Director of Underwriting, Funding, Risk & Collections

Responsibilities • Provide strategic leadership over payments underwriting, portfolio risk, funding, collections, and related merchant risk operations for U.S. and Canadian merchants • Set the operating strategy and provide team leadership, managing vendor and acquiring bank relationships • Monitor portfolio performance and risk trends, identifying emerging risks and recommending portfolio-level actions • Oversee automated high-risk alert monitoring systems, criteria, and reporting to improve decision quality and reduce manual dependency • Partner with cross-functional teams to improve systems, workflows, and alignment • Prepare and present risk, funding, and collections reporting to the CFO and other senior stakeholders • Manage relationships with acquiring bank risk teams, AML partners, auditors, and vendors • Evaluate vendor performance, contracts, issue resolution, and scalability against business objectives and regulatory requirements Requirements • Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field; Master’s or MBA preferred • 8+ years of progressive experience in underwriting, risk management, fraud, payment processing, funding, collections, or financial services operations • Prior experience leading multi-disciplinary teams in medium-to-large, complex organizations • Experience managing U.S. and Canadian underwriting, risk, funding, and/or collections operations • Experience leading process improvement, automation, workflow transformation, or AI-enabled decision-support initiatives in a risk, payments, fintech, PayFac, or financial services environment • Experience with PayFac environments preferred • Experience with Agreement Express, WorldPay, and electronic check processing preferred • Strong knowledge of PayFac, AML, KYC, OFAC, card network, ACH, and acquiring bank requirements • Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and comfort with reporting, workflow, and risk technology tools Hard Skills • underwriting • risk management • fraud prevention • payment processing • funding • collections • process improvement • automation • workflow transformation • AI-enabled decision support Soft Skills • strategic leadership • team leadership • relationship managementcommunication • presentation skills • cross-functional collaboration • vendor management • issue resolution • performance evaluation • organizational skills Tools & Technologies • Agreement Express • WorldPay • electronic check processing • Microsoft Excel • automated monitoring systems • risk technology tools