Risk Manager

Kafene • New York, NY

2d • Remote

About The Position

Kafene is revolutionizing the lease-to-own space. We're the point-of-sale powerhouse making flexible lease-to-own accessible to everyone—prime and non-prime customers alike. Our secret weapon? Cutting-edge AI and machine learning that analyzes 20,000+ data inputs in real-time, empowering retailers across furniture, appliances, electronics, tires, and durable goods to say "yes" to more customers. The numbers tell our story: over $500 million in originations, and counting. But we're just getting started . Our 175-person team spans NYC headquarters, Wilmington, and remote talent across the globe—all united by a culture that thrives on collaboration, innovation, and genuine support. We don't just talk about great workplace culture; we deliver it. That's why Built In named us a Startup to Watch and Forbes recognized us as one of the Best Startup Employers . Ready to be part of the fintech revolution? Join us. The risk team is a fundamental pillar for our business. As a Risk Manager, you will play an important role in driving healthy business growth for Kafene. You will conduct statistical analyses to develop top-tier retailer merchant risk strategies that balance loss control and strong partnerships. You will learn, innovate, and grow alongside an innovative team that strives for excellence.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in a quantitative discipline such as Statistics, Operations Research, Economics, Engineering, Data Science, or any other STEM major
• 2+ years of work experience in LTO or the financial industry
• High-level proficiency in Python, SQL, R, or other data mining and analytical tools
• Strong sense of ownership, timeline, and collaboration
• Prior experience in the lease-to-own (LTO) or the financial lending industry, with good P&L analytical experience
• Familiarity with any decision-tree analysis approach, like pivot tables, Knowledge Seeker, or Enterprise Miner

Responsibilities

• Leverage multiple, complex data sources such as third-party vendor data, internal performance metrics, and machine learning models to perform quantitative and decision-tree analyses to produce actionable recommendations for new merchant underwriting and assess existing merchant profitability to support healthy business growth.
• Monitor, investigate, and conduct p &l analysis to optimize merchant underwriting policy and processes to improve merchant experience while controlling merchant risk at scale with a strong sense of ownership and urgency; ongoing collaboration to enable merchant risk operation teams to handle edge cases
• Design and maintain Sigma reporting and conduct statistical analyses to track merchant engagement and performance across different dimensions to ensure healthy growth and profitability
• Partner cross-functionally (clear communication + strong collaboration) with sales and operations teams to deliver customized merchant treatments that ensure profitability with smooth sales operations
• Investigate merchant fraud cases, identify relevant patterns, and implement preventive measures to mitigate risk
• Learn and leverage analytical tools (Python/R, SQL, etc.) to perform statistical and decision-tree analyses to identify root causes and potential business opportunities.
• Partner with data and engineering teams to enhance treatment capabilities and monitor implementation quality
• Communicate findings clearly through summaries, presentations, and process documentation

Benefits

• Competitive salary of $95,000-140,000
• We prioritize your well-being by covering 80% of medical, dental, and vision insurance costs, including coverage for your spouse, children, and other dependents.
• Begin planning for your future from day one with our 401k plan.
• We understand the importance of work-life balance. That's why we offer flexible paid time off days starting from day one of your employment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level