Global Financial Crimes: FIRCO Continuity Specialist - Vice President
Morgan Stanley · Dallas, TX
- On site
- Full-time
- $250,000 / year
- Dallas, TX
Job highlights
- Oversee FIRCO screening platforms' health and performance.
- Maintain screening controls and consistency across regions.
- Analyze system issues and reduce false positives.
- Support rule development and testing for detection enhancement.
- Manage a team for Firco tool maintenance.
About the role
Global Financial Crimes: FIRCO Continuity Specialist - Vice President
Morgan Stanley is seeking a Vice President level individual to join the Global Screening Team within the Legal & Compliance division as a Global Financial Crimes (GFC): FIRCO Continuity Specialist. This role is crucial for maintaining and optimizing the Firm's screening controls, which are the backbone of its commitment to preventing and detecting financial crimes such as sanctions evasion and money laundering. The position ensures that FIRCO systems are operationally resilient, up-to-date, and compliant with global regulatory expectations across OFAC, EU, UK, UN, and local regimes.
About Morgan Stanley
Since 1935, Morgan Stanley has been a global leader in financial services, consistently evolving and innovating to serve clients and communities in over 40 countries. Our commitment to excellence and client success drives our operations worldwide.
What You'll Do In The Role
- Oversee daily health checks, continuity controls, and performance monitoring for FIRCO Name and Transaction Screening platforms.
- Maintain configuration libraries, watchlists, hotlists, and filter settings for regional consistency and integrity.
- Conduct root-cause analysis of system failures, stoppages, latency issues, and false positive spikes.
- Monitor and report on sanctions screening coverage, ensuring alignment with the Firm's risk appetite and escalating any identified gaps.
- Support the development, testing, and deployment of screening rules and filter logic to enhance detection and reduce noise.
- Manage test data creation (fudge data), scenario validation, and regression testing, mirroring rule-writing and sanctions model oversight processes.
- Prepare summaries, status reports, and thematic issue logs for senior management and governance forums, maintaining governance documentation for audits and regulatory reviews.
- Partner with GFC SMEs, Sanctions Compliance, AML IT, Operations, and Business Units on continuity planning, system enhancements, and change management activities.
- Manage an effective team of functional specialists overseeing the ongoing maintenance of the Firco tool.
What You'll Bring To The Role
- 7 years of experience in sanctions screening, AML screening operations, filtering systems (e.g., FIRCO Continuity/Trust), or broader financial crime technology roles.
- Experience with List Management / List testing initiatives involving sanctions regulatory lists (e.g., OFAC / UN / EU etc.) and company-specific/internal lists.
- Experience conducting or overseeing system testing and tuning in a financial institution.
- Background in due diligence, corporate intelligence, or KYC/AML is preferred.
- Strong understanding of sanctions programs (OFAC, OFSI, EU, UN) and AML/KYC principles.
- Familiarity with screening models, fuzzy matching algorithms, configuration, and data quality controls.
- Proficiency with SQL, Excel, Fircosoft FMM & FML tools (or similar) and analysis of large datasets.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to produce clear summaries for senior stakeholders.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate across regions and business units.
- High attention to detail and a structured approach to documentation.
Work Arrangement
This role requires in-office attendance 3 days per week, with two of those days designated as Anchor Days for in-person collaboration with teammates.
What You Can Expect From Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a global leader in financial services, dedicated to raising, managing, and allocating capital for clients. For over 90 years, we have differentiated ourselves through our values: putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back. These values guide our daily decisions to benefit our clients, communities, and over 80,000 employees across 1,200 offices in 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you'll work alongside talented individuals in a supportive and empowering environment. Our teams are known for their collaborative spirit, creative thinking, and diverse backgrounds. We offer attractive employee benefits and perks, and ample opportunities for career advancement for those who demonstrate passion and grit.
For more information about our global offices, please visit: https://www.morganstanley.com/about-us/global-offices
Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. Our recruiting efforts reflect our dedication to a culture where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents. Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of global communities, bringing varied backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences.
For more information, please visit: https://www.morganstanley.com/people-opportunities/eeo.
Key skills/competency
- Financial Crimes
- FIRCO Continuity
- Sanctions Screening
- AML Compliance
- Regulatory Compliance
- List Management
- System Testing
- Risk Management
- Data Analysis
- Fircosoft Tools
Skills & topics
- Financial Crimes
- FIRCO Continuity
- Sanctions Screening
- AML Compliance
- Regulatory Compliance
- List Management
- System Testing
- Risk Management
- Data Analysis
- Fircosoft Tools
- Vice President
- Financial Services
- Compliance
- Technology
- Operations
How to get hired
- Research Morgan Stanley's culture: Study their mission, values, recent news, and employee testimonials on LinkedIn and Glassdoor.
- Tailor your resume: Highlight your 7+ years of experience in financial crime technology, sanctions screening, and list management, emphasizing FIRCO Continuity or similar systems.
- Craft a compelling cover letter: Clearly articulate your understanding of AML/KYC principles, sanctions programs, and your ability to manage teams and collaborate across departments.
- Prepare for interviews: Be ready to discuss specific examples of system testing, root-cause analysis, and how you've managed regulatory compliance in previous roles.
- Showcase technical skills: Emphasize your proficiency in SQL, Excel, and Fircosoft tools, and your experience analyzing large datasets.
Technical preparation
Behavioral questions
Frequently asked questions
- What is the primary focus of the Financial Crimes FIRCO Continuity Specialist role at Morgan Stanley?
- The primary focus of the Financial Crimes FIRCO Continuity Specialist role at Morgan Stanley is to ensure the operational resilience, up-to-dateness, and regulatory alignment of FIRCO screening systems across various jurisdictions and business units, supporting the Firm's commitment to preventing financial crime.
- What specific experience is required for the Financial Crimes FIRCO Continuity Specialist position?
- The role requires 7 years of experience in sanctions screening, AML screening operations, filtering systems like FIRCO Continuity/Trust, or financial crime technology. Experience with list management, system testing, and a strong understanding of sanctions programs and AML/KYC principles are also essential.
- What are the key responsibilities of a Financial Crimes FIRCO Continuity Specialist at Morgan Stanley?
- Key responsibilities include overseeing daily system health checks, maintaining configuration libraries and watchlists, conducting root-cause analysis of system issues, supporting rule development and testing, managing test data, preparing reports for management, and partnering with various departments for system enhancements.
- How does Morgan Stanley support employee growth and development in this role?
- Morgan Stanley fosters employee growth through collaborative teamwork, opportunities to work alongside experienced professionals, and ample chances for career advancement within the firm. The company emphasizes a supportive environment and offers comprehensive benefits.
- What is the work arrangement for the Financial Crimes FIRCO Continuity Specialist role?
- This is a hybrid role requiring employees to be in the office 3 days per week. Two of these days are designated as 'Anchor Days' for in-person team collaboration and learning.
- What technical skills are most important for the Financial Crimes FIRCO Continuity Specialist role?
- Proficiency in SQL, Excel, and Fircosoft tools (FMM & FML) is crucial. Experience with analyzing large datasets and a familiarity with screening models, fuzzy matching algorithms, and data quality controls are also highly valued.
- How does Morgan Stanley ensure diversity and inclusion in its hiring process?
- Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. Hiring, development, and advancement are based on skills and talents, ensuring a workforce that reflects a broad cross-section of global communities with varied backgrounds and experiences.