Director, Payment Risk Operations

About the role

Maxio Payments is one of the fastest-growing parts of our business. In just over three years we've built an embedded payments offering from the ground up — and we're doubling down. We recently launched the first native B2B surcharging engine on the market, and we see a clear path to tripling the volume processed on our platform over the next two to three years.

What you'll own

• Risk strategy & appetite: Set and own Maxio Payments' risk strategy, appetite, and policy framework in partnership with the CFO — balancing sound risk management against the growth ambitions of a fast-scaling payments business.
• End-to-end function ownership: Own the full risk function — underwriting, transaction monitoring, dispute and fraud management, and compliance — along with the operating model and systems that scale it.
• Underwriting & merchant onboarding: Direct credit and risk decisioning across the merchant lifecycle, and own the policies, thresholds, and KYC/KYB standards that govern it as the portfolio grows.
• Transaction monitoring & fraud: Own the standards, tooling, and escalation paths for surfacing credit, fraud, and compliance risk early — and lead the response when it counts.
• Card scheme & network compliance: Own compliance with card brand rules, sponsor bank requirements, and applicable regulations (NACHA and others), and serve as Maxio's senior point of contact for banking, processing, and network partners.
• Build & scale for the next stage: Design and implement the tooling, automation, reporting, and playbooks that let us triple processed volume without tripling risk — or headcount.
• Executive & board partnership: Be the risk voice in the room with the CFO, executive team, sponsor banks, and the board — shaping decisions, not just reporting them.
• Team leadership & growth: Lead, mentor, and grow the team (currently three), and define how the function is structured and staffed as the business scales.
• Cross-functional leadership: Partner with Product, Sales, Customer Success, Partnerships, and Finance to grow the business responsibly, turning risk from a gate into an enabler.

What you'll bring

• A blend of payments/risk depth and B2B SaaS/software fluency — you've worked in payments risk, and you understand how a software company's merchant base and growth model actually behave.
• 8+ years in payments, risk management, or financial services operations, including 3+ years leading risk or payment operations teams or functions.
• A track record of owning a risk function or major risk domain — setting policy and appetite, not just executing against someone else's.
• Hands-on expertise in underwriting, credit risk, fraud prevention, and transaction monitoring — ideally in an embedded payments, PayFac, or platform context.
• Working knowledge of card brand rules, sponsor bank guidelines, NACHA, and payment processing systems.
• A builder's mindset — comfortable operating where the playbook doesn't fully exist yet, and motivated by scaling systems and teams rather than just running them.
• Strong analytical skills; fluency in Excel/Google Sheets and reporting tools; Salesforce or comparable CRM experience a plus.
• Board-ready communication — clear and credible across executive, partner, and technical audiences.
• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

Why this role

You'll own an entire function at one of Maxio's fastest-growing lines of business — with the mandate to set its strategy and build its team.

You'll be the risk voice in the room with the CFO, the executive team, and the board.

You'll build and scale, not just maintain, as we grow toward 3x processed volume.

How you'll show up — our HYPE values

• Honest and Open: You're candid about risk, tradeoffs, and yourself, and you build trust with partners and merchants.
• Your Input Matters: You bring diverse perspectives together and make the function better through collaboration.
• Passion for Progress: You push for incremental improvement in process, systems, and controls every day.
• Expect Excellence: You hold yourself and your team to a high bar for performance, compliance, and accuracy.