Head of Sanctions

About the role

Qonto is seeking a Head of Sanctions to establish and lead a centralized sanctions function as the company transitions into a Credit Institution. You will report to the Anti-Financial Crime Director (Western Europe) and oversee the sanctions framework across all European markets. This role involves managing regulatory compliance, optimizing screening operations, and building a team to support Qonto's growth.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Define and document sanctions policies, governance, and operational standards for all Qonto markets.
• Develop quality assurance mechanisms to monitor risk and validate investigation decisions.
• Enhance screening operations by improving matching accuracy, managing alert volumes, and reducing false positives.
• Collaborate with MLROs, Product, Tech, Fraud, and AML teams to integrate sanctions requirements into payment flows and product development.
• Manage relationships with external regulators such as ACPR and DGT, as well as industry peers and banking partners.
• Lead and mentor the sanctions team, including expert profiles and production leads.

Requirements

• Extensive experience in sanctions, embargoes, and financial crime compliance, preferably within a large bank or international financial institution.
• Proven ability to navigate multi-country regulatory environments and translate requirements into operational processes.
• Strong understanding of payment ecosystems and how sanctions regulations apply to various payment schemes.
• Experience managing screening tools, including vendor management, data quality, and matching logic.
• Demonstrated leadership capability with a hands-on approach to operational detail.
• Professional proficiency in English.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with specific screening tools such as FircoSoft/FICO, World-Check One, ComplyAdvantage, or Neterium.
• Fluency in French or another European language.

Skills & tools

• Sanctions and Embargoes
• Regulatory Compliance (ACPR/DGT)
• AML/CFT Frameworks
• Payment Ecosystems
• Screening Tooling and Methodology
• Team Leadership

Practical notes

• The hiring process typically takes 20 working days.
• Qonto is a company with over 1,600 employees and 80+ nationalities.
• Qonto will never request payment from candidates during the recruitment process.
• Applicants agree to data processing for up to 2 years as part of the candidate pool.