Director of Payments & Risk

About Coinme

Coinme is revolutionizing financial services access by combining blockchain's cutting-edge technology with user-friendly experiences. As the largest network of cryptocurrency kiosks with more than 40,000 locations nationwide, we facilitate seamless crypto adoption through our mobile app, digital wallet, and decentralized finance integrations. We also provide an enterprise Crypto-as-a-Service platform enabling businesses to implement crypto capabilities rapidly with features including KYC, payment processing, liquidity, and custody—all fully compliant and licensed.

Role Overview

The Director of Payments & Risk leads the mission to maintain transaction security, manage disputes, and strengthen fraud controls across both consumer and platform channels. This leadership role commands the overall fraud defense strategy, manages AI-powered operational workflows, and directs the risk team. Working closely with Compliance, Product, and Engineering teams, this position balances strategic oversight with detailed hands-on involvement to ensure robust fraud prevention and process integrity.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee the comprehensive fraud risk strategy across the payments ecosystem including vendor risk systems, internal controls, card processors, and banking partners with clear mapping of system decision points.
• Manage fraud detection mechanisms—rules, thresholds, models, and limits—balancing false positives and fraud capture efficiently with controlled change management and post-implementation monitoring.
• Direct chargeback and dispute programs focusing on strategy, mitigation tools (e.g., Ethoca, Verifi RDR), recovery reporting, and maintaining card network standing.
• Lead investigations and incident responses using evidence to analyze decisions from vendor logs to application data, distinguishing between system issues and effective controls, and driving lasting resolutions.
• Design and govern AI-driven risk operation workflows ensuring quality assurance, human-in-the-loop checks, traceable decision trails, and clear automation boundaries.
• Recruit, mentor, and expand the risk analyst and scientist teams, empowering them to manage AI workflows independently with thorough documentation and runbooks.
• Identify and drive remediation of root causes with other teams to reduce risk gaps and foster collaboration especially with compliance on fraud and AML overlap.
• Manage vendor and partner relationships on both operational and commercial levels, including service agreements, escalation procedures, and roadmap input.
• Provide executives with detailed risk mitigation reporting that goes beyond surface fraud statistics, linking risk management directly to profitability and performance metrics.

What Success Looks Like (First 6-12 Months)

• Assume complete ownership of fraud defense with minimal or no regression in key metrics such as loss rates, chargebacks, and compliance standings.
• Exhibit decisive and effective action during crisis scenarios requiring rapid responses.
• Establish AI-assisted risk operations as well-documented, version-controlled, and team-operated products without singular dependencies.
• Build a fully staffed, skilled team capable of independently managing investigations within service levels and providing defensible rationales.
• Implement continuous process improvements and maintain active commercial engagements with vendors and processors.
• Develop ongoing executive-level reporting connecting operational risk measures to business profitability.

Essential Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years' experience in payments risk, fraud, or dispute management within financial services or cryptocurrency sectors, including at least 3 years in leadership roles focused on risk or trust and safety, preferably within crypto exchange or on/off-ramps.
• Extensive expertise in card payment systems, including authorization, decline processes, chargebacks, representments, and network dispute policies; familiarity with ACH, real-time payment rails, and crypto risk behaviors.
• Proven experience managing modern fraud prevention platforms with advanced rule creation, live testing skills, and critical analysis of system logic.
• Strong data skills including proficiency in SQL and ability to independently analyze logs and telemetry data.
• Leadership in deploying and overseeing AI-integrated operational workflows, including effective automation governance and maintaining human oversight.
• Track record of building sustainable, documented systems that ensure operational continuity beyond individual tenure.
• Ability to influence and improve processes across multiple teams, focusing on root cause elimination rather than patchwork fixes.
• Experience in hiring, coaching, and retaining skilled analysts and leading teams through AI-driven transformations in work processes.
• Sound judgment emphasizing evidence-based decision-making, defensible metrics, protecting legitimate customers, and clear communication to all audience levels.

Desirable Additional Skills

• Hands-on with Sardine fraud platform and card processor integrations like TabaPay.
• Knowledge of threat-informed fraud defense frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK and F3 models.
• Experience with blockchain analytics tools like TRM Labs, Chainalysis, and Elliptic and wallet clustering investigations.
• Understanding of BSA/AML regulations, SAR processes, and collaboration with compliance on related policies.
• Practical exposure to large language model agents and workflow automation platforms.
• Familiarity with modern data technologies such as dbt, data warehousing, and product analytics.
• Professional certifications (CFE, CAMS, FRM) or advanced degrees in the related domain.

Work Ethos

Our approach prioritizes measured, auditable, and evidence-driven actions that protect both customers and company assets. We regard AI tools as fundamental to operations rather than novelties, fostering a culture that values thoroughness and transparency in all risk functions.