Ecosystem Risk Controls Director

The Ecosystem Risk function upholds the security and integrity of the payment ecosystem through the detection mitigation and remediation of fraudulent and illegal activity.  The Europe team is responsible for ensuring that Visas global ecosystem risk framework and approaches are fit for the European payment system and support Visas goal of driving sustainable business growth.

The Ecosystem Risk Controls team sits within the Ecosystem Risk function with this role reporting into the Head of Ecosystem Risk.  The remit of the Ecosystem Risk Controls team continues to increase with new responsibilities that ensure Visa can grow its business while having sufficient oversight to protect against egregious activity.  

The Ecosystem Risk Controls Director role manages the deployment of client control processes throughout the Europe region primarily through the Visa Integrity Risk Program. The objective of these processes is to assess the effectiveness of controls Acquirers have in place to onboard and manage merchants that are active across defined highrisk merchant activities. 

This role has responsibility for deploying and further developing an underwriting as well as an ongoing monitoring approach to ensure minimum standards and acceptance criteria are used to approve Acquirers operating in High Integrity Risk sectors.  The role holder will drive risk remediation where required working in conjunction with the wider Europe Ecosystem Risk team Risk Managers and other stakeholders. As Visa looks to expand its control offerings and requirements beyond Acquirers this role will be responsible for ensuring those approaches are effective within the European ecosystem. 

What we expect of you day to day:

• Perform the assessment of Acquirer controls at the time of registering a new High Integrity Risk Acquirer.  Such underwriting may include any of the following: review of SelfAssessment Questionnaires of acquirer policies procedures and sample merchant files various external diligence information payment fraud performance etc.

• Perform periodic riskbased assessment of Acquirers covered under the Visa Integrity Risk program (VIRP)

• Conduct onsite Acquirer reviews or coordinate reviews through 3rd parties including managing Acquirer remediation plans

• Engage with Account Executives to share intelligence assess mitigating actions and ensure clear accountability across functions and/or individuals to drive a consistent and timely remediation approach to excessive risk situations

• Work closely with the Visa Integrity Risk Program (VIRP) global team to ensure Europe risk mitigation requirements form an integral part of the global program

• Propose and coordinate risk mitigation plans for Europes High Integrity Risk acquirers with focus on those acquirers on the Europe Watch List under Close Monitoring or on Risk Conditions

• Provide VIRP and underwriting training and education both to acquirers and to Risk Managers

• Line management responsibilities as required

• Lead detailed and thorough risk assessments and onsite investigations at client payment facilitator and merchant sites as required

• Develop the ecosystem risk approach in utilising onsite client engagements to support Visa business strategies e.g. promote cross border acceptance.

• Establish a Europe approach to direct client engagement to drive risk mitigation beyond acquirers e.g. with Payment Facilitators and issuers

This is a hybrid position. Expectation of days in office will be confirmed by your hiring manager.

Qualifications :

• Strong Visa or Payments industry experience with focus on Acquirer risk management (including merchant underwriting) and/or financial industry experience with focus on client underwriting
• Knowledge and experience of the Visa Europe ecosystem and Visa Europes compliance framework
• Knowledge of the major trends within the UK and wider European payments system and / or financial services industry
• Strong understanding of integrity risk threats (illegality fraud disputes) impacting the Visa payments system and mitigation strategies that can be employed by merchants 3rd parties and Visa clients
• Proven track record of successfully managing operational risk programs within the payment industry and/or regulatory environment.
• A strong team player with the ability to organise and mobilise colleagues build and maintain effective partnerships and coach and give effective development feedback to colleagues
• A resultsorientated and highly motivated person who functions well in a global matrix organisation
• Ability to prepare/review/deliver executive level communications both written (papers and presentations) and oral (to large and small audiences)
• Comfortable providing businessaware challenge
• Ability to work independently with minimal oversight taking projects through from inception to delivery
• Track record of coaching more junior members of staff and effectively delegating tasks to improve team performance
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders to improve programs processes and procedures
• Intellectual rigour and business acumen needed to make sound judgements and handle complex problems and unique risks
• Is regarded as an expert in their field and an agent for change
• Relationship/Client management experience
• Knowledge or experience in audit or underwriting
• Flexible and creative thinker with strong skills generate outofthebox solutions manage ambiguity anticipate the impact of decisions/initiatives and able to move seamlessly from high level concepts to details
• Ability and desire to travel in order to perform onsite reviews and client engagement across the Europe region
• Fluent in English (verbal and written)
• Proficient with Microsoft Power Point Excel Word and Outlook
• Applicable qualifications in regulatory compliance antimoney laundering risk fraud would be beneficial

Additional Information :

Visa is an EEO Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color religion sex national origin sexual orientation gender identity disability or protected veteran status. Visa will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with EEOC guidelines and applicable local law.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Fulltime