Job Description

The Director, Fraud and Financial Crimes., will report to the Senior Director, Risk Management and Financial Crimes, in the Compliance and Risk Management Department. This role is responsible for the oversight of the enterprise fraud investigations program and will serve as the fraud lead for risk considerations during product review and new product development. This position will work with the Fraud Investigation Manager to delegate investigations into individual occurrences of fraud and communicate with auditors, vendors, product representatives, law enforcement, channel partners, clients, accountholders, and internal stakeholders at all levels.

Acting as a strategic partner to Product, Data Science, Legal, Security, Marketing, and Operations, the Director, Fraud Investigations, will conduct fraud impact assessments and risk assessments, define loss-prevention strategies, recommend safeguards and controls, and provide clear guidance on industry-standard approaches to user identification and transaction verification. The Director, Fraud & Financial Crimes Investigations, will also serve as the main point of contact for high-touch fraud incident response and will work closely with Security to mitigate incidents. The ideal incumbent will be a change advocate within the enterprise and abroad.

• Design, implement, and continuously improve the fraud investigations program to reduce fraud losses and mitigate accountholder exposure.
• Manage the fraud risk tolerance and remediation framework, including escalation thresholds, risk acceptance/exception approvals (as applicable), and accountholder/client communication and reimbursement guidance.
• Evaluate emerging fraud schemes, industry best practices, and vendor capabilities; recommend and roadmap new detection, identity verification, and investigation tools in partnership with Product, Engineering, and Data Science.
• Embed fraud risk requirements into product by providing clear, actionable recommendations (controls monitoring) during new product development and change management.
• Conduct fraud risk analysis on a periodic basis, identify gaps/areas that could be targeted by threat actors, and present recommendations to senior leaders across the business.
• Provide guidance and thought leadership on emerging fraud trends, regulatory expectations, and enforcement priorities.
• Lead a team comprised of a Fraud Investigations Manager and several Fraud Investigators in the pursuit of detecting, mitigating, and resolving potential fraud activities at the company.
• Oversee investigation intake, prioritization, and case management; review complex and high-impact investigations, ensure consistent decisions, and remove barriers to timely resolution.
• Promote a culture of fraud awareness, prevention-first mentality, and personal accountability across all levels of the enterprise.
• Partner with Security, Product, Engineering, and Client Service to define fraud risk tolerance, controls, monitoring and accountholder experience standards, including documented risk decisions.
• Establish and monitor fraud KPIs; periodically test and tune fraud controls, alerts, and workflows to measure effectiveness, reduce false positives, and improve operational efficiency.
• Mentor team members and co-workers.
• Develop and maintain fraud investigation policies, procedures, playbooks, and training materials, including documentation, evidence retention, and escalation standards.
• Assist with completion of risk assessments for products, vendors, systems, etc. as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Recruit, interview, hire, and train new staff.
• Providing regular, constructive, and ongoing employee feedback and timely performance evaluations.
• Produce and present metrics regarding fraud activities to senior leadership.

Qualifications

Education & Experience:

• 7-10 years of experience in fraud investigations, cybersecurity, or a related field, preferably within the financial services industry.
• 5-7 years of leadership experience.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Cybersecurity, or a relevant field.
• Relevant certifications (such as CFE) preferred

Skills & Abilities:

• Executive-level communication and presence, with proven ability to influence decisions at all levels.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to come to risk-based decisions according to the company’s designated risk tolerance.
• Ability to translate observed fraud patterns and industry trends into actionable guidance and recommendations.
• Demonstrated cross-functional leadership, including driving governance forums, managing escalations, and coordinating fraud incident response with Security, Legal, Privacy, and Communications.
• Experience evaluating and onboarding fraud vendors/tools (due diligence, requirements definition, implementation strategy and controls validation).
• Proficiency with MS Suite and current industry technology
• Advanced Knowledge of:
  • Developing and maintaining an enterprise fraud strategy and fraud controls
  • Financial transactions and regulations
  • Fraud investigative techniques
  • Cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities, and privacy principles
  • New and emerging cybersecurity technologies
  • Cybersecurity policies, procedures, and regulations

Other Requirements:

• Infrequent travel - ability to provide personal transportation from time to time.
• Occasionally lifts up to 25 pounds.
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.