Fintech Risk Program Manager

Lead is a fintech building banking infrastructure for embedded financial products and services. We operate an FDIC-insured bank headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri.  Additionally, we have offices in San Francisco, Sunnyvale, and New York City, where our technical, product, design, and legal teams operate.

We are built for a constantly evolving financial landscape, where new ventures and technological advancements emerge daily. Guided by a team of entrepreneurs and technologists with decades of experience navigating intricate banking and payments regulations, Lead blends regulatory and technological expertise to help our fintech partners scale their operations with compliance and creativity.

Simply put, Lead offers the essential attributes that every fintech seeks in a partner bank. First, unparalleled technical expertise from a distinguished team of developers with an extensive understanding of the banking and payments systems. Second, oversight expertise, automated compliance systems, and bespoke program management to navigate the ever-shifting regulatory landscape. Finally, a commitment to transparency and operational rigor to ensure everyone’s money does what it’s supposed to do. 

Role Description: We are seeking a dynamic and creative risk-focused Program Manager to join our team and bring strong expertise to managing the third-party risk posed by our Fintech Banking-as-a-Service partners and payments clients. As the Fintech Risk Program Manager, you will work cross-functionally and closely with team members throughout the Bank to build, lead and execute strategic initiatives related to the oversight of Lead’s BaaS fintech partners. 

• Partner with senior risk leadership in continuing to develop and enhance the Bank’s existing BaaS/Fintech risk management framework to ensure alignment with regulatory expectations and industry best practices
• Build and enhance the tools and methodologies the Bank uses to assess the risk of its BaaS fintech partners and payments clients 
• Oversee and lead the execution of various cross-functional risk assessment and mitigation activities performed on the Bank’s fintech partners
• Assess the adequacy of the Bank’s control environment established to mitigate the risk associated with the Bank’s fintech partnerships, provide recommendations for improvements and assist with enhancing controls where applicable
• Develop and maintain Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) related to its portfolio of fintech partners and payments clients
• Perform assessments of the Bank’s BaaS fintech partners’ own processes for managing risk, especially their third-party risk management/vendor management programs
• Engage with external fintech partners in discussions about their own risk management programs, providing credible challenge and recommendations for improvements where applicable
• Continue to build and iterate on the Bank’s inventory and risk assessment of the vendors utilized by its BaaS fintech partners
• Coordinate with the Chief Product and Data Science Officer to ensure the Bank’s Model Risk Management program and inventory remain up-to-date and inclusive of all models utilized by our fintech partners
• Create well-articulated, meaningful and actionable risk reporting for consumption by both management and the Board of Directors
• Act as a true subject matter expert and provide risk management guidance and expertise to other teams throughout the Bank looking to enhance their own risk assessment and control processes
• Lead training sessions with various stake-holders to enhance the team’s ability to assess and control third-party risk associated with fintech partnerships
• Remain up-to-date on an ever-evolving risk landscape across numerous risk domains which may impact the Bank by analyzing emerging events and trends, understanding the controls already in place, and providing recommendations on new or modified controls 
• Manage numerous in-flight projects simultaneously, involving multiple internal and external stakeholders and deliverables 
• Participate in and contribute to other projects and important initiatives where applicable, such as the Bank’s annual Enterprise Risk Assessment, and the build out of risk appetite statements and risk & control libraries
• Maintain knowledge of all US banking regulatory and supervisory requirements, as well as  industry best practices for managing the risk of BaaS fintech partners 
• Build and maintain collaborative business relationships with various departments within the bank
• Bring a customer-service attitude to both internal employees and external partner and stakeholders
• Occasional travel to Kansas City or other key Lead Bank locations (i.e. SF, NY) as needed

• A bachelor's degree or equivalent
• 8-10 years of risk management experience (either at a financial institution or a fintech company)
• A deep understanding of enterprise risk management frameworks, including identifying and assessing risks, designing reporting, building controls, assessing control effectiveness and other activities across the risk management life cycle
• Expertise with managing risk in the fintech/banking-as-a-service model
• Adaptability in an agile and fast-paced environment, with an exceptional ability to frequently triage and re-prioritize work based on a rapidly evolving business 
• Ability to build best-in-class risk programs and processes from scratch, or iterate on legacy programs 
• Self-motivated to engage with business partners and obtain buy-in on various projects & initiatives, and execute in a fast-paced environment 
• Able to bring fundamental and foundational risk management expertise to bear on new and emerging business verticals quickly and in a thoughtful, prudential manner
• Extremely detail-oriented and able to create executive-ready or client-facing documentation
• Able to confidently communicate with internal stakeholders and external parties such as BaaS fintech partners, auditors or regulators
• An ability to distill complex issues into solvable and actionable tasks
• Ability to execute independently or work with team members from the front line to senior leadership

• At Lead, we design our benefits to support company culture and principles, to foster an efficient and inspiring work environment, and to create the conditions for our team to give their best in both work and life
• Competitive compensation, including opportunities based on experience, geographic location, and role
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, 401k Matching, and other wellness benefits, including FSA, HSA and HRA
• Paid parental leave
• Flexible vacation policy, including PTO and paid holidays
• A fun and challenging team environment in a dynamic industry with ample opportunities for career growth 

*Lead Bank is proud to have an inclusive culture committed to ensuring equal employment opportunity in all employment decisions regardless of race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, veteran status or any other legally protected status.

*Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

*Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

*Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

**Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several US geographic markets. Pay is based on a number of factors and may vary depending on geographical market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. These ranges may be modified in the future.

Zone 1: $115,000 - $162,000 (SF/Bay Area, NYC, Seattle, LA)

Zone 2: $110,000 - $150,000 (Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, San Diego, DC)

Zone 3: $102,000 - $121,000 (Other US Metros)