Director of Payments and Risk

About Coinme

Coinme is innovating financial access in the digital era by leveraging blockchain technology to simplify digital currency use. As the largest operator of cryptocurrency kiosks nationwide with over 40,000 locations, Coinme dismantles barriers to crypto adoption through its mobile app, secure wallet, and DeFi integrations. Beyond consumers, Coinme also empowers businesses with its Crypto-as-a-Service platform, delivering modular, licensed, and compliant solutions from KYC to custody.

Role Overview

The Director of Payments and Risk leads the mission of safeguarding transaction integrity, managing disputes, and sharpening fraud controls across consumer and platform channels. This role combines strategic leadership and hands-on expertise to develop fraud defense architectures, AI-powered operations, and a skilled team of analysts and scientists. You will work closely with Compliance, Product, and Engineering teams, owning risk economics and ensuring robust, scalable risk management.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead fraud risk strategy and oversee the defense infrastructure spanning fraud vendors, card processors, internal controls, and banking partners.
• Manage detection systems—rules, models, thresholds—and monitor tradeoffs between false positives and fraud capture with rigorous change control.
• Oversee chargeback and dispute programs, including analytics for pre-dispute deflection, recovery rates, and card network monitoring.
• Direct fraud investigations grounded in evidence, distinguish system issues from control failures, and implement lasting fixes.
• Design and govern AI-native risk operations featuring agentic workflows with robust governance and audit trails.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop risk analysts and scientists, ensuring ownership of AI-assisted workflows and documentation.
• Drive root cause remediation across payment flows and broader customer journey in cooperation with compliance and other stakeholders.
• Manage vendor and partner ecosystems from operational and commercial perspectives, including SLAs and escalation procedures.
• Provide actionable, detailed executive reporting linking risk mitigation to profitability and operational performance metrics.

Success Metrics (6–12 Months)

• Seamless ownership of fraud defense architecture without loss rate or dispute metric regressions.
• Demonstrated decisive, evidence-based crisis management skills.
• Operational AI-assisted risk functions managed as team products with no dependence on individuals.
• Fully onboarded team independently resolving investigations within SLAs.
• Established vendor relationships with formal reviews and roadmap influence.
• Consistent, data-driven executive reporting connecting risk to business outcomes.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years’ experience in payments risk, fraud, or dispute operations within financial services or crypto, including 3+ years leading risk or trust and safety teams.
• Deep understanding of card-rail mechanics, chargeback economics, network dispute rules, ACH and real-time payment rails, and crypto-specific risk domains.
• Hands-on expertise with modern fraud prevention platforms (e.g., Sardine, SEON, Sift) including rule authoring and testing.
• Strong data skills including advanced SQL, log analytics, and self-sufficient investigative capabilities.
• Proven leadership of AI-driven operational risk workflows with clear understanding of automation guardrails and human oversight.
• Capability to build institutional knowledge and design sustainable risk operations beyond personal tenure.
• Strong influence skills to effect cross-team process improvements and root cause remediation.
• Experienced in hiring and growing analysts and managing changes in work with AI assistance.
• Sound judgment with rigorous evidence-based decision-making and clear communication to both technical and executive audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Sardine or comparable card processor integrations (e.g., TabaPay).
• Knowledge of threat-informed defense frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK applied to fraud.
• Familiarity with blockchain analytics tools like TRM Labs or Chainalysis.
• Understanding of BSA/AML regulations and SAR processes including evidence management.
• Experience developing with LLM agents or workflow automation platforms.
• Exposure to modern data stack tools such as dbt, data warehouses, and product analytics.
• Certifications such as CFE, CAMS, FRM or an advanced relevant degree.

Work Culture and Approach

Our team values measurement before action, confirmed results, and thorough audit trails. We fiercely balance protecting legitimate customers and stemming fraud, integrating AI tools as essential to our approach. Candidates aligned with this philosophy will thrive here. We also maintain clear AI Usage Guidelines throughout our hiring process.