Merchant Services Underwriting Manager

FFB Bank•Fresno, CA

2d•$95,000 - $125,000

About The Position

The Underwriting Manager is primarily responsible for providing training, support, and guidance to the Underwriting team. The Underwriting Manager is tasked with ensuring that the Underwriting team complies with the goals, objectives, and standards of the organization to meet SLAs and provide partners with a best-in-class customer experience.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a relevant field (e.g., Business, Finance, or related) preferred.
Minimum 2–4 years of related leadership, with at least 6–8 years in merchant services underwriting is required.
Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to provide leadership, delegation, motivation, problem resolution, and training for 2 or more employees using positive supervisory techniques to ensure maximum productivity.
Direct experience in transaction or payment processing, a complete understanding of the positioning of all of our products, strong knowledge of risk processes.
Knowledge of high-risk industries including, Nutraceuticals, Gaming, Online Casino, etc. and understanding of all applicable state/federal/local regulations and laws.
Knowledge of ISO oversight requirements.
Comfortability reviewing sensitive or explicit content, as needed (e.g., adult-related content, violent content, or hate/harm content)
Capable of establishing performance standards, measuring outcomes, taking corrective action, and appropriately rewarding employees.
Comprehensive knowledge of management procedures, with the ability to plan department activities including developing strategies and creating policies and procedures.
Experience with TSYS, IRIS.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook) required.
Effective oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to apply common sense to carry out instructions, interpret documents, understand procedures, write reports and correspondence, and speak clearly to customers, vendors and employees.
Strong teamwork and relationship skills with the ability to lead collaborative efforts, foster alignment, and drive results.
Ability to take initiative and impact change within the Bank through consensus building, negotiation, and conflict resolution.
Commitment to continuous learning and professional development of self and team members to stay current with industry standards and best practices.
Demonstrated ability to maintain authenticity and integrity in all professional interactions, ensuring trust and credibility with team members, customers, and direct reports.
Willingness to take on special projects and perform other duties as assigned, beyond core responsibilities, to support team and organizational needs.
Capable of managing multiple priorities and meeting deadlines in a dynamic environment.
Proven ability to adapt to changing priorities and procedures.
Current driver’s license and a vehicle with appropriate insurance coverage if required to drive while performing assigned duties and responsibilities.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree or relevant certifications are strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Contributes to process improvement by identifying inefficiencies and offering solutions within workflows.
Drives team performance by setting clear goals, monitoring results, and implementing strategies to exceed targets.
Supervises, coaches, and develops staff including conducting performance evaluations, taking corrective action and providing ongoing feedback and mentorship.
Collaborates with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to support company initiatives and strategic objectives.
Leads underwriting team activities to ensure timely and accurate completion of work, appropriate assignment of merchant applications and tasks, and compliance with corporate objectives and standards.
Drives the development of credit and risk policies, processes, and infrastructure to support timely, comprehensive review and decisioning of merchant and agent applications, as well as ongoing monitoring of accounts and transactions.
Oversees ISO Oversight processes in alignment with Merchant Services policies and sound credit judgment.
Manages and monitors the flow of incoming merchant applications to ensure timely and well-reasoned credit decisions.
Ensures data integrity across CRM systems and document repositories.
Facilitates effective communication regarding pending applications and application decisions with Relationship Managers, Sales, and leadership teams.
Conducts comprehensive assessments of merchant creditworthiness, including review of credit reports, TIN/OFAC checks, identity theft screening, and bank account and address verifications.
Monitors and measures credit risks, liabilities, and exposures to the merchant services business by maintaining sound underwriting criteria, evaluating applications for fraud and credit exposure, reviewing financial statements, and re-underwriting merchants as appropriate.
Analyzes consumer credit reports to support informed credit decisions.
Demonstrates proficiency in analyzing business bank statements, financial statements, and merchant processing statements, including chargeback and refund exposure.
Identifies fraudulent merchant application submissions through detailed analysis and the use of internal and external underwriting tools.
Applies in-depth knowledge of credit and risk scales, policies, and underwriting standards.
Collaborates with internal and external sales agents and merchants to resolve outstanding items required to reach application decisions.
Ensures team compliance with internal policies and procedures, regulatory guidelines, and industry standards.
Embodies the TRAC Values and Critical Behaviors (Teamwork, Relationship, Authenticity, Commitment) as core principles, using them to guide daily interactions and decision-making.
Completes administrative tasks with a sense of urgency, including required Bank Compliance Training.
Responds to internal and external inquiries via email, phone, or messaging platforms in a timely and professional manner.
Positively represents the Bank through ethical conduct and community involvement.
Demonstrates an understanding of and commitment to EEO policies.
Fosters a respectful, inclusive workplace by valuing cultural differences, preventing harassment of any kind, and supporting a diverse workforce.
Ensures adherence to all Bank policies, procedures, and processes, along with applicable state and federal laws, rules, and regulations, ensuring confidentiality and data privacy while carrying out AML/CFT (Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism) responsibilities specific to the role.
Performs duties in an office or home office environment, involving tasks such as writing, typing, speaking, lifting moderate weights, and operating office equipment.
The position requires physical activities like sitting, walking, and reaching.
Reasonable accommodation can be made for individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
Travels up to 10%, including but not limited to attending company meetings, training sessions, and corporate events, with travel typically being regional or local based on business needs.