BSA Officer

About the Role

Alerus is a commercial wealth bank and national retirement provider.

The BSA/AML Officer is responsible for the enterprise-wide oversight and effectiveness of the BSA, AML, and OFAC compliance programs across all business lines and products. This role establishes strong governance, oversees day-to-day financial crime operations, and ensures regulatory expectations are met through effective risk assessment, systems, controls, and reporting.

The BSA/AML Officer serves as the primary liaison with regulators, auditors, and law enforcement; partners closely with the Enterprise Fraud Program and key stakeholders; advises executive leadership on emerging risks; and leads the BSA/AML team while embedding compliance considerations into enterprise initiatives and change governance.

• Serve as the designated BSA Officer with enterprise‑wide responsibility for the BSA/AML and OFAC programs across all business lines, products, legal entities, and U.S. locations.
• Establish and maintain BSA/AML governance (policies, procedures, risk assessment methodology, documentation) aligned to regulatory expectations, industry practices, and the institution’s risk appetite.
• Oversee day‑to‑day BSA/AML and OFAC operations (CDD/EDD, transaction monitoring, investigations, SAR/CTR/OFAC reporting) to ensure accuracy, timeliness, consistency, and effective escalation.
• Collaborate with the Enterprise Fraud Program to align financial‑crime controls and intelligence (shared typologies/red flags, case coordination, trend analysis, and cross‑program escalation) and incorporate relevant fraud risk assessment outputs into BSA/AML risk assessment, program enhancements, training, and management reporting.
• Lead and develop the BSA/AML team (staffing strategy, training, performance management, succession planning) so expertise scales with business complexity and growth.
• Act as the primary liaison for BSA/AML matters with regulators, auditors, and law enforcement; coordinate exams and independent testing support, and drive timely, sustainable remediation of findings (including coordination on intersecting fraud/BSA issues).
• Oversee the effectiveness of BSA/AML systems and models (vendor governance, tuning, validation support, change management) in partnership with Technology, Operations, Risk, and Enterprise Fraud Program.
• Monitor regulatory developments, enforcement actions, and emerging financial‑crime risks; advise executive management on impacts and required enhancements to the program.
• Provide regular reporting to executive leadership and risk committees on program effectiveness, key risk indicators, emerging risks, and regulatory matters (including fraud/AML nexus trends where relevant).
• Embed BSA/AML considerations into enterprise change governance (new products/services, acquisitions, strategic initiatives) and promote a strong culture of compliance through training, clear escalation standards, and ongoing communication.

• 10+ years of progressive BSA/AML experience in a financial institution, including program governance and leadership responsibilities.
• Professional certification (e.g., CAMS) preferred.
• Proven ability to supervise and mentor staff, and to set and administer goals and objectives.
• Strong communication skills (both written and verbal), with demonstrated influence and leadership capabilities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools and BSA/AML technology platforms, including transaction monitoring, investigation, case management, and data analysis/visualization tools used for risk assessment, trend analysis, and management reporting (Verafin experience preferred).
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.

• Competitive compensation including base salary, bonus and/or incentive opportunities.
• Comprehensive benefits package providing a wide range of health and well‑being benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life and long‑term disability insurance; and 401(k) and ESOP for retirement savings.
• Generous paid time off programs such as flexible time off, company‑paid holidays, parental and bereavement leave.
• Learning and development resources for…