Team Lead, Fraud Investigations

We are currently seeking a Team Lead, Fraud Investigations to join our team. 

The Team Lead, Fraud Investigations is responsible for leading complex external investigations into criminal and fraudulent activities, while advising and supporting the organization in the application and administration of security policies. The role demands a high level of judgment, intuition, and discretion in managing evidence and investigations. By applying best practices and established investigative techniques, the Team Lead ensures compliance with service level standards for quality and timeliness. In addition to analyzing, developing and implementing organization wide procedures to mitigate fraud and security risks, this role leads a team of Fraud Coordinators. This team acts as a key resource across the organization on fraud and security issues, managing cases, and collaborating with other teams to address incidents effectively.    

This role is required to be on a rotational on-call (24/7) schedule and may require travel. 

Here’s what would be included as a part of your typical day 

1. Leadership: Leads and oversees a team of fraud coordinators including coaching, performance managing activities, training and developing team members to foster a supportive and collaborative environment. Encourages process improvement with a focus on efficient service delivery, ensuring performance and service level standards are achieved or exceeded. Conducts quality assurance reviews of incidents completed by fraud investigation team members. Ensures all significant issues are escalated in a timely manner to management. 
2. Investigation: Leads and conducts external investigations, including complex, high-profile incidents relating to criminal and fraudulent activities such as, fraud, theft, robbery, extortion, and bomb threats, using various investigative tools, technology, and strategies to mitigate risk. Complies with judicial requests including production order/search warrants. Actively pursues opportunities for recovery, restitution and/or arrest ensuring all investigations are conducted in accordance with professional standards and internal service level agreements. Completes investigative fieldwork, interviews witnesses and suspects, gathers and maintains evidence and prepares written case reports in a timely manner. Ensures insurance claim process is followed when applicable. Assists management with internal investigations. 
3. Risk and Compliance: Ensures compliance with existing legislation, supports the team in AML compliance and complies with regulatory reporting requirements including ensuring applicable referrals are completed to the AML team as required. Provides consultation, technical advice and support in the development and implementation of effective and proactive fraud risk management and security programs. Provides consultation as it relates to security, safety, and fraud risks.  
4. Representation: Represents First West (FW) in criminal and/or civil proceedings as required to testify on FW’s behalf. Remains active in investigative community and relevant associations and works with external organizations and industry peers to build strong working relationships in the industry. Represents FW as a professional subject matter expert. Coordinates the activities of the Emergency Response Team in the event of branch/regional office intrusions and ensures stabilization of location resources including personnel, cash and physical security following criminal events. Provides technical advice and support in the development and implementation of effective and proactive security programs, controls, guidelines and systems. Acts as a liaison with law enforcement, justice system agencies, regulatory bodies, internal and external auditors, and emergency call out vendors. 
5. Proactive Measures: Stays current on industry trends, tools, and regulations. Identifies and assesses financial crime and security trends, recommends mitigation strategies and escalates issues to the Manager as needed. Uses data analytics to mitigate identified risks and brings forward innovative ideas to enhance fraud detection programs, create efficiencies and for process improvement. Develops and implements procedures and policies to mitigate fraud and security-related risk exposure. Identifies learning needs for team members in the application of fraud risk, fraud prevention/detection, security, and safety processes/procedures. Develops and conducts internal and external training sessions on financial crime prevention. 

Required Skills, Experience & Qualifications 

• Degree in Criminology/Financial crime or related discipline required 
• Certified Fraud Examiner or equivalent preferred 
• 4 years’ experience in the financial industry; including 3 years’ experience in financial crime and experience in a leadership role. 
• Demonstrated investigative/research skills, problem-solving, decision-making, interviewing and report writing skills preferred 
• Comprehensive understanding of criminal law and other relevant laws and statutes preferred 
• Experience with developing and implementing procedures, conducting investigations and financial industry operational knowledge preferred 
• Demonstrated leadership skills (communication, coaching and change management) with the ability to influence others within the organization 
• Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively and build long-term relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, such as regulatory bodies, auditors, industry peers and law enforcement agencies 
• Take responsibility for self-development and continuous learning 
• Experience with fraud detection software / case management with the ability to learn, adapt and to effectively use new or enhanced programs 
• Proficient with computer software programs, e.g. MS Office 
• In-depth knowledge of banking processes and systems 
• Displays an understanding of risk and risk ownership by being able to demonstrate adherence to policies and procedures.