judgment.

The typical base pay range for this role is $122,000 to $166,000 depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience and location. This role may also be eligible for certain discretionary performance-based bonus and/or incentive compensation. Additionally, our Total Rewards program provides colleagues with a competitive benefits package (in accordance with the eligibility requirements and respective terms of each) that includes comprehensive health and wellness benefits, retirement plans, educational assistance and training programs, income replacement for qualified employees with disabilities, paid maternity and parental bonding leave, and paid vacation, sick days, and holidays. For more information on our Total Rewards package, please click the link below.

MUFG Benefits Summary

We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws (including (i) the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, (ii) the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, (iii) the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, and (iv) the California Fair Chance Act) to the extent that (a) an applicant is not subject to a statutory disqualification pursuant to Section 3(a)(39) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 8a(2) or 8a(3) of the Commodity Exchange Act, and (b) they do not conflict with the background screening requirements of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the National Futures Association (NFA). The major responsibilities listed above are the material job duties of this role for which the Company reasonably believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship potentially resulting in the withdrawal of conditional offer of employment, if any.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities duties and skills required of personnel so classified.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and committed to leveraging the diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experience of our workforce to create opportunities for our colleagues and our business. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender expression, gender identity, sex, age, ancestry, marital status, protected veteran and military status, disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other status of an individual or that individual’s associates or relatives that is protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.