Senior Manager, Financial Crime Analytics & 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:

The Senior Manager, Financial Crime (FC) Analytics & Model Validation is responsible for leading the independent validation, performance monitoring, and optimization of FC models and analytics including those that support name screening (NS), transaction monitoring (TM), and client risk rating (CRR).

This role ensures that FC technology and analytical models are conceptually sound, statistically robust, compliant with global regulatory expectations, and aligned with the firm’s financial crime risk appetite. The successful candidate will partner closely with Compliance, Technology, Data Science, Model Risk Management, and Internal Audit to strengthen the effectiveness, defensibility, and efficiency of the firm’s FC framework.

Do you have the ability to balance innovation with control and defensibility? Do you have the ability to influence without direct authority? Do you like to work independently and exercise some latitude in determining objectives of assignments? This may be the job for you!

What will you do?

1. Model Validation & Governance

• Lead independent validation of FC models (Name screening, transaction monitoring and client risk rating).

• Assess conceptual soundness, data integrity, model assumptions, segmentation logic, and threshold calibration.

• Conduct back-testing, sensitivity analysis, outcome analysis, and benchmarking.

• Evaluate model performance metrics (e.g., alert-to-STR/SAR conversion, false positive rates, stability metrics).

• Ensure compliance with global regulatory standards (e.g., OSFI E-23, etc.).

• Prepare clear and defensible validation reports for senior management, regulators, and audit.

2. Ongoing Performance Monitoring

• Establish and oversee periodic model performance monitoring frameworks, recommend recalibration or redevelopment where necessary.

• Define and track KPIs/KRIs for screening, TM, and CRR systems.

• Identify model drift, data quality issues, and emerging risk typologies.

• Ensure model inventory and documentation remain current and complete.

3. Data & Analytics Oversight

• Oversee data sourcing, lineage, and transformation controls supporting FC models.

• Assess data quality, completeness, representativeness, and bias risks.

• Promote advanced analytics approaches, including machine learning and AI, while ensuring explainability and regulatory defensibility.

• Evaluate model explainability tools (e.g., SHAP, LIME) where applicable.

What do you need to succeed?

• 7+ years of experience in FC analytics, model validation, model risk management, or financial crime compliance.

• Strong experience validating or developing:

  • Transaction monitoring scenarios and behavioral models

  • Sanctions/name screening systems

  • Risk scoring methodologies

• Advanced knowledge of statistical techniques, model validation methodologies, and performance metrics.

• Experience with regulatory expectations related to model risk and FC systems.

• Proficiency in analytical tools (e.g., Python, R, SAS, SQL).

• Strong understanding of data governance and data quality frameworks.

• Bachelor’s degree required; Advanced degree in statistics, mathematics, data science, finance, or related quantitative field preferred.

Preferred:

• Experience working within large, complex, global financial institutions preferred.

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.

• Independent judgment and ability to provide credible challenge.

What's in it for you?

• Time off giving you the flexibility to focus on the moments that matter including 20 vacation days per year

• Flexible Benefits from the day you join to meet the needs of you and your family

• Pension Plan participation starts immediately, and you are automatically enrolled. We help you save more with Sun Life automatic and matching contributions and by including both your salary and bonus when making

• contributions.

• The opportunity to move along a variety of career paths with amazing networking potential

• Flexible hybrid work model

• Work and professional development that is united by our Purpose: to help Clients and Employees achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives 

• A friendly, collaborative, and inclusive culture 

• We’re honoured to be recognized as a 2026 Best Workplace in Canada by Great Place to Work® Canada

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 thebrightside@sunlife.com.

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.

Salary Range:

80,000/80 000 - 128,000/128 000

Job Category:

Compliance

Posting End Date:

24/04/2026