Senior Transaction Monitoring Framework Specialist

About Pleo

Messy spend management is tricky business. And tedious processes are a lose-lose situation for all involved, not just finance. At Pleo, we're changing that. We build spend solutions that make managing money seamless, empowering, and surprisingly effective for finance teams and employees alike - with a vision to help all businesses ‘go beyond’.

The word ‘Pleo’ actually means ‘more than you’d expect’, and living by that mantra has been the secret to our success over the last 10 years.

Now, we’re at a pivotal moment in our journey; every move we make has a direct impact on our 40,000+ customers, our business, and our collective success. We need people who take pride in uncovering customer needs, who turn complex problems into simple solutions, challenge the way things are done (respectfully), and always aim high. With great ambitions driving us forward, we can’t say we’ve got this whole thing figured out. And frankly, that’s half the fun! What we can say is that we’re a driven, progressive, and, importantly, a kind bunch of 850+ people from over 100 nationalities, all committed to delivering the future of business spending, together.

About the role

We're looking for a Senior Transaction Monitoring Framework Specialist to join our Framework & Innovation team at Pleo, operating as the first line of defence (1LoD) in our financial crime prevention strategy. In this role, you'll be the architect of our transaction surveillance approach, with a clear focus on leading innovation and embedding AI into how we detect, investigate, and prevent financial crime at scale.

This isn't a purely reactive role. You'll run cross-functional projects that bring together Financial Crime Operations, Engineering, 2LoD (Second Line of Defence), and leadership to design controls and processes that scale. You'll translate emerging threats and regulatory expectations into practical, automated, and measurable interventions—including the thoughtful use of AI tools to improve decision quality, reduce manual effort, and strengthen governance. If you're excited about building the next generation of financial crime defences and are passionate about combining operational rigour with innovative technology, then this is the opportunity for you.

Who you'll be working with and reporting to

You'll report to the Head of Framework & Innovation and work closely with teams across Financial Crime Operations, Engineering, Product, Data, and our Second Line of Defence (2LoD). Our team is highly collaborative and dedicated to keeping Pleo safe while enabling our customers to transact freely. You'll also have the chance to partner with teams across Risk, Compliance, and Legal to ensure our frameworks meet regulatory expectations and evolve with the threat landscape.

What you'll be doing

As a Senior Transaction Monitoring Framework Specialist, you will:

• Lead innovation in transaction monitoring – Identify high-impact opportunities for automation, model and rule optimisation, and AI-assisted investigation workflows that reduce false positives and improve detection of complex typologies.

• Run end-to-end change and delivery projects – Own discovery through to rollout and monitoring (discovery → design → build → rollout → monitoring), coordinating stakeholders across 1LoD, 2LoD, Operations, Product, and Engineering to deliver meaningful impact.

• Design and maintain our financial crime frameworks – Build and evolve robust transaction monitoring controls and procedures, ensuring they remain effective as our products, customer base, and threat landscape change.

• Partner with Engineering on surveillance systems – Work collaboratively on the development, deployment, and lifecycle management of transaction surveillance rules and models, including performance monitoring, drift detection, and continuous tuning.

• Integrate AI responsibly into processes – Improve alert triage and case prioritisation, enhance investigation quality and consistency, accelerate root cause analysis and emerging-risk discovery, and strengthen documentation and audibility.

• Turn insights into improvements – Analyse transaction alert data to reduce false positives, close control gaps, and improve coverage of complex financial crime typologies, leading with data and measurable outcomes.

• File SARs (Suspicious Activity Reports) – Execute all Suspicious Activity Report filings for EEA customers in line with regulatory obligations.

• Be our transaction monitoring subject matter expert – Share learnings on threats, regulatory developments (including AML/CTF requirements), and industry best practice across the business.

To put things into context, we're currently focused on enhancing our AI-assisted investigation workflows, expanding our typology coverage for emerging threats, and improving our operational efficiency through automation and better data insights. You can expect to work with a modern tech stack combining data engineering, machine learning, and established AML platforms.

What you bring

You'll thrive in this role if you have:

• Deep expertise in transaction monitoring frameworks – Significant experience designing and improving transaction monitoring controls, operating models, and surveillance systems in scaling or high-volume environments.

• A track record of driving innovation – Demonstrable experience leading meaningful innovation (such as new monitoring approaches, automation, analytics improvements, or AI-enabled workflows) with measurable outcomes you can point to.

• Strong project and change leadership – Experience running projects and change initiatives end-to-end, including stakeholder management across technical and non-technical teams, prioritisation, and delivery planning.

• Hands-on data skills – Ability to interpret performance metrics, investigate root causes, and translate findings into clear requirements and control enhancements.

• Understanding of AI governance – Knowledge of the practical governance needs for AI-enabled and automated controls, including documentation, explainability, testing, risk acceptance, and audit readiness.

• Clear communication across audiences – Ability to translate complex financial crime concepts into actionable guidance for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Operational acumen – Comfort balancing customer experience, operational efficiency, and risk management in an ambiguous, fast-moving environment.

• Broader financial crime knowledge – Expert-level understanding of transaction monitoring, with preferably broad knowledge of fraud and KYC processes as well.

• Leadership potential – You may have been or are a people leader; we value individuals who thrive in environments where responsibility often finds you and where there is flexibility to grow.

Why is this role a good fit for you

This role is a good fit for you if:

• You're energised by translating complex regulatory and operational challenges into practical, scalable solutions.

• You have a proven track record of driving measurable improvements in transaction monitoring or financial crime prevention, and you're excited to do this at scale.

• You're comfortable operating in ambiguity, owning cross-functional delivery, and taking responsibility for outcomes that span multiple teams.

• You believe AI can strengthen financial crime defences and are keen to explore responsible, explainable approaches to automation.

• You're a builder and problem-solver who can move quickly while maintaining rigour and governance.

This role is not a good fit for you if:

• You prefer highly structured, process-driven environments with little room for ownership and initiative.

• You're looking for a role focused purely on operational execution without strategic input or innovation.

• You're uncomfortable with ambiguity, complexity, or the need to influence without direct authority across teams.

How you'll develop in this role

In your first 6–12 months at Pleo, you'll:

• Lead a high-impact project – Own end-to-end delivery of a transaction monitoring improvement (e.g., new rule set, AI-assisted workflow, or false positive reduction initiative) that demonstrates your ability to drive change across teams.

• Build deep relationships across the business – Collaborate with Financial Crime Operations, Engineering, Product, and Risk to understand how transaction monitoring sits within the broader control environment.

• Grow your skills in AI governance – Deepen your understanding of designing, testing, and auditing AI-enabled controls in a regulated environment.

We're committed to helping you develop your career, whether that means stepping into leadership of a larger team, taking on increasingly complex strategic projects, or deepening your expertise as a world-class transaction monitoring specialist. We'll invest in your development through mentorship, access to industry networks, and exposure to cutting-edge financial crime prevention strategies.

The location

Please note: We can hire on a hybrid, or in-person setup in any of the locations listed on the advert. You will need to be physically based in the country of your choice with a valid right to work.

Show me the benefits!

• Your own Pleo card (no more out-of-pocket spending!)

• Lunch is on us for your work days – enjoy catered meals or receive a lunch allowance based on your local office

• Comprehensive private healthcare – depending on your location, coverage options include Vitality, Alan, or Médis

• We offer 25 days of holiday + your public holidays

• Hybrid working options available

• We use MyndUp to give our employees access to free mental health and well-being support

• Paid parental leave – we support families and want you to feel you don't have to compromise

The interview process

We want to ensure you are set up for success and understand what will be expected of you. If your application is successful, our interview process is as follows:

• Intro call – A 30-minute conversation with our Talent Partner to discuss the role, your background, and what excites you about joining Pleo.

• Technical deep-dive – A 45-minute discussion with the Head of Framework & Innovation, where we'll explore your experience with transaction monitoring design, a specific project you're proud of, and your thoughts on applying AI to financial crime prevention.

• Stakeholder panel – A 60-minute conversation with representatives from Financial Crime Operations, 2LoD, and potentially Product/Engineering, to assess cross-functional collaboration and your understanding of the broader financial crime ecosystem.

• Final conversation – A relaxed chat with our leadership team to discuss culture fit, growth aspirations, and what success looks like for you in this role.

A note on applications

Transparency is important to us, so we wanted to share some insights about what we're looking for to help you set yourself up for success:

• CV writing and content: We receive many CVs, and we love seeing people leverage AI—it's a big focus for us internally, but without human intervention, these can become generic. What we're really looking for is the specific details of real impact that only you know from your previous experience. A top tip: use the "Achieved X, as measured by Y, by doing Z" formula to show clear results. For example: "Reduced false positive alerts by 35% (measured by case review and operational feedback) by redesigning our rule logic and introducing a two-tier triage model."

• Application care: Every application we receive is reviewed by a human because we believe your effort deserves equal care. This means we expect thoughtful attention to your responses. Read and answer our application questions carefully—they make a huge difference in our decision-making.

• Profile-to-role fit: Highlight why this specific role appeals to you. Help us understand what excites you about transaction monitoring, financial crime prevention, and working in a scaling fintech. If you've worked across compliance, fraud, or payments, make that connection clear.

About your application

• English first. Since it's our company language, please submit your application in English. You’ll be using it a lot if you join us.

• A fair look for everyone. Our talent team reads every single application to ensure the process is fair. To keep things running smoothly, we only accept applications through our system—our support team can’t pass on calls or emails.

• Diversity drives us. We can only reach our goals if our team reflects the world around us. That starts with you hitting apply, even if you don't tick every single box. We encourage people from all backgrounds and experiences to join us.

• Interview at your best. We want you to feel comfortable throughout the process. If you have any accessibility requirements or need a specific format, email [email protected]. We’ll design a process that works for you.

• Your data is safe. When you apply, we process your personal data as a data processor. For more information on how Pleo processes personal data, read our Privacy Policy here.

• Applying for multiple roles? Nothing is stopping you, and we assess every role independently. However, we do look for alignment, so make sure you can explain why your interest and experience are right for each specific role.

• Reapplying. If you’re applying for the same role again, please wait six months from your last decision before hitting submit.