VP, Merchant Risk Underwriting

Synchrony•Orlando, FL

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The VP, Merchant Risk Underwriting is a multi-functional role within the Credit Acquisition Strategy team. Primary responsibilities include designing merchant underwriting strategies and managing the overall risk exposure (credit, fraud, and reputational) associated with new merchant acquisitions. This role will require extensive interaction with cross-functional teams to effectively influence and advance the merchant underwriting framework while ensuring risk controls are documented and enforced.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and 5+ years of experience in a strategic analytical role, or in lieu of a degree, 10+ years of experience in a commercial Credit/Risk role
5+ years of experience in a credit risk/fraud strategy development role
5+ years of SAS/SQL/Python programming experience (proficient level) with the ability to analyze complex datasets to derive actionable insights
Experience operating at a strategic level within cross-functional teams
Strong communication and presentation skills, with a proven ability to interact with, influence, and present to senior leadership and external clients
Ability to navigate uncertainty, collaborate respectfully across functions and teams, and solve complex issues without prior precedent
Ability and flexibility to travel for business as required
You must be 18 years or older
You must have a high school diploma or equivalent
You must be willing to take a drug test, submit to a background investigation and submit fingerprints as part of the onboarding process
You must be able to satisfy the requirements of Section 19 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act.
Legal authorization to work in the U.S. is required.
We will not sponsor individuals for employment visas, now or in the future, for this job opening.

Nice To Haves

Expertise in consumer and commercial credit lending lifecycles, fraud risk solutions, and KYB/KYC identity solutions
Demonstrated use of advanced technical and analytical competencies to drive effective strategic goals within a significant functional area
Strong understanding of credit and fraud models
Familiarity with Model Risk Management (MRM) frameworks and internal control governance
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, organize workflows and timelines, and perform in a fast-paced environment
Experience working alongside and in partnership with offshore teams
Master’s Degree or MBA with advanced analytic focus, or equivalent advanced degree

Responsibilities

Design, implement, and monitor SMB merchant underwriting strategies, focused heavily on expanding decisioning capabilities (e.g., identity verification, fraud controls, KYB/KYC).
Analyze large datasets, identify emerging trends, and track champion/challenger strategy performance.
Partner with third-party data vendors and internal technical teams to evaluate and deploy new underwriting technologies, firmographic tools, and API integrations that improve the merchant onboarding process.
Provide effective challenge to commercial partners while supporting portfolio growth.
Deploy enhanced surveillance and early-warning monitoring to detect emerging risk and manage credit exposure.
Partner with Portfolio Credit Managers (PCMs) to support key responsibilities, including conducting industry reviews, monitoring portfolio performance, and driving strategy improvements.
Create ad hoc analytics and reporting to support leadership decisions, client needs, and special projects.
Investigate and resolve customer/client issues, coordinating root-cause analysis and remediation to improve experience and reduce repeat events.
Develop and deliver client-facing and internal executive presentations on portfolio performance, risk themes, and recommended actions.
Document and manage operational controls to ensure seamless alignment with the Lines of Defense (2nd Line Risk/Validation, 3rd Line Internal Audit) and Model Risk Management (MRM).
Enforce bank credit policy and underwriting standards.
Perform other duties and/or special projects as assigned.