Senior Compliance Officer – Trade & Economic Sanctions

About the role

Join Zurich's Group Compliance team in Zurich as a Senior Compliance Officer responsible for the Trade & Economic Sanctions framework. You will support the Head of Financial Crime and work across a multinational environment to translate regulatory requirements into practical business solutions.

Key responsibilities

• Monitor, interpret and translate global sanctions developments (EU, US/OFAC, UN, UK, Swiss) into actionable guidance for business units.
• Provide risk‑based advice on complex, high‑risk sanctions cases and influence go/no‑go decisions.
• Review and assess referred sanctions cases, including pre‑bind, renewal and claims involving sanctioned entities.
• Lead assessment of new regulations and coordinate group‑wide response actions such as exposure mapping.
• Define and maintain global sanctions screening standards and oversee screening effectiveness.
• Provide second‑line oversight across the full lifecycle of sanctions compliance, ensuring escalation of high‑risk cases.
• Advise on sanctions breaches, regulatory inquiries and licensing matters, interacting with regulators as needed.
• Collaborate with Group Legal and external counsel on complex legal scenarios.

Required profile

• Minimum 10 years of compliance experience with a focus on financial crime and sanctions.
• Deep knowledge of US, UK, UN, EU and Swiss sanctions laws and industry standards.
• Proven experience designing, implementing and overseeing sanctions frameworks, preferably in an international insurance group.
• Strong analytical, communication and influencing skills with ability to work across functions and cultures.
• Fluent written and spoken English.

Required skills

• World‑Check, Fircosoft, Actimize or equivalent sanctions screening and case‑management systems.
• Microsoft Office suite (PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook) and SharePoint/MS 365.

What we offer

• Access to healthy food options, fitness facilities and collaborative workspaces at the Zurich Campus.
• Excellent public‑transport links and a lakeside location in Zurich.
• Learning resources, on‑the‑job development and continuous empowerment.