Director, Financial Crime Analytics and Model Validation

You are as unique as your background, experience and point of view. Here, you’ll be encouraged, empowered and challenged to be your best self. You'll work with dynamic colleagues - experts in their fields - who are eager to share their knowledge with you. Your leaders will inspire and help you reach your potential and soar to new heights. Every day, you'll have new and exciting opportunities to make life brighter for our Clients - who are at the heart of everything we do. Discover how you can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world.

Job Description:

About the role:

The Director, Financial Crime (FC) Analytics & Model Validation is an enterprise leader responsible for the strategy, governance, and independent validation of financial crime models (Name Screening, Transaction Monitoring, Client Risk Rating). The role ensures models are risk-based, effective, and audit-defensible, aligned with regulatory expectations (e.g., OSFI, FINTRAC, OFAC/OFSI) and the firm’s risk appetite.

You will partner across Compliance, Technology, Data Science, and Model Risk to enhance detection effectiveness, regulatory defensibility, and operational efficiency.

What will you do?

1. Model Validation & Governance

• Own the enterprise model governance framework for FC detection models
• Lead independent validation across NS, TM, and CRR models
• Assess conceptual soundness, data integrity, and model assumptions
• Execute validation techniques (back-testing, sensitivity, benchmarking)
• Evaluate key performance metrics (e.g., false positives, alert conversion)
• Ensure alignment with global regulatory standards and model risk principles
• Produce clear, defensible validation reports for senior management and regulators

2. Model Tuning & Performance Monitoring

• Lead ongoing model calibration to reflect evolving financial crime risks
• Optimize thresholds to balance detection effectiveness and efficiency
• Establish model performance monitoring frameworks and KPIs/KRIs
• Identify model drift, data issues, and emerging risk typologies
• Recommend model enhancements, recalibration, or redevelopment
• Maintain accurate model inventory and documentation

3. Data & Analytics Oversight

• Oversee data sourcing, lineage, and controls supporting FC models
• Define and enforce data quality standards (accuracy, completeness, timeliness)
• Leverage analytics to identify model gaps and emerging risks
• Ensure end-to-end traceability from data to model outputs
• Promote advanced analytics (AI/ML) with strong explainability standards
• Support adoption of model interpretability tools where appropriate

4. Regulatory & Audit Engagement

• Act as primary lead for regulatory and audit interactions on FC models
• Provide subject matter expertise on model validation practices
• Support regulatory exams and remediation initiatives
• Ensure findings are documented, prioritized, and tracked to closure

5. Leadership & Strategy

• Define and evolve the FC model validation strategy and governance framework
• Lead the roadmap for analytics and model validation capabilities
• Present recommendations to executive governance forums (e.g., Model Committees)
• Balance detection, operational impact, and regulatory expectations in decisions
• Drive enterprise alignment across regions and stakeholders
• Promote a culture of independence, challenge, and continuous improvement

What do you need to succeed?

• 10+ years in financial crime analytics, model validation, or model risk
• Expertise across TM, sanctions screening, and risk scoring models
• Advanced knowledge of statistical techniques, model validation methodologies, and performance metrics.
• Deep understanding of regulatory expectations and audit defensibility
• 5+ years with hands-on experience with screening and transaction monitoring systems (e.g., Actimize, NetReveal, Firco)
• Proficiency in analytics tools (Python, R, SQL, SAS)
• Strong data governance and data quality knowledge
• Proven ability to communicate complex models to executives and regulators
• Strong judgment, stakeholder management, and influencing skills

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in large, global financial institutions
• Advanced degree in a quantitative discipline

Unique Requirements:

• Occasionally will be expected to participate in meetings before or after core business hours to connect with global business partners
• This role requires Reliability Status Clearance. In addition to a law enforcement inquiry and a credit check, as part of your application, the Government of Canada will ask if you lived or travelled outside of Canada for 6-consecutive months during the last 5 years, and you must account for all activities during this time.

What's in it for you?

• Hybrid work environment
• A friendly, collaborative, and inclusive culture
• 20 vacation days per year
• Flexible Benefits from the day you join to meet the needs of you and your family
• Pension, stock and savings programs to help build and enhance your future financial security
• The opportunity to move along a variety of career paths with amazing networking potential
• Access to our Global Learning Centre, available 24/7 for your learning needs
• Wellness programs that support the three pillars of your health – mental, physical and financial

Recent Awards:

• We are honoured to be recognized as a 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 Best Workplaces in Canada by Great Place to Work® Canada
• Great Place to Work® list for Best Workplaces for #HybridWork 2022
• Great Place to Work® list for Best Workplaces for Professional Development in Canada 2022
• Named “Best Places to Work” by Glassdoor, 2021 and 2023

The Base Pay range is for the primary location for which the job is posted. It may vary depending on the work location of the successful candidate or other factors. In addition to Base Pay, eligible Sun Life employees participate in various incentive plans, payment under which is discretionary and subject to individual and company performance. Certain sales focused roles have sales incentive plans based on individual or group sales results.  

Diversity and inclusion have always been at the core of our values at Sun Life. A diverse workforce with wide perspectives and creative ideas benefits our Clients, the communities where we operate and all of us as colleagues. We welcome applications from qualified individuals from all backgrounds.

Persons with disabilities who need accommodation in the application process, or those needing job postings in an alternative format, may e-mail a request to [email protected].

We are proud to be a hybrid organization that offers our employees the choice and flexibility to work from both the office and virtually based on the needs of the business, our Clients and you! Several work options are available and can be discussed throughout the selection process depending on the role requirements and individual needs.

We may use artificial intelligence to support candidate sourcing, screening, interview scheduling.

We thank all applicants for showing an interest in this position. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

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