Forensic Accountant – Cryptocurrency Investigations, Senior Associate

As a Senior Associate Forensic Accountant at Forensic Risk Alliance, you bring expert knowledge of cryptocurrency and blockchain forensics to investigations spanning fraud, money laundering, sanctions evasion, and asset misappropriation. You join FRA's Cryptocurrency practice, one of the most highly-respected forensic accounting, investigations, and compliance consultancies in the world, to support the continued growth of its cryptocurrency offerings.

What you'll do

• Conduct cryptocurrency and blockchain investigations, leveraging blockchain analytics to trace the flow of funds, identify fraud schemes, asset misappropriation, market manipulation, and sanctions evasion.
• Reconcile off-chain data such as email conversations and exchange records with on-chain transaction data to build comprehensive follow-the-money narratives.
• Advise cryptocurrency and FinTech businesses on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance, including Know Your Customer (KYC), Transaction Monitoring, Suspicious Activity Reporting, Sanctions, and anti-bribery and corruption program requirements.
• Prepare workpapers and supporting materials that articulate the investigative steps performed.
• Communicate results to clients and colleagues through written and oral formats, including expert reports, memos, visualizations, and presentations that translate technical findings into clear insights.
• Balance multiple projects and responsibilities, track progress against work plans, and highlight potential issues to management.
• Collaborate with FRA teams on cryptocurrency topics for client alerts and thought leadership content.
• Build and maintain relationships with industry and service provider contacts; develop client relationships to drive firm growth; and participate in the preparation of pitches and proposals for business development and marketing.
• Demonstrate keen interest in financial crime technology and support senior team members in driving innovation within the Cryptocurrency Investigations and Compliance practice.
• Stay informed on emerging crypto and Web3 trends, particularly within the non-bank and fintech sectors.
• Collaborate with engagement teams to assess AML, sanctions, and fraud risks associated with crypto and Web3 business models and align them with best practice and regulatory requirements.
• Keep current with the latest regulatory requirements through independent research of BSA/AML regulations, FinCEN and Federal Reserve Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs), and FFIEC BSA/AML Exam Manual.
• Assist in developing cryptocurrency investigation and compliance training for the FRA team.

What you bring

• 3+ years of relevant experience in the cryptocurrency industry, with 2+ years of hands-on experience conducting cryptocurrency and traditional money laundering investigations, including flow of funds analysis.
• Practical experience using both commercial blockchain analytics tools such as Chainalysis Reactor, TRM Labs, and Elliptic, as well as open-source blockchain explorers such as Blockchain.com, Etherscan.io, and Solscan.io.
• Knowledge of the cryptocurrency ecosystem, including blockchain and smart contract technologies, underlying blockchain architecture, and uses of cryptocurrency and DeFi.
• Experience in financial crime compliance and risk management within the fintech, financial services, or Web3/crypto space, with a strong understanding of Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Transaction Monitoring (TM), Know Your Customer (KYC), and Sanctions compliance relevant to the Web3/Crypto space.
• Knowledge of compliance and regulatory frameworks applicable to financial institutions, with emphasis on FinCEN regulations and FFIEC guidelines, and a commitment to staying current with global regulatory changes and evolving cryptocurrency crime trends.
• A Bachelor's degree or equivalent academic qualification.
• Advanced organizational skills with a proven track record of prioritizing tasks effectively to manage concurrent and conflicting deadlines.
• Proficiency in the full Microsoft Office suite, with strong ability to analyze large datasets in Excel.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, strong work ethic, and an inquiring mind.
• Willingness to support thought leadership in the Cryptocurrency Investigations and Compliance practice.
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally, if required.

Nice to have

• Certification in Chainalysis Reactor, TRM Labs, or an equivalent blockchain analytics tool.

What we offer

• Base annual salary of CHF 105k-CHF 120k (Zurich), with final compensation based on your relevant experience, skills, qualifications, and overall fit for the role.

About Forensic Risk Alliance

FRA is a market leader in regulatory compliance, financial investigations, and data analytics, regularly hired to provide expertise on some of the world's largest multi-jurisdictional investigations and compliance matters and consistently recognized as a global market leader.