Corporate Risk Strategy

About Column

For companies building financial technology and transforming the financial services space, the biggest bottleneck to their growth and innovation is often the underlying banks and infrastructure stack they rely on. We have spent our careers founding and scaling companies like Plaid, Square, SoFi, Blend, and Affirm, and have seen this problem firsthand — builders and developers needing to partner with traditional banks, and creating API and abstraction layers over the patchwork that is the bank, its core, and many other vendors. All of this results in a complex (and often expensive) banking supply chain involving a user, fintech, BaaS middleware provider, bank, core and the Federal Reserve.

At Column, we set out to simplify and fix this. We are a bank and a software company built from the ground up, offering builders and developers technology-forward banking solutions that cut out the hundreds of vendors, middleware providers, and abstraction layers. This means a safer, more transparent, and less costly banking supply chain. Come build with us!

The opportunity

We’re looking for an all-around business athlete to join our Corporate Risk Strategy team as a founding member. In order to onboard our fintech customers and develop world-class banking technology, Column relies on forward-thinking, strategic, and highly efficient risk programs to ensure we scale our business in a safe and sound manner. Building an exceptional approach to managing risk is a critical differentiator for Column (and one of our CEO’s most important strategic imperatives) - however, you don’t need to be an expert in banking or risk on day one to help us take our approach to the next level. Instead, we are seeking a candidate who will challenge the status quo and utilize their highly strategic, operational, and product-oriented mindset to weave technology and automation into our risk operations. 

This role would be a great fit for someone excited to blend strategic problem-solving with hands-on execution. While part of your work will focus on crucial operational aspects of managing risk (think critical third-party onboarding, business resiliency planning, and internal control testing), every project you lead will directly influence our ability to grow responsibly and remain resilient. This is a unique entry point into the world of risk at a high-growth fintech company, where you’ll gain skills and experience that few others can offer.

This role will report directly to our Head of Technology Risk, and will partner closely with leaders across our engineering, business, legal, compliance, operations, and go-to-market teams to implement our vision. This role will be based in-person at our Presidio office in San Francisco (3-4 days/week).

What you’ll do

• Design and execute risk strategies: Lead the design, development, and execution of key risk initiatives. You’ll shape and run processes that strengthen our operational foundation and ensure resilience across all areas of our business. 

• Evaluate and implement new tooling: Collaborate with engineering, compliance, and operations teams to scope out new technology investments that will allow us to scale our risk operations; evaluate “build vs. buy” options for critical tools and platforms, then lead implementation efforts.

• Support business-critical testing programs: Become an expert in technology risk, supporting critical testing programs within information security, privacy, and technology controls to ensure that the operational safeguards we have in place are doing their job to protect the bank.

• Drive planning and reporting efforts: Be an integral part of yearly risk strategy and goal planning, including partnering with senior leaders across the Risk, Compliance, and Engineering teams. Provide periodic reporting on Column’s risk operations to executive management and the Board of Directors.

What you’ll need to be successful

• 2-3+ years of experience in management consulting or business operations in a high-growth environment

• Ability to jump into new situations and quickly solve problems, with an eye towards architecting risk solutions that will scale

• Hyper-organized approach to project management, including coordinating efforts across multiple teams; comfort juggling multiple projects and priorities is critical

• Scrappy, roll-up-your-sleeves attitude - we thrive because we work harder, are more creative, and have zero ego when it comes to getting our hands dirty to build a business

• Attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy

• Familiarity with the banking and fintech industries is preferred, but not required - an interest in becoming an expert in finance, risk, compliance, and technology, however, is a must

What you'll get from us

• 🏥 Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans, including options that are 100% covered by Column for you and 50% covered for your dependents

• 💳 FSA and HSA account options to enable use of pre-tax money for medical and dependent care expenses

• 📈 401k plan, including self-directed brokerage options

• 🌴 Flexible time-off policy - take the time off that you want and need to relax and recharge

• 👶 100% paid parental leave, including 16 weeks for birth mothers, 12 weeks for primary caregivers, and 8 weeks for secondary caregivers

• 🍽️ Catered lunches and dinners for SF employees

• 🚆 Commuter benefits

• 🎉 Regular team building events, including annual offsite

Pay transparency:

The annual US base salary range for this role is $100,000 - $150,000, exclusive of equity compensation and benefits.

This salary range may span several career levels at Column, and will be narrowed during the interview process based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s skill sets, experience, licensure and certifications, location, and other business and organizational needs.

We look forward to hearing from you

Column is committed to working with the best and brightest people from the broadest talent pool possible. We value bringing together a team with different perspectives, educational backgrounds, and life experiences, and believe a diversity of ideas is what allows us to develop the best solutions. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.

If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation during the application and recruiting process, please reach out to accommodations@column.com.

We participate in the E-Verify program in certain locations as required by law. Learn more about the E-Verify program here.