Underwriter, Team Lead

Overview

This role serves as a senior individual contributor and subject-matter expert responsible for evaluating large, complex, and higher-risk merchant accounts while providing guidance and support to the underwriting team.

Responsibilities include exercising independent judgment in assessing complex or non-standard risk scenarios, interpreting underwriting requirements, determining appropriate risk strategies, and making decisions within delegated authority.

Responsibilities

• Underwrite and manage large, complex, and higher-risk merchant accounts by evaluating financial, credit, processing, fraud, and operational risk and making sound risk-based decisions within delegated authority.
• Act as a key escalation point and resource for underwriters, providing guidance on underwriting policies, procedures, Card Brand requirements, compliance matters, and complex or non-standard risk situations.
• Train and develop underwriters by onboarding new team members, supporting ongoing product and policy education, and helping underwriters expand capabilities to evaluate higher-risk and more complex merchants.
• Determine and negotiate appropriate approval structures and risk mitigants (including reserves, ACH delays, and other controls) based on specific risk exposure and organizational risk appetite.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert in credit underwriting, financial statement analysis, fraud detection, payments, and merchant risk; provide expert guidance to management and cross-functional partners on significant risk matters.
• Identify emerging risks, compliance concerns, and opportunities to improve underwriting practices; contribute to the development and consistent application of policies, procedures, and risk-management processes.
• Provide subject-matter expertise on underwriting fraud risk by helping underwriters identify suspicious trends, inconsistencies, potentially altered documentation, and other fraud indicators.
• Guide appropriate verification and investigative steps, and use internal tools and third-party resources to identify or rule out potential fraud.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience, with 10+ years of relevant experience in underwriting, credit, risk, payments, banking, or financial services.
• Deep knowledge of merchant acquiring, payment processing, credit underwriting, financial statement analysis, fraud detection, and merchant risk, with the ability to analyze complex financial and transactional information.
• Demonstrated ability to independently assess financial, credit, operational, fraud, and processing risk and make sound decisions involving complex or higher-risk accounts.
• Strong understanding of risk-mitigation tools, including reserves, ACH delays, and other approval conditions, and the ability to determine appropriate controls based on risk exposure.
• Strong knowledge of Card Brand requirements, underwriting policies, procedures, and applicable KYC/AML and risk-management standards, with the ability to explain and apply them to complex situations.
• Exceptional communication, problem-solving, training, and decision-making skills, including the ability to educate others, handle escalations, explain complex concepts clearly, and serve as a trusted resource to the underwriting team and cross-functional partners.
• Advanced analytical and data-driven decision-making skills, including proficiency with underwriting and risk-management systems and the ability to identify trends, inconsistencies, and emerging risks.
• Demonstrated expertise in fraud detection and prevention, including experience analyzing fraud trends and transactional data, identifying potentially altered or suspicious documentation, developing verification strategies, and using fraud tools, investigative resources, and third-party data to identify or rule out fraudulent activity.
• Excellent management, communication, interpersonal, organizational, and leadership skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively both written and verbal.
• Attention to detail and excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Banking and Credit Card Issuing experience is a plus.
• Industry knowledge.

Compensation & Benefits

• Compensation range: $97k - $130k
• Bonus programs
• 401(k) match
• HSA and FSA options
• Financial wellness resources and employee discount programs
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Mental health support for employees and dependents through Lyra Health
• Family planning and women’s health benefits through Carrot
• Gym membership reimbursement and virtual wellness programs (including yoga)
• 3 weeks PTO to start, with unlimited PTO after year one
• Education expense reimbursement
• Leadership development programs
• Certified Payments Professional (CPP) certification support

Location

• Remote

Traditional Physical Requirements

• Requires prolonged sitting, standing, bending, stooping, and stretching.
• Requires the ability to lift 10 pounds.
• Requires eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, and a normal range of hearing and vision (with or without correction).