About the position
Santander is looking to hire a Payments Risk Associate to become a key member of our Operational Risk Management team. The ideal candidate will be responsible for assessing, analyzing, and mitigating risks associated with payments systems, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, and implementing effective payments risk management strategies. This role requires a strong understanding of payment systems, fraud detection techniques, and regulatory frameworks. The candidate will be part of the 2nd line of defense Operational Risk Management team responsible for managing payments risk frameworks and policy, and providing oversight, review and credible challenge of payments risk management activities. This role will report to the Chief Operational Risk Officer (CORO). The individual will partner with key stakeholders across all lines of defense, all business lines and support functions, including IT, Risk, Compliance, Legal, Audit, Human Resources and Finance, to support the identification, assessment, management and reporting of payments risks. The individual will work across Operational Risk Management to ensure close coordination, integration, transparency and awareness of payments risks.
Responsibilities
- Assist in providing 2nd Line risk oversight of the Payments Risk Management Program and provide direct 2nd Line support for policies/standards/procedures, strategies, material risks, risk reporting routines and metrics related to payments.
- Independently serve as a trusted partner and risk advisor to key stakeholders and business partners across all lines of defense.
- Credible review and challenge of 1st Line Risk and Control Self-Assessments (RCSA), including identification and assessment of payments risk, identification of controls for payments, and assessments of control design and effectiveness.
- Provide support for regulatory exams and interactions, including assessing risk remediation activities.
- Assist in performing independent risk assessments of payments risk management related disciplines, including issues, internal and external events, and concentrations.
- Positively contribute to the risk culture and overall awareness of payments risk.
- Escalate, report and communicate payments risk management matters to executive management.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree.
- 5+ years of related payments experience; ideally any combination of Operational or Payments Risk (1st or 2nd line), Audit (3rd line) and/or Compliance experience.
- Strong understanding of payments systems, including ACH, wire transfers, and emerging payment technologies such as Instant Transfers (RTP, FedNow).
- Knowledge of regulatory requirements governing payment systems, such as OCC Payment Systems Handbook, FRB rules, NACHA rules, PCI DSS, and FFIEC guidance.
- Ability to convey a sense of urgency and drive issues/projects to closure.
- Thought leader, strategic and critical thinker, problem solver.
- Ability to work well both independently and collaboratively as a member of the team.
- Ability to multi-task, work in a fast-paced environment and adapt to change.
- Ability to influence with strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Integrity, combined with high personal and professional standards.
- Strong program and project management skills/capabilities.
Benefits
- 401k
- health_insurance
- dental_insurance
- vision_insurance
- paid_holidays
- paid_volunteer_time
- tuition_reimbursement
