Risk Analyst

Universal Processing•Houston, TX

10d•Onsite

About The Position

Role Summary: The Risk Analyst role is a fully onsite position, 5 days a week, in our Houston office. The Risk Analyst will be responsible for identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks related to merchant accounts, transactional behavior, and potential fraud. Additionally, the Risk Analyst will play a key role in supporting the underwriting team by evaluating new merchant applications and assisting with risk-based decision-making during the onboarding process.

Requirements

Must be authorized to work in the US at the time of hire. We are an E-Verify employer!
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business, Risk Management, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
3-5 years of experience in risk analysis, underwriting, or compliance within payment processing or financial services.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail.
Experience evaluating credit risk, fraud, and merchant business models.
Familiarity with chargeback management, MATCH lists, BIN violations, and reserve structures.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Proficiency in Excel; experience with SQL or risk analytics platforms is a plus.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience supporting or working within an underwriting team.
Familiarity with high-risk verticals and how to structure deals to mitigate exposure.
Knowledge of compliance requirements including PCI-DSS, KYC, AML, and card brand guidelines.
Bilingual proficiency in Mandarin-Chinese

Responsibilities

Monitor daily merchant processing activity for suspicious behavior, anomalies, and potential fraud indicators.
Analyze transaction trends, chargebacks, reserves, and credit exposure to assess and manage ongoing risk.
Conduct reviews and investigations of high-risk merchants, including those flagged in MATCH/TMF or associated with card brand violations.
Assist the underwriting team in evaluating new merchant applications by assessing risk exposure based on business model, financials, processing volume, and industry type.
Help structure deals by recommending appropriate reserve levels, rolling reserves, or processing limits.
Review supporting documentation including bank statements, processing statements, financials, and business models to assess risk at onboarding and during merchant lifecycle reviews.
Collaborate with Underwriting, Compliance, Legal, and Account Management teams on complex merchant approvals or escalations.
Recommend mitigation strategies such as account holds, reserve changes, or termination of high-risk merchants.
Prepare reports and presentations for internal stakeholders and regulators on portfolio risk exposure and trends.
Contribute to the enhancement of internal risk models, monitoring tools, and underwriting guidelines.
Stay informed on card brand rules (Visa, Mastercard), industry regulations, and emerging fraud trends.