Head of Fraud Strategy & Operations

Managing fraud risk is core to what we do at Cardless, and as our Head of Fraud you will be responsible for the oversight of our fraud systems.

There a few key "jobs to be done" for this role:

(1) Fraud Prevention: Customer Onboarding

You’ll lead the development and implementation of fraud detection strategies during the customer onboarding process. This includes working with identity verification vendors, credit bureau integrations, and risk engines to ensure fraudulent application activity is caught early. You'll oversee how fraud tools and models are deployed and enhanced over time, working cross-functionally with product, engineering, compliance, and data science teams to build robust fraud prevention methods that protect against both identity fraud and synthetic identity attacks.

(2) Fraud Prevention: Transaction Monitoring

You'll be in charge of the systems responsible for monitoring real-time credit card transactions, ensuring a balance between fraud prevention and customer convenience. You'll lead efforts to fine-tune fraud detection algorithms, reduce false positives, and improve the customer experience in cases where accounts are flagged or cards are declined. Your role will involve collaborating with customer support to resolve disputes quickly while maintaining strong risk controls, leveraging insights from industry trends and machine learning techniques to stay ahead of emerging fraud threats.

(3) Ongoing Portfolio Monitoring

Continuously monitor and analyze transaction data to spot emerging fraud patterns and ensure the overall health of the platform and credit portfolio. You'll adjust fraud policies and controls as needed to mitigate risks while maintaining a high approval rate for legitimate transactions. Regular portfolio reviews, combined with real-time analytics, will allow you to proactively address risks and adjust fraud thresholds to safeguard the company’s assets while maintaining customer trust.

(4) Vendor and partner Management

Work closely with external fraud prevention vendors, issuing banks, and payment processors to strengthen fraud defense mechanisms. As the lead on fraud risk management, you'll present fraud trends and prevention strategies in regular meetings with these partners, ensuring that they align with both regulatory requirements and internal business needs. This includes optimizing the use of third-party fraud tools, exploring new fraud prevention technologies, and ensuring compliance with KYC/AML regulations.

Requirements

• 6+ years of experience in fraud operations within the fintech or payments industry, with specific experience managing fraud in lending and credit or debit card companies
• An ability to switch from 30,000 feet to 100 feet in a single day - you'll be overseeing our overall fraud strategy, but shouldn't be afraid to get your hands dirty and review sticky cases yourself.
• Proven track record of developing and managing fraud detection strategies, including customer onboarding and transaction monitoring
• Technical and quantitative skills (e.g., experience working with data tools, machine learning, or SQL-based analytics to support fraud detection and prevention)
• Strong communication skills — ability to communicate technical fraud concepts to non-technical stakeholders (e.g., Operations, Legal, Compliance, and leadership teams).
• Experience working at a technology company, and the collaboration with engineering and product that comes with it!