Our client is investing in the effectiveness of its sanctions screening capability - and needs a hands-on FircoSoft
specialist to tune it. Working within the institution's financial crime compliance function in Riyadh - with candidates
welcomed from anywhere in the world, and relocation and mobilisation fully supported - you will assess, calibrate and
optimise the FircoSoft screening environment across customer and payment screening: filter rules, matching
algorithms, thresholds, list management and workflow configuration.
Arabic fluency is central to the role, not incidental to it. Screening effectiveness in the Saudi market depends on how
the filter handles Arabic names - transliteration variants, romanisation schemes, name particles, honorifics and
orthographic differences between Arabic-script and Latin-script records. You will bring both the platform expertise to
tune the engine and the linguistic judgement to know when a match rule is generating noise and when it is masking
risk.
Requirements
Assess the current FircoSoft configuration - matching algorithms, rules, thresholds, good-guy/exception lists, and
screening scope across customer and transaction/payment screening.
• Tune filter parameters and matching logic to reduce false positives without compromising sanctions risk coverage,
with documented pre- and post-tuning analysis.
• Optimise Arabic name-matching performance: transliteration handling, romanisation variants, name particles and
script-conversion behaviour across watchlists and customer data.
• Review list management - sanctions list ingestion, versioning and update mechanisms (UN, OFAC, EU, UK and
local/SAMA-directed lists) - and the governance around exceptions and whitelisting.
• Conduct above-the-line/below-the-line style effectiveness testing of screening outcomes; document methodology,
results and recommendations to withstand model validation and regulatory challenge.
• Support alert workflow and operating model improvements - alert quality, hibernation/suppression logic, escalation
paths and investigator feedback loops.
• Coordinate with Compliance, Screening Operations, Technology and the vendor; present findings and
recommendations to senior stakeholders in Arabic and English as required.
Essential
• Hands-on FircoSoft tuning experience - filter configuration, matching algorithms, rules and threshold calibration (not
oversight of a team that did it).
• Professional fluency in Arabic and English, with practical experience of Arabic name-screening challenges:
transliteration, romanisation variants and script matching.
• Strong sanctions compliance knowledge - UN, OFAC, EU and UK regimes and screening obligations, and the
governance expectations around filter effectiveness.
• Experience of screening effectiveness testing and documentation to a standard that withstands model validation,
audit and regulatory review.
• Banking or financial institution experience, with the stakeholder skills to work across Compliance, Operations,
Technology and the vendor.
Preferred
• Saudi or wider GCC experience, and familiarity with SAMA supervisory expectations for sanctions screening.
• Exposure to ISO 20022 / SWIFT MT-MX message screening and payment-flow screening architecture.
• Experience with complementary screening or monitoring platforms and data analysis tools (SQL or similar).
• ACAMS, ICA or equivalent certification.