Anti-Money Laundering Investigator

Job Title: Crypto AML Transaction Monitoring Investigator Location: Lisbon, Portugal Job Type: Full-time contract, 6 Months Position Summary:
The Crypto AML Transaction Monitoring Investigator conducts end-to-end reviews of alerts and cases generated from customer and transaction monitoring systems for a cryptocurrency exchange.
The investigator analyzes on-chain and off-chain activity, customer profile information, account behavior, and external intelligence to determine whether activity is reasonably explained, requires escalation, or supports a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR).
The role requires clear investigative judgment, thorough case documentation, and consistent adherence to client procedures, quality standards, and regulatory deadlines.
Position Responsibilities:
Review and disposition AML transaction monitoring alerts involving cryptocurrency deposits, withdrawals, transfers, fiat funding activity, and customer account behavior.
Conduct end-to-end investigations using KYC/CDD/EDD information, transaction histories, device and account data, internal records, open-source intelligence, and other available evidence.
Analyze blockchain activity to trace the source, destination, and flow of funds across wallets, services, and counterparties;
reconcile on-chain activity to the exchange customer account and relevant off-chain records.
Identify and assess digital-asset money laundering and financial crime typologies, including rapid movement of funds, structuring, layering, chain hopping, exposure to mixers or obfuscation services, high-risk exchanges, scams, fraud, ransomware, darknet markets, mule activity, sanctions exposure, and unusual cross-border activity.
Use blockchain analytics and wallet-screening tools to evaluate direct and indirect exposure, counterparty risk, transaction paths, and attribution information;
clearly document tool outputs and investigative conclusions.
Evaluate customer activity against the stated business purpose, expected activity, source of funds, source of wealth, occupation or industry, geography, and historical transaction patterns.
Determine whether alerts should be closed, escalated for enhanced review, referred to sanctions or fraud teams, or recommended for SAR filing in accordance with client procedures.
Draft concise, fact-based, audit-ready case narratives and SAR narratives that explain the customer, relevant activity, investigative steps, risk indicators, and basis for the final disposition.
Prepare and document requests for information, including 314(b) requests or other permitted outreach, when additional information is needed to support an investigation.
Maintain complete and accurate case files, including supporting evidence, screenshots or exports, transaction tracing, calculations, and a clear record of investigative decision-making.
Escalate emerging typologies, repeated counterparties, linked accounts, control gaps, or potential systemic issues to compliance leadership and appropriate stakeholders.
Meet productivity, quality, service-level, and regulatory deadlines while applying quality assurance feedback and maintaining confidentiality.
Work independently, manage multiple investigations, and communicate findings clearly to peers, quality reviewers, and compliance leadership.
Perform other duties and project assignments as directed.
Required Qualifications:
2+ years of experience conducting AML transaction monitoring investigations, suspicious activity investigations, for a financial institution, fintech, payment company, or cryptocurrency exchange.
Demonstrated experience reviewing complex transaction activity and producing clear, defensible case decisions and SAR narratives.
Working knowledge of the Bank Secrecy Act, USA PATRIOT Act, FinCEN guidance, OFAC requirements, and risk-based AML, CDD, EDD, sanctions, and SAR obligations relevant to digital-asset businesses.
Practical understanding of cryptocurrency transactions, wallets, addresses, transaction hashes, centralized exchanges, decentralized exchanges, stablecoins, bridges, smart contracts, and common digital-asset transaction flows.
Experience conducting blockchain tracing or wallet-risk analysis using a recognized blockchain analytics or screening platform.
Ability to interpret transaction graphs, assess direct and indirect exposure, distinguish customer-controlled and third-party wallets when evidence permits, and explain findings in clear written language.
Experience using open-source research, adverse media, public blockchain explorers, internal customer records, and external data sources to support investigative conclusions.
Strong analytical reasoning, attention to detail, organization, and ability to manage multiple cases under established deadlines.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex transaction activity and risk