Job VC

We are an acquiring/payments company operating in the UK market and expanding our international payment infrastructure.
We are currently building our Risk function and looking for a hands-on Risk Manager to own merchant acquiring risk and protect the company from financial losses.
Important
This is NOT:
an AML/KYC role
traditional banking credit risk
treasury risk
market risk
ICAAP / PD-LGD modelling
operational fraud support role
We are specifically looking for someone with hands-on experience in:
merchant acquiring
PSP/payments
merchant underwriting
acquiring exposure management
fraud-related financial loss prevention
Main Goal of the Role
Protect the company from financial losses through:
merchant underwriting
exposure calculation
reserve management
payout control
transaction monitoring
fraud detection
acquiring risk mitigation
Responsibilities
Merchant Underwriting & Exposure Management
Analyze merchant business models and financial statements
Assess delayed delivery exposure
Calculate maximum potential loss
Make merchant approval/rejection decisions
Define:
rolling reserves
fixed reserves
deferred settlements
processing limits
payout restrictions
Transaction Monitoring & Fraud Risk
Monitor transaction activity and merchant behavior
Identify:
suspicious volume spikes
refund anomalies
bust-out fraud patterns
chargeback risks
Configure fraud/risk rules
Freeze payouts when financial risk is detected
Risk Infrastructure & Processes
Improve monitoring frameworks
Build risk dashboards
Develop merchant risk profiles
Enhance risk controls and automation
MUST HAVE EXPERIENCE
Required background:
Merchant Acquiring
PSP / Payment Gateway
High-risk merchants
Merchant Underwriting
Acquiring Risk
Payment Risk
Fraud/Risk Monitoring
Strong understanding of:
acquiring liability
chargeback exposure
settlement cycles
reserve management
payout control
exposure calculation
Candidates are NOT suitable if their experience is limited to:
retail banking credit risk
treasury risk
market risk
quantitative banking modelling
AML-only background
onboarding-only roles
Ideal Candidate
A hybrid between:
Merchant Risk Manager
Acquiring Risk Owner
Fraud/Risk Analyst
Merchant Underwriter
What We Value
Commercial skepticism
Fast decision-making
Strong ownership mindset
Ability to act under pressure
Pragmatic balance between risk and business growth
Examples of Real-Life Tasks
Calculate maximum financial exposure for a travel merchant
Decide on reserve hold requirements for high-risk merchants
Freeze payouts based on suspicious transaction activity
Prevent bust-out fraud before funds leave the system