FinCrime Operations Team Lead

This is Adyen Adyen provides payments, data, and financial products in a single solution for customers like Meta, Uber, H&M, and Microsoft - making us the financial technology platform of choice. At Adyen, everything we do is engineered for ambition. For our teams, we create an environment with opportunities for our people to succeed, backed by the culture and support to ensure they are enabled to truly own their careers. We are motivated individuals who tackle unique technical challenges at scale and solve them as a team. Together, we deliver innovative and ethical solutions that help businesses achieve their ambitions faster. The role As a FinCrime leader (referred to at Adyen as an AML & Screening leader) for the Sao Paulo hub, you will execute Adyen’s global financial crime compliance strategy and drive the continuous enhancement of controls that safeguard our banking products, acquiring flows, issuing programs, and capital underwriting. In close partnership with Fraud, Risk, Product, Compliance, and global operations teams, you will translate regulatory expectations, data, and intelligence into scalable, intelligence-led solutions that strengthen the end-to-end merchant risk lifecycle. Your leadership will directly enable Adyen’s growth by ensuring a secure, trusted, and compliant platform for merchants worldwide, operating in strong counterbalance and collaboration with Fraud prevention to deliver holistic FinCrime coverage. What you’ll do Lead, develop, and scale a high-performing AML & Screening team (10 FTE), ensuring clear ownership, structured workflows, strong coaching, and a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. Oversee complex AML and sanctions investigations end-to-end, including transaction analysis, customer due diligence, adverse media review, escalation handling, and SAR recommendations across acquiring, issuing, banking, and capital products. Monitor emerging AML, sanctions, and FinCrime typologies and regulatory developments, translating insights into improved controls, risk coverage, and operational readiness. Implement and continuously enhance AML & Screening policies, procedures, and controls across transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, investigations, escalation, and regulatory reporting, aligned with Fraud and broader FinCrime strategy. Drive operational excellence using data insights, automation, quality assurance, and root-cause analysis, while partnering cross-functionally to deliver scalable monitoring and detection capabilities. Build team capability through hiring, performance management, training, mentorship, and clear communication that supports professional growth and sustained high performance. Provide performance visibility through outcome tracking, senior stakeholder reporting, audit and regulatory support, and execution of global AML & Screening priorities. Who you are 6+ years of experience in AML, Screening, or broader Financial Crime within a financial institution, PSP, issuing bank, or fintech, including demonstrated people-leadership skills. Proven leader with a track record of building, mentoring, and motivating high-performing teams, driving accountability, development, and a strong performance culture. Strong analytical and problem-solving capability, able to interpret complex data, identify risk trends, and make sound, risk-based decisions in a KPI-driven environment. Experienced in designing scalable processes, controls, and operational improvements, while managing investigations and screening activities with precision and attention to detail. Effective communicator and collaborative partner, comfortable operating in fast-moving global environments, presenting to senior stakeholders, and adapting to evolving priorities; payments or FinTech experience preferred and willingness to travel internationally as required. Payments, banking, or FinTech experience is strongly preferred. Full professional proficiency in English with clear written and verbal communication skills; able to present insights to senior stakeholders. Willingness to travel internationally as required. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion commitments Our unique approach is a product of our diverse perspectives. This diversity of backgrounds and cultures is essential in helping us maintain our momentum. Our business and technical challenges are unique, and we need as many different voices as possible to join us in solving them - voices like yours. No matter who you are or where you’re from, we welcome you to be your true self at Adyen. Studies show that women and members of underrepresented communities apply for jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Does this sound like you? If so, Adyen encourages you to reconsider and apply. We look forward to your application! What’s next? Ensuring a smooth and enjoyable candidate experience is critical for us. We aim to get back to you regarding your application within 5 business days. Our interview process tends to take about 4 weeks to complete, but may fluctuate depending on the role. Learn more about our hiring process here. Don’t be afraid to let us know if you need more flexibility. This role is based out of our Sao Paulo office. We are an office-first company and value in-person collaboration; we do not offer remote-only roles.