Fraud Prevention and Risk Investigations - Director - Fraud Services

Golden 1 Talent Acquisition Team•Sacramento, CA

About The Position

This position provides strategic oversight and direction for all enterprise fraud management activities. The Director is responsible for managing and administering FACTA compliance, fraud management policies, and programs to ensure operational excellence and mitigate risk across all fraud-related functions. The Director collaborates closely with risk teams and senior leadership to maintain accurate reporting and compliance with federal and state regulations. Acting as a liaison with members, internal departments, and local and federal law enforcement agencies, this role provides guidance and assistance on all fraud-related matters. Key responsibilities include leading the Fraud Operations division, achieving objectives for identifying, reducing, and resolving fraudulent activity, and implementing preventative measures to minimize financial and member impact. The Director develops a highly skilled team to safeguard the credit union’s assets, assesses risk in varied situations, and applies resolutions aligned with organizational risk tolerances while fostering strong cross-functional relationships. As a leader at Golden 1 Credit Union, the Director is expected to elevate the team to a high-performing level by managing, developing, and coaching talent to build engagement and capability. The role requires full ownership of risks within fraud operations, flawless execution of efficient processes, including requirements, systems, outcomes, member experience, metrics, reporting, communication, and cultivating collaborative relationships across the organization to drive alignment and shared success.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience, MBA or MA preferred. Additional work experience may be considered in lieu of 4-year degree. Compliance Certification (prompt pursuit of or equivalent) required; Credit Union Compliance Expert (CUCE) and/or Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).
Minimum of 8 years of progressive fraud management, compliance or other security work within a financial institution, or equivalent combination of education and experience emphasizing fraud management.
Knowledgeable of compliance laws, rules, regulations, and procedures.
Sound knowledge of principles of business.
Ability to communicate at a management level (oral and written) and work well with others in a dynamic team environment.
Demonstrated ability to utilize a consultative approach with Senior Management.
Ability to interpret broad range of complex regulations and devise logical solutions.
Ability to think creatively without any precedents.
Must be able to influence and skillfully manage change in the organization.
Must possess expert knowledge of deposit, lending and safety and soundness regulation impacting the Financial Services industry.
Possess strong investigation skills, analytical skills, negotiation abilities, and industry contacts.

Nice To Haves

Large ($10B+) financial services industry experience preferred.
Track record as someone with business experience in addition to being grounded in law.
Demonstrated competency in and passion for compliance activities.
Experience with fraud and compliance management system application preferred.
Project management experience desired.
Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) or Compliance Certification (prompt pursuit of or equivalent) required; Credit Union Compliance Expert (CUCE), NAFCU’s Certified Compliance Officer (NCCO). Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), or equivalent also desired.

Responsibilities

Oversee and mature the Credit Union’s Fraud Management Systems and Programs, which includes oversight of the applicable regulations, policies, procedures, training, and monitoring to support ongoing compliance efforts.
Prepare and manage committee and executive reporting packets, ensuring inclusion of all Fraud Management Program updates and topics within the Director’s area of oversight.
Oversee and lead the expansion of the 1st line of defense compliance monitoring and testing program to ensure appropriate business line and regulatory coverage.
Responsible for support of enterprise fraud management compliance tool and overall management of information reporting strategy for area of oversight.
Development of accurate, sustainable and timely Board, Supervisory Committee and Senior Management reporting, as applicable.
Provide strategic leadership and direction to the Fraud Management division, including leadership and staff. Foster a high-performing culture by training, developing, and coaching talent, and regularly evaluating performance to ensure engagement, capability, and alignment with organizational objectives.
Maintain a thorough understanding of state and federal laws regulations, and interpretations related to credit union compliance including bank secrecy and anti-money laundering laws and FACTA.
Oversee all card-related investigations, ensuring timely and accurate resolution of fraud cases and disputes in compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies.
Manage the end-to-end dispute process for Zelle, debit and credit card transactions, including monitoring performance metrics and ensuring adherence to Reg E and Reg Z guidelines.
Develop and maintain robust reporting processes for card investigations, disputes, and fraud operations, providing actionable insights and trend analysis to senior leadership.
Direct fraud operations to identify, prevent, and mitigate fraudulent activity across all channels, implementing proactive strategies and controls to minimize financial loss.
Supervise employee investigations related to suspected internal fraud or policy violations, ensuring confidentiality, thorough documentation, and collaboration with HR and Legal as appropriate.
Establish and enforce operational standards and best practices for investigative procedures, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and compliance across all areas of oversight.
Collaborate with law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and internal stakeholders to support investigations and maintain strong fraud prevention partnerships.
Continuously evaluate and enhance fraud detection tools, dispute resolution systems, and investigative workflows to improve efficiency and member experience.
Monitor tasks necessary to ensure that changes are initiated, ensure appropriate action is taken to policies and procedures, and that implementation has been taken by the impacted departments related to area of oversight.
Serve as a liaison between Senior Management and appropriate third-party compliance support to facilitate the research and review or regulatory compliance issues for new and existing products, services and programs. Communicate any regulatory compliance deficiencies or potential problems and provide guidance in the development of alternative solutions or implementation of correction action.
Serve as a liaison between Senior Management and appropriate third-party vendors to support and facilitate the review of credit union policies and procedures to maintain credit union compliance with applicable compliance statutes, regulations, and interpretations as related to area of oversight. Provide counsel to Senior Management regarding any regulatory and/or legal issues that should be incorporated into department procedures. Communicate these improvement opportunities to appropriate Senior Management. Monitor tasks necessary to ensure that changes are initiated, ensure appropriate action is taken to policies and procedures, and that implementation has been taken by the impacted departments.
Act as the primary liaison with law enforcement and attorneys on issues, as appropriate. Prepare, gather and coordinate information and documentation required by regulators and attorneys for compliance related issues.
Develop and maintain an understanding of the pertinent regulatory requirements and risks inherent to job responsibilities, establish, and maintain control activities that mitigate those risks consistent with the Credit Union’s risk appetite, and ensure operational integrity and compliance with applicable regulations.
Perform other duties as assigned.