At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. As part of Team Amex, you'll experience this powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career.

Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express.

ICS Governance and Control sits within International Card Services (ICS), which covers all issuing functions across 26 international markets (excluding the U.S.). ICS issues products to Consumer and Commercial customers and plays a critical role in the global growth strategy for American Express. Our team helps international businesses manage risk, respond to regulatory changes, and develop new products while building strong partnerships across the organization.

To support this, the Financial Crime and Data Office team is delivering a multi-phase transformation programme to strengthen AML practices while maintaining a customer-first approach.

How will you make an impact in this role?

As part of the Issuing Financial Crime Refresh Programme, the Financial Crime Delivery Director will be accountable for the delivery of effective refresh projects, ensuring:

High-quality, robust, and sustainable processes delivered with strong controls and rigorous testing.

Delivery of capabilities that optimized the customer or client experience.

Implementation of strong governance and accountability across the programme.

This is a UK-based role offering an exciting opportunity for an experienced programme leader with knowledge of the issuing business to join our team.

Minimum qualifications

Project Delivery:

Oversee planning, execution, and delivery of multiple projects within the programme.

Ensure project milestones, budgets, and timelines are met while maintaining quality standards.

Identify, assess, and mitigate project-level risks and dependencies.

Governance & Compliance:

Strengthen governance structures with clear reporting mechanisms and performance metrics.

Ensure compliance with regulatory, financial, and organizational policies.

Stakeholder Management:

Engage and influence senior stakeholders, sponsors, and cross-functional teams.

Maintain strong relationships with American Express Legal Entity forums.

Team Leadership:

Lead and develop a high-performing project and programme management team.

Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Preferred Qualifications

Proven ability to deliver results against aggressive timelines in a dynamic environment.

Strong communication, negotiation, and influencing skills across markets and seniority levels.

Ability to prioritize multiple initiatives simultaneously to achieve overall objectives.

Leadership and team development experience.

Relationship-building skills with the ability to gain trust quickly and deliver value.

Ability to challenge the status quo and drive incremental improvements.

Prior experience in AML/KYC or other regulatory environments preferred.

Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the UK is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.  

We back you with benefits that support your holistic well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:

Competitive base salaries Bonus incentives Support for financial-well-being and retirement Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits (depending on location) Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need Generous paid parental leave policies (depending on your location) Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location) Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program Career development and training opportunities

Offer of employment with American Express is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background verification check, subject to applicable laws and regulations.