Overview
A technology-focused organization serving the residential, commercial, and short-term rental industries is seeking a Senior Merchant Credit and Risk Analyst. This role is responsible for monitoring payment and merchant activity to identify suspicious, fraudulent, or high-risk behavior and mitigating risk exposure within the Payments Division. The position involves transaction monitoring, risk investigations, account reviews, portfolio oversight, and supporting merchant underwriting and onboarding reviews.
Responsibilities
Transaction Monitoring & Risk Management
- Monitor merchant and transaction activity across payment channels to detect suspicious, fraudulent, or high-risk behavior.
- Investigate alerts, unusual activity, fraud indicators, return trends, chargeback activity, and other risk signals.
- Review escalated transactions and merchant activity, document findings, and recommend appropriate actions.
- Evaluate merchant portfolios for risk exposure, chargeback thresholds, ACH return performance, prohibited MCC activity, compliance concerns, and loss prevention opportunities.
- Maintain case documentation and prepare risk summaries, investigation notes, and recommendations for management.
- Escalate significant risk concerns and collaborate with internal teams to resolve issues.
Merchant Underwriting Support
- Act as a backup resource for merchant underwriting, onboarding reviews, and periodic account reviews.
- Verify and assess merchant application information, including KYB, KYC, OFAC screening, credit report review, financial statement review, and processing volume assessment.
- Assist with approval, decline, reserve, exposure limit, delayed funding, or other risk mitigation recommendations.
- Support compliance with card brand rules, ACH/NACHA requirements, AML/BSA expectations, and internal risk policies.
Systems, Product & Platform Development Partnership
- Develop a deep understanding of the organization's risk tools, payment systems, workflows, and operational processes.
- Collaborate with Product and Engineering teams to provide feedback on workflows, alerts, reporting, and case management functionality.
- Translate operational challenges into business requirements, testing scenarios, and process improvement opportunities.
- Explain risk, compliance, and operational requirements to support platform development and enhancement efforts.
- Participate in testing and validation of new tools, automation, and AI-enabled capabilities.
- Identify opportunities to reduce manual effort, improve efficiency, and strengthen risk controls through technology and process improvements.
- Ensure future platform enhancements support transaction monitoring, underwriting, fraud prevention, compliance, and portfolio management activities.
Process Improvement & Team Support
- Identify opportunities to improve workflows, strengthen controls, and increase operational efficiency.
- Document procedures, workflow changes, business rules, and system requirements.
- Collaborate with Sales, Legal, Product, Engineering, Accounting, Support, and Operations teams.
- Share knowledge, investigative techniques, and industry best practices with team members.
- Mentor and provide guidance to junior analysts and new team members on underwriting, transaction monitoring, fraud investigations, portfolio risk management, and payment industry best practices.
- Stay current on payment industry regulations, fraud trends, card network rules, and risk management best practices.
Requirements
- Minimum 5 years of experience in payments risk, transaction monitoring, fraud operations, merchant underwriting, credit risk, financial crimes, or a similar risk-focused role.
- Direct merchant acquiring experience is required.
- Experience in PayFac, payment processor, fintech, ISO, banking, or related payment environment preferred.
- Strong understanding of transaction monitoring, fraud indicators, account reviews, portfolio risk management, chargebacks, ACH returns, and loss prevention practices.
- Experience supporting or performing merchant underwriting, including KYB, KYC, OFAC, credit report review, financial statement review, and risk-based decisioning.
- Working knowledge of card brand rules and regulations, including chargeback thresholds, prohibited MCC management, and network compliance considerations.
- Understanding of ACH and NACHA guidelines related to payment processing and risk management.
- Working knowledge of AML/BSA compliance frameworks, OFAC screening, sanctions risk management, and related due diligence requirements.
- Ability to learn systems deeply, identify process gaps, and communicate operational requirements clearly.
- Experience working cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Compliance, Legal, Sales, Operations, or similar teams.
- Strong technical aptitude, including proficiency with Excel, CRM solutions, case management systems, banking platforms, risk monitoring tools, and reporting systems.
- Comfortable learning new technologies, automation tools, and evolving risk management platforms.
- Demonstrated integrity, sound judgment, attention to detail, and ability to communicate risk decisions and findings clearly.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree preferred or equivalent work experience.
- CAMS, CFE, or equivalent AML, fraud, or risk certification is a plus.
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive pay
- Health insurance including medical, dental, vision, and prescription plans
- Health Savings Accounts (HSA)
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
- Dependent Flexible Spending Account
- Critical illness and accident insurance
- Retirement savings plan (401K) with discretionary company match
- Short- and long-term disability insurance
- Company-paid $25,000 life insurance
- Supplemental life and AD&D insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Paid holidays, vacation, and volunteer time
- Employee discount programs
Location
Employment Type
- Full-time, salaried, exempt
Equal Opportunity
This employer is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all federal, state, and local laws, including providing reasonable accommodation to applicants.